Is the Honda Pilot a luxury car?
No, the Honda Pilot is not considered a luxury car. The Pilot is a mid-size SUV that is part of Honda's mainstream vehicle lineup, designed to provide a practical, family-friendly option rather than a premium, high-end offering.
What is the Honda Pilot?
The Honda Pilot is a three-row midsize SUV that has been in production since 2002. It is designed to seat up to eight passengers and offers a spacious interior, ample cargo room, and a range of family-oriented features. The Pilot is powered by a V6 engine and available in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations.
Why the Honda Pilot is Not a Luxury Car
- Brand Positioning: Honda is a mainstream automotive brand, not a luxury marque. The Pilot is positioned as a practical, affordable family SUV, not a premium, high-end vehicle.
- Price Range: The Pilot's starting price range of around $35,000 to $50,000 is well below the typical price range of luxury SUVs, which can often exceed $60,000 or even $100,000.
- Features and Materials: While the Pilot offers a range of features and amenities, it does not have the same level of luxury, high-end materials, or advanced technology found in true luxury SUVs.
- Brand Cachet: Luxury brands like Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz carry a certain prestige and brand cachet that the Honda Pilot, as a mainstream model, does not possess.
In summary, the Honda Pilot is a well-designed, practical, and family-oriented SUV, but it does not meet the criteria to be considered a luxury vehicle. It is firmly positioned as a mainstream, non-luxury model within Honda's product lineup.
Which Honda is the most luxurious?
The most luxurious Honda is the Honda Accord Touring sedan, which offers premium features like a large touchscreen, leather seats, a Bose audio system, and a hybrid powertrain. For SUVs, the Honda Pilot Elite is the top luxury model, featuring a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, and advanced safety features.
Honda Accord Touring
- Interior: Comes with leather-trimmed seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, heated and ventilated front seats, and a Bose premium sound system.
- Performance: Features a hybrid powertrain that balances performance with fuel efficiency.
- Technology: Includes advanced driver assistance systems and a large, responsive infotainment system.
Honda Pilot Elite
- Interior: Offers a premium experience with three-row seating, a panoramic sunroof, and ventilated front seats.
- Technology: Includes advanced Honda Sensing® safety features.
- Other trims: The "Elite" trim level represents the highest standard of luxury and technology for models like the Pilot, Passport, and Odyssey.
Other mentions
- The Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid is a highly-equipped, luxurious option within the compact SUV class, with premium features including a Bose audio system and a heated steering wheel.
- For ultimate performance, the Honda NSX Type S is the fastest model, though it's a high-performance supercar rather than a traditional luxury vehicle.
What category of car is a Honda Pilot?
SUV
The Honda Pilot is a three-row SUV that seats up to eight passengers. It's available in six trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring, TrailSport, Elite and Black Edition.
Which Honda Pilot is the most luxurious?
The most luxurious Honda Pilot is the Black Edition, which builds on the features of the Elite trim with exclusive blacked-out styling and premium accents. Both the Black Edition and Elite trims are considered the most luxurious, offering premium features like heated and ventilated front seats, a head-up display, heated second-row seats, and an advanced audio system.
Black Edition
- Includes all the features of the Elite trim.
- Adds exclusive styling, such as 20-inch gloss black wheels and black exterior trim.
- Features Black Edition leather seats and red ambient LED lighting.
Elite
- Widely considered the most luxurious trim before the Black Edition.
- Includes perforated leather-trimmed seating, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, and a premium audio system.
- Offers heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and acoustic laminate glass to reduce road noise.
- Comes with a head-up display, heated wiper zones, and a one-touch power panoramic moonroof.
Where does the Honda Pilot rank?
The Honda Pilot consistently receives high safety rankings, with the latest models earning a 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. It also excels in specific areas, such as being ranked #4 in Affordable Midsize SUVs by U.S. News & World Report for 2022 and outperforming competitors in off-road capability tests for its TrailSport trim.
This video reviews the Honda Pilot and discusses its ranking and features: 50sCar Coach ReportsYouTube · Oct 6, 2024
Safety and reliability
- Overall safety: The 2025 model received an overall 5-star safety rating from the NHTSA, including 5-star ratings for frontal crash, side crash, and rollover tests.
- IIHS awards: The 2025 Pilot received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ award, indicating excellent performance in all crashworthiness, crash avoidance, and headlight tests.
- Standard safety features: It comes with a host of standard safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane keeping assist.
- Reliability: The 2022 model was noted for its reliability, though some model years have had recalls for issues like faulty airbags or brake systems.
Performance and capability
- Engine: Most newer models feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine, which provides strong performance.
- Off-road capability: The TrailSport trim has been rated as outperforming other vehicles in its class in off-road capability tests.
Rankings
- Affordable midsize SUV: Ranked #4 in the 2022 Affordable Midsize SUVs category by U.S. News & World Report.
- Used SUV: Ranked #10 in Used SUVs with 3 Rows for the $25K to $30K price range in 2022.
- Driving experience: While handling is noted as sound, the ride is comfortable and the cabin is quiet. Some models have received average ratings for driving experience.
