Till now, the Honda Pilot’s been all hat, no cattle relating to convincing anybody that it’s even remotely an SUV. It was very a lot the household bus. And it nonetheless is for 2023. However due to a redesign for the brand new mannequin 12 months, it lastly seems considerably like an SUV, and with the addition of its TrailSport trim, it’s lastly acquired some gear to enterprise off street.
All hat no cattle? Not a lot anymore.
Overview
Launched in late 2002, the Honda Pilot has confirmed to be a extra trendy selection for households than a minivan, despite the fact that each are well-known for being supremely succesful rug rat lorries.
And whereas the 2023 Honda Pilot is obtainable in LX, Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring and Elite trim, it’s the TrailSport mannequin that has seen the largest improve for the brand new mannequin 12 months. That is now a real off-road-capable car, though it’s not for the intense boulder bashers. However it’s more likely to be widespread amongst cul-de-sac off-roading wannabes due to its all-terrain tires, all-wheel drive, extra inch of floor clearance together with underbody skid plates, and a torque-vectoring rear differential.
Exterior
The Honda Pilot TrailSport’s new duds make for a extra convincing case for this car being extra succesful than your conventional mall crawler. Credit score its flared fenders, upright honeycomb grille, tall hood, shorter entrance overhang, wider observe, and bigger tires.
It now has a 2.8-inch-longer wheelbase, which doesn’t damage both. In actual fact, it nearly seems butch. And take a look at the third-row facet window. It appears a bit, um, distinctive, though that’s only a good method of claiming it seems awkward. Which it does. However in any other case, the Pilot TrailSport’s wardrobe is impeccably conservative and tasteful within the best Honda custom. Bravo.
Inside
Whereas its design not wreaks of minivan-ness, its inside does, if just for its measurement. Fold the second and third-row seats flat, and also you’ll have 113.7 cubic toes of sleeping or schlepping area. With the seats in use, you’ll nonetheless have 22.4 cubic toes of area. That stated, whereas you will get seating for eight throughout three rows in different Honda Pilot fashions, the TrailSport comes solely with second-row Captain’s Chairs, decreasing seating capability to seven. If you happen to do go for a non-TrailSport eight-passenger mannequin, the second row’s center seat will be eliminated and saved within the cargo space.
The inside is well-assembled, however feels sturdy and simple, somewhat than lavish and lacks the superior attraction of the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. And whereas there are the anticipated sot-touch surfaces, a few of the inside trim appears a bit low cost for the value, though its controls have a high quality really feel.
A 7-inch digital instrument cluster is customary, besides on the Elite, the place it grows to 10.2 inches. The bottom infotainment show measures 7 inches, however grows to 9 inches on spendier fashions.
However there’s an astounding 14 cupholders — eight of which may maintain 32-ounce drinks, so that you’ll by no means go thirsty.
Powertrain
The all-new 2023 mannequin comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated at 285 horsepower, a 5-horsepower enhance for 2023, together with 262 pound-feet of torque. That’s sufficient energy to tow 5,000 kilos with all-wheel drive, 3,500 kilos with front-wheel drive.
A brand new 10-speed automated transmission with seven drive modes comes customary, as is front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is an possibility, and has been up to date so it now can ship as much as 70% of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels. How considerate, and appreciated.
The EPA charges our all-wheel-drive Pilot TrailSport at 18 mpg in metropolis driving, 23 mpg on the freeway and 20 mpg in combined metropolis/freeway driving. The Pilot makes use of common unleaded gasoline.
The brand new Pilot TrilSport employs Honda’s latest light-truck structure that shall be discovered underneath the upcoming redesigns of the Odyssey, Ridgeline and Passport.
Security and Know-how
The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration has not crash examined the 2023 Honda Pilot, however the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security has, and designated it a 2023 High Security Decide Plus, its prime ranking.
Dad and mom shall be blissful to know that the Honda Sensing suite of superior driver help techniques is customary. It comes with Collision Mitigation Braking, Street Departure Mitigation, Ahead Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Preserving Help, Adaptive Cruise Management, Visitors Signal Recognition, Visitors Jam Help, Cross Visitors Monitor, Blind Spot Data System, Low Pace Braking Management, Driver Consideration Monitor, Auto Excessive-Beam Headlights and eight Parking Sensors. It additionally has TrailWatch, which makes use of cameras to point out the path forward when cresting a hill. TrailSport fashions even have entrance digital camera washers in addition to the rear ones used on the remainder of the line-up.
Additionally customary are 4 cameras that offer you a birds-eye view of the car on-road and off. Once you’re in Path mode, it activates robotically. You may additionally flip it on by urgent a button on the fitting steering wheel stalk.
In relation to tech, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are customary together with the 245-watt, 9-speaker audio system.
Driving Impressions
The Honda Pilot TrailSport proves to be a reasonably good, um, sport round city, with greater than sufficient rise up and go to simply take care of metropolis, suburban and freeway visitors. The steering is pretty gentle, nonetheless, which together with a comparatively excessive experience peak for Honda doesn’t precisely provoke you to drive this Honda with any actual gusto. Physique roll is well-controlled, as are undesirable experience motions, whereas the experience proves to be pretty cozy. However then once more, you’re not precisely driving this like a Civic Si.
However at the least it’s outfitted for off-road motion. OK, this isn’t supposed for the intense boulder bashing present in Moab or on the Rubicon, however will probably be succesful sufficient as soon as the sidewalk ends. And its capability to deal with quite a lot of driving circumstances definitely makes this Pilot the one to get, because it sacrifices nothing in trade for its capabilities.
Unexpectedly, all rows are liveable by adults, even the third row, surprisingly sufficient. However the driver’s place is especially good, and includes a left foot lifeless pedal, which is all the time appreciated. That stated, it does reside as much as its familial DNA as Hondas have all the time been noisy, and the Pilot TrailSport appears to be no exception, notably with its all-terrain tires.
That stated, there are some options the TrailSport lacks, corresponding to a head-up show, Bose premium audio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a navigation system, and acoustically-laminated entrance facet glass. However it does have an ordinary tow hook.
2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport Specs
Wrap Up
The TrailSport rendition of the 2023 Honda Pilot lends it a layer of legitimacy that it beforehand lacked. For modest off-road adventures and occasional inclement climate, it ought to show to be a protected, spacious, snug pal, even when it’s not the quickest or most succesful in its class.
However its clean demeanor, in depth checklist of normal driver-assistance security techniques, good crash scores and spacious cabin makes it an ideal selection as a household hauler.
2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport — Ceaselessly Requested Questions
What’s particular in regards to the Pilot TrailSport?
It’s a novel trim stage of the Pilot that’s outfitted for off-roading, with all-terrain tires, all-wheel drive, added floor clearance together with underbody skid plates, and a torque-vectoring rear differential.
How a lot is the brand new Honda TrailSport?
Base worth for the 2023 Honda TrailSport is $48,700.
What’s the gasoline mileage on the Honda TrailSport 2023?
It will get 18 mpg metropolis, 23 mpg freeway, 20 mpg mixed utilizing common unleaded gasoline.