wow- that is really ugly. i like the design prior to this newest one.

 

The Pilot beat the CX-9, and the Highlander? I would really like to see why the Pilot won. Surely it can't be because of acceleration or braking numbers.

 

In the comparo the Highlander was best in acceleration and fuel economy, and the Mazda CX-9 got the highest score in braking.

 

Read the C&D comparo...

Pilot won because it's a Honda. C&D loves Honda.

Just take the first place and last place out, you get a pretty good comparison result.

 

The Pilot's new grill along with the entire new Acura sedan grills just have to go. As for the exterior boxiness, I much prefer Ford's boxy Edge over the Pilot.

 

In this comparo the Ford Flex and CX-9 tied for best exterior styling. I would pretty much agree.

 

Did you happen to glance at the reasons why the Pilot won?

 

They rated the SUV's in 25 or more different areas. The Pilot won in some, and did well enough in others to give it the highest point total of the bunch. I think it was around 225 pts. and the CX-9 was 223.

 

I saw a Pilot today and had some thoughts. How does an SUV the size of a Highlander, with less power than a Highlander achieve worst fuel economy numbers than a Highlander. 16 MPG city is a joke with the VCM system and I say the because I saw one in stop and go drive today and was wondering just how many cylinders it was utilizing at the time. I was thinking that in traffic, an SUV like this should be able to run on 3 cylinders and get more 20 MPGs in such conditions. From what I've read, it doesn't.

 

I just checked both Honda's and Toyota's website (Touring vs Limited):

Pilot 2WD: 17/23
Highlander 2WD: 18/24

Pilot 4WD: 16/22
Highlander 4WD: 17/23

Pilot Curb Weight (2WD/4WD): 4590/4608
Highlander Curb Weight (2WD/4WD): 4112/4321


1 mpg doesn't bother me, especially considering how much more the pilot weighs. However, with VCM, I expected the Pilot to do much better on the highway, but not so much city.

 

Now there's a collection of mediocre vehicles. I hope not to doze off when I read this one.

 

But....

Pilot: 250 HP

Highlander: 270 HP

 

It's actually an advantage to the Highlander. It doesn't have to work as hard to get up to speed. The Highlander has a lot more advantage over the Pilot, yet it musters out only 1 mpg better.

The true disappointment isn't city mileage....it's highway. With 3 cyl running at a constant speed, you'd I expect at least 26mpg.

 

What you expect, its Honda & BMW aka toilet tissue aka C&D the equivalent of automotive Osama journalism....

I would not be caught dead in it and I cringe being near it.

 

Get used to it. Those El Plasticko dash/interiors are becoming more and more common on new vehicles. Honda is not alone by any means.