This was one of the most brutal beatdowns in recent memory. The Flex murdered the Pilot by a 5-to-1 ratio in last week’s Showroom Showdown. Ouch!  

Want a spacious, AWD family hauler and have a bit over $30k to spend? Well, here are two great options. Which would you choose?

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

I guess Mike didn’t like this Honda Pilot, either…

The Honda Pilot is a pretty uninspiring vehicle when viewed in stock form. However, with a few trick upgrades this mild mommy machine has been turned into a pretty rad rally machine. From the well thought out front push guard sporting four Hella lights to the cool Thule roof rack to the rally-inspired interior complete with roll cage and fully-adjustable oh sh*t handles, this little UTE is transformed into something I think Daddy would drive on a regular basis.

Continue reading "Rally Inspired Honda Pilot: Very Cool" »

Yup, it sure looks like a rear view camera would come in handy in this situation. You know what else would come in handy? A steam cleaner. Yuck.

With the 2009 Honda Pilot receiving its official debut in just a week, these spy photos might seem a little late in the game. Luckily, they show the new crossover with no disguise, effectively giving us an early look at the redesigned model.

The new Pilot was previewed with a concept version at the Detroit auto show in January. Based on an entirely new platform, the eight-seater offers more legroom and overall occupant space for all passengers. It also has more cargo space and easier access to the third row.

The 60/40 split second row, now more spacious, slides further forward for increased ease of access to the third row. The 60/40 split third row, now supplies enough knee room for an above-average-sized adult male to fit comfortably. Each side of the second and third row independently folds down for cargo. A flat floor is created when the second and third rows are folded down.

The 2009 Pilot’s new body features the most extensive use of high-strength steel in any Honda product to date. This provides enhanced collision safety and better off-road durability.

The Pilot originally debuted as a 2003 model in July of 2002. Design and development of the 2003 Pilot and the 2009 Pilot were carried out at Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio, and Torrance, California. The Pilot is assembled at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln.

A new V6 engine introduces the latest generation of Honda fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology that operates in 6-cylinder mode for power and 4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency, an improvement compared to the existing Pilot’s available VCM system that works exclusively in 6- and 3-cylinder modes. More photos at Left Lane News.