- The Honda Pilot is all-new for 2023, with a rugged new look, an off-road-oriented TrailSport trim level, and flexible passenger space
- Pricing starts at $39,150 | Price it your way
- On sale now | See Honda Pilot models for sale near you
Everyone knows about the Honda Pilot. It’s been around since the 2003 model year and earned a reputation as one of the most reliable, well-rounded 3-row SUVS on the market.
But not everyone knows about the 2023 Honda Pilot.
Honda radically remade its largest product for the 2023 model year. The Pilot still has the family-friendly nature and bulletproof Honda reputation that has attracted buyers for so long. But it’s newly handsome, with a more rugged look than ever before.
It’s also newly capable, with an i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system standard on several trim levels and a new TrailSport trim level that makes it the most capable off-road vehicle Honda has ever built.
Available in front- or all-wheel drive, every Pilot gets the same 3.5-liter V6 engine, good for 285 horsepower. Power goes through a 10-speed automatic transmission, giving it up to 25 mpg in highway driving despite its eight-seater size.
But buyers have always turned to the Pilot for its spacious, well-thought-out interior above all else.
Let’s explore what’s inside the redesigned 2023 Honda Pilot.
Passenger Room and Comfort
The Honda Pilot was already among the more spacious 3-row SUVs available. The 2023 Honda Pilot, however, is bigger in most dimensions.
It’s especially generous to third-row passengers, who get more head, leg, and shoulder room than in a comparable Toyota Highlander. Even the base Sport model gets heated front seats — a nice touch at its price.
But the Pilot’s best feature may be its available trick second row.
Normally, 3-row SUV shoppers must choose between second-row captain’s chairs or a second-row bench seat. Captain’s chairs give second-row passengers more room and comfort and make accessing the third row a little easier, thanks to the pass-through between them. But they limit the vehicle to seating for seven.
A bench gives you space for eight but means second-row passengers can be a little too close together. This makes the third row feel walled off from the rest of the vehicle.
However, Touring and Elite editions of the Pilot get a removable center second-row seat that stows neatly into the floor. With it in place, they have an 8-seater SUV with a versatile bench. With it hidden away, they have comfy captain’s chairs in the second row.
There’s nothing else like it on the market, though we suspect every automaker is working on copying the design for their next generation of vehicles. It’s just that good of an idea.
Features and Tech
In a year when too many automakers hide climate and entertainment adjustments behind touchscreen menus, the Pilot retains physical knobs and buttons for some features so that owners can quickly learn to make changes without looking away from the road.
Entry-level Sport models get a 7-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but every other trim level gets a larger 9-inch model with wireless versions of both connectivity systems. A wireless phone charger is standard on all but the Sport model, too.
Elite models get a head-up display that projects turn-by-turn directions, speed, and more directly into the driver’s line of sight.
Honda offers three sound systems. Seven speakers and 240 watts get the job done at the base level, but EX-L and TrailSport models get nine speakers and 245 watts. Touring and Elite buyers get a Bose system with 12 speakers and a subwoofer.
Honda’s most impressive piece of technology, though, might be the available Traffic Jam Assist system. It can accelerate, brake, and steer the car in traffic up to 40 mph as long as the driver is paying attention and ready to take over at a prompt. If your commute involves regular traffic jams, it’s a huge relief to rest your calves now and then and trust the car to keep up. Impressively, it’s standard even on the base model.
Materials and Design
Designers have done a great job making the Pilot feel spacious and ergonomically logical. We like how Honda places the central touchscreen high, so it’s easily in the driver’s line of sight without having to look down to make adjustments.
Our test drivers loved that designers thought to recess the screens into the dash, giving users something to rest their hands on when using them.
Some shoppers come to Honda looking for a simple model that fits into their budget and holds its value well. The cloth seats and smaller screens of the Sport model will keep them happy.
But, for the most part, Honda intends the Pilot as something closer to a luxury SUV. EX-L models get leather-trimmed seats. TrailSport models get durable synthetic leather on the assumption that owners will want something easy to clean for their adventures. Touring and Elite models get a finer grade of leather, and at the highest level, front seats are both heated and ventilated.
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The Pilot offers up to 87 feet of cargo space with all the seats folded — more than many competitors. Even with all the seats up, it provides 18.6 cubic feet.
More than the simple dimensions, though, the space is easy to use. Our favorite feature may be the walk-away close function. Press a button to activate it, and the tailgate will automatically close as you walk away with the key.
That means you can press the button, load both hands with grocery bags, and walk away, trusting the Pilot to close itself. If, like us, you have to get all the groceries in one trip, no matter how painful, not going back out to close the car feels like a victory.
Up front, generously sized bins and cubbies hold everything you could want to bring with you, and the phone charging shelf is located so that your phone stays put in hard braking.
Build and price your own version of the 2023 Honda Pilot to see this week’s KBB Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own, and more, or check out Pilot models for sale near you.
