Honda Pilot

The Honda Pilot is a mid-size sport-utility vehicle with roomy interior appointments and a very family-friendly interior. Though its rather boxy exterior hints at off-road ability and ruggedness, the Pilot is not intended for serious rock scrambling—its all-wheel drive system instead excels for all-weather confidence on the road. The Pilot was originally pitched as a more carlike (or vanlike) alternative to old-fashioned truck-based utes like the Ford Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee, just as much as it takes on the Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Traverse, and Ford Flex.

Originally rolled out for 2003, the Pilot offered strong acceleration from its torquey 3.5-liter V-6 (making 240-255 hp), plus respectable handling, a comfortable ride, and great safety—including a roster of safety features (standard side and side-curtain bags and stability control) that was ahead of its time. A front-wheel-drive model was introduced in 2006 and the Pilot got a mild refresh.

The boxy exterior pays off inside. The Pilot was appreciated as a great family option for those who wanted minivan ability but didn't want to be seen in a minivan. The overtly boxy exterior yielded to an interior that was chunky and utilitarian in design but boasting the appointments of a minivan, with three rows of seating to fit up to eight, plus all sorts of cubbies, bins, and trays.

The second-generation Pilot, introduced for 2009, hasn't quite appealed in the same way aesthetically as the first-generation Pilot, as the exterior seems an attempt to look more macho and trucklike—against the grain as more utility models are becoming smoother and sleeker. The instrument panel design is also a bit cluttered on newer Pilots, with more hard plastic pieces inside than most vehicles in this class, and in these newer models, the shifter has been moved to the center console instead of the column. Though the third-row seats have been quite small, those in the latest Pilot are reconfigured and slightly better. The third row folds flat for cargo space when not in use.

Powertrain performance remains strong, with a 250-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic, and fuel economy is near the top of the class for a vehicle with this kind of interior space. The Pilot doesn't handle in a particularly sporty way, and a relatively soft suspension and high-sidewall tires, but it feels safe and stable.

The Pilot is also one of the safest vehicles in any class, with top crash-test results from both the federal government and the IIHS in frontal and side tests. The rather high seating position and boxy proportions afford a better outward view compared to many other curvier modern crossover designs.