2023 Honda Pilot | My Honest Opinion
The 4th generation of the Honda Pilot is finally here and Honda is calling it “the king of the carpool lane” because of its spacious interior and flexible seating- more on that later. But for the new Pilot apparently she can do it all- the new “adventure ready” styling is met with “new off-road capabilities and sporty on-road dynamics”! This all sounds great, but is it actually a solid option for families?
If you’re new here - welcome! I’m Kelly the Car Mom and I wear many hats. As a certified child safety tech, mom of three, and overall car lover, I take my reviews and recommendations seriously. To see all the features of the 2023 Honda Pilot, keep on reading.
Honda Pilot First Impression
2023 Honda Pilot Exterior
Throughout the generations of the Pilot it feels like the only thing they've had in common was the name. The second generation we had a boxy exterior and then in 2016 they released an overstyled ugly exterior. So starting off I think 2023 looks AMAZING! They brought back some of those boxy elements and simplified the exterior. It's giving Ford Explorer meets Telluride meets Atlas. Basically she's finally on trend with the rest of her friends.
Under the hood
Under its new hood is Honda's most powerful V6 ever, an “all-new dual overhead cam (DOHC” 3.5-liter V6 producing 285 horsepower. For reference the previous generation V6 produced 280. No MPG stats available yet and no mention of any kind of hybrid at this time. (bummerrrr)
Safety Features
Pilot also features an updated Honda Sensing® which is their suite of driver assistive technology: Such as a new camera with a wider 90-degree field of view and wide-angle radar with a 120-degree field of view. This wide angle improves collision prevention performance via improved ability to recognize attributes of objects, such as vehicles, bicycles or pedestrians, as well as white lines and road boundaries like curbs and road signs.
Blind spot information (BSI) has been expanded, now with 82 feet of radar range. Also new are Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) and Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) which are standard. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS) have been updated to feature more natural responses.
Standard Rear Seatbelt Reminder and Rear Seat Reminder systems are also new to Pilot; the latter notifies drivers to check the rear seating area for children or pets!
2023 Honda Pilot First Row Details
When it comes to interior design Honda is claiming the Pilot is “Class-leading overall passenger space” this is a bold claim- especially to make in the mid size 3 row SUV category. I can confirm that it is bigger than the previous Pilot which is super exciting! The 2023 Pilot has the most cargo room in the model's history, with up to 113.67 cu.-ft. behind the first row, and up to 22.42 cu.-ft. behind the third row (the Traverse is 23 cuft). BUT this is quite an upgrade from the previous being 16.6 cubic feet so I am super optimistic the trunk fitting strollers better.
It is worth noting that 113.67 cubic feet behind the third row would make the Pilot larger than the Atlas and the Traverse. I am not saying they are lying but it's important to keep in mind that measuring in cubic feet can get a little confusing because the cubic foot could be in the air and actually not allowing more length or width. Additionally based on the videos I have seen it does feel “bigger” than those cars. So I will be anxious to get my hands on one and see how the space functions. If we look at the total length of the vehicle the Traverse is 205 inches compared to the Pilot being 199 inches. So just keep in mind that it's all about how the space functions, not just how much there is.
2023 Honda Pilot Second Row Details
All that to say is I am still optimistic about the larger size of the Pilot compared to the outgoing body. I am also most excited about the 2nd row! The Pilot had a good bench seat before but its even better! Why?! Because now the middle seat is removable! I love that this gives families the option to go from bench or captains chairs as their needs change. Talk about a car that grows with the family! When this was realized on the Acura MDX I was so hoping the Pilot would have it also. I also love Honda's addition of providing storage underneath the trunk to store the seat! Truly genius and probably my favorite upgrade. Important to note that this is only available on the top two trims. The trail sport is only available in a captain's chair and the EX-L is available with both captains and a bench but the middle seat will not be removable. It is unclear what the bench seat will look like at this time.
2023 Honda Pilot Third Row Details
When it comes to the third row- it looks semi spacious with the expectation of the middle seat. Like most mid size the middle seat in the 3rd row is an absolute joke and can’t be wider than 6 inches, making it unsafe for anyone or anything.
Two major misses for me on the interior are the lack of ceiling vents and the size of the screen. I am not that shocked to not see ceiling vents since the previous body style didn't have them either but it certainly would have given the car a few more brownie points in my book. The size of the screen is only 9 inches and it isn't built in which almost makes it look smaller. I would have preferred a larger more integrated display to make it a little more competitive with some of the other cars in its category. However the addition of WIRELESS apple car play and android auto is exciting and a step above come of competitors for example the Kia Telluride.
I was also incredibly impressed to see Honda include this line in the press release “14 large-volume cup holders throughout the cabin, including eight that will fit wide 32 oz water bottles.”
2023 Honda Pilot Car Seat Set Up
Here is the hardware set up available in each row of the Honda Pilot:
2nd row:
2D- lower anchors and tether anchor
2C-lower anchors unsure about tether
2P-lower anchors and tether anchor
3rd row:
3D- tether anchor
3C- tether anchor BUT not really because middle seat is extremely narrow
3P-lower anchors and tether anchor.
2023 Honda Pilot: Wrap Up
I am beyond excited about the new Honda Pilot as an option for families. I think the improved styling, removable middle seat, increased trunk space and Hondas proven reliability will attract a lot of families.
To see a complete walkthrough of the 2023 Honda Pilot, click here.
2023 Honda Pilot Car Tour
What do you think of the new 2023 Honda Pilot? Let me know in the comments! And to keep up with the latest vehicles on the market, check out my recent car tours:
