"I had an excellent experience at AutoFair due to Alison LaNeve! I had put off buying a new car all summer because car sales associates have always made me feel pressured or inferior. Not in this case. Alison asked me a few key questions and we were off on a couple of test drives. Working with the finance team she was able to get me a good trade-in price and .9% interest. Thank you."

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2011 Honda Pilot

Check out our New Honda Pilot Inventory!!!

There?s no stopping the onslaught of crossover SUVs. Consider the demise of truck-based stalwarts such as the Chevrolet TrailBlazer in favor of the Traverse. Even the next-generation Ford Explorer, due as a 2011 model, will abandon its separate frame for a unibody structure. So the Honda Pilot is ahead of the curve under the skin while remaining loyal to traditional SUV styling cues. It was hard to argue with that strategy, given the healthy initial sales of the 2009 Pilot. The 2011 Pilot is built on the same platform and has been improved in many ways.

2011 Honda Pilot Exterior Styling

The 2011 Honda Pilot is visually unaltered from the 2010 model and returns in four levels of trim: LX; EX; leather-upholstered EX-L; and the top-of-the-line Limited. The 2011 Pilot LX has plainer wheels than the other models and lacks their roof rails, fog lamps, and chrome exhaust tips. Otherwise, all Pilots look almost identical. Their blocky body is large enough to fit three rows of seats yet is a relatively brief 16 feet long, compact enough to be easy to maneuver and easy to fit in a garage. Honda says Pilot?s squared profile, blistered fenders, and chunky front end answer customer demands for a masculine look. Pilot is among the new breed of crossover SUVs that integrates body and frame for ?unibody? construction. Pilot?s basic unibody architecture is shared with the Honda Odyssey minivan and the MDX crossover SUV from Honda?s premium Acura division. Crossovers are lighter than truck-type SUVs for better fuel economy and more car-like handling. Pilots have four side doors and a top-hinged tailgate with separate-opening glass. Exclusive to Touring models is a power tailgate.

Test Drive 2011 Honda Pilot

The 2011 Honda Pilot has modest horsepower and a transmission saddled with a decent five-speed engine. But the 2011 Pilot is endowed with accessible torque and astute gearing. It gets off the line smartly, merges with authority, and overtakes slower traffic with plenty of breathing space.

The transition between six, four, and three cylinders is detected only by the subtlest powertrain shudder. Mostly you need to watch for illumination of the Eco (?economy?) icon in the instrument panel for a clue you?re running on fewer than six cylinders. Incidentally, cylinder-deactivation is why all Pilots come with a subwoofer; it?s part of a noise-cancellation strategy that counteracts the coarse exhaust resonances of a V-6 operating on three cylinders. No seven-seat midsize crossover is easier to maneuver in tight spaces than the Pilot. And only one with a Porsche or BMW badge on the hood drives with more assurance. Pilot?s steering is accurate and linear. Straight-line stability and composure over wavy pavement are outstanding. Only the most aggressive changes of direction trigger troubling noseplow. Only the tightest fast turns generate undue body lean.

2011 Honda Pilot Interior Design

The 2011 Pilot?s upright styling creates a delightfully roomy and airy cabin. Seating is spacious and supportive. In most crossovers this size , and in many much larger ? third-row accommodations are fit only for junior-highschoolers. Pilot?s third row is as comfortable as some minivans?. A generous 8 inches of ground clearance helps Pilot fit that macho-SUV mold, but also challenges easy entry and exit. Honda has thoughtfully provided strategically located grab handles which we appreciate in a vehicle of this size. The tall roof doesn't force you to stoop as you board. And getting into and out of the third row is unusually easy thanks to the high ceiling and smooth-sliding second-row seats. Pilot?s laudable road manners come courtesy of a taut suspension that allows sharp bumps and abrupt ridges to thump through. Pilot recoups some refinement by being admirably isolated from disagreeable wind, road, and mechanical noises.

On paper, the 2011 Pilot?s maximum cargo volume of 87 cubic feet is middling for a midsize SUV, though to be fair, rivals that boast significantly more room also have much longer bodies. Honda makes terrific use of the space that the Pilot has. The floorwell behind the third row helps create 18-cubic-feet of luggage space even with all of the seats occupied. A clever cargo net fashions a second level of storage for up to 20 pounds of gear. Every Pilot gets 60/40 split second and third row seats that fold, without removing the headrests, to create a level load floor. Raising the third-row seatbacks from the rear of the cargo bay requires an inordinately long stretch, however. Small-items storage space abounds: pouches, shelves, bins, and cupholders are almost everywhere you look.

2011 Honda Pilot Conclusions

The Honda Pilot has been one of the most innovative and successful crossover SUVs on the market, so Honda was wise not to change the Pilot too much for 2011. Aside from a few trim option modifications, the 2011 Pilot is the same masculine, capable SUV that drivers loved in 2010. Impressive engine power and improved interior are just a few of the standout features of the new Pilot. "Though trucky on the outside, Pilot is as car-like as any vehicle in this class. That's a good thing, as this crossover's combination of performance, utility, and passenger accommodations make it worthy of a high place on your shopping list." says Consumer Guide