2005 Honda Pilot Test Drive

Late to the Party But Ready to Fly

Honda is one of the last manufacturer's to bring an SUV to market. Still, the new Pilot is sure to be popular.

It's funny how first impressions can throw you off. No, we're not talking about a smoky-bar, too-much-hooch-and-not-enough-common-sense sort of a first impression.

But such an analogy is somewhat apt for the following discussion of the 2003 Honda Pilot. See, the Pilot is a newcomer to that crammed-to-the-gills haunt called the car-based SUV scene, and, as such, this is the one vehicle everyone wants to "meet." So what did we think when at last we met?

That the Pilot is about as sexy as a master bedroom done up in Laura Ashley.

OK, different turn-ons for different linen buyers, but when it comes to this Honda, the consensus is that we've all seen tougher, more manly car-based SUVs -- exhibit A: the Toyota Highlander -- and sleeker ones as well -- think BMW X5.

And yet the Pilot brings a certain character that other suitors lack. It's a Honda, so unlike the Toyota, it should be more than merely reliable but fun as well. And it should also be a good value, unlike a Mercedes or BMW, which is why it ranges from $26,900 to $30,520 for a fairly loaded EX model with leather (you can spend more on additional options, of course).

To further the first aim (being fun to drive), the Pilot is car-based, meaning, specifically, that its foundation is the same as that of its more ritzy cousin, the Acura MDX. Both get their roots from the Honda Odyssey, a front-wheel-drive minivan with a unibody instead of a truck-derived, body-on-frame structure. Sans truck roots -- it does get reinforcing frame rails, meant to help it endure an occasional trek up a potholed dirt track -- the Pilot shouldn't be considered direct competition for Jeeps or even for Ford Explorers or Chevy Trailblazers.

Rather, the Pilot -- like the Toyota Highlander that had its coming out party about a year back -- is more a tall wagon with muscular sheet metal. Perish the thought that anyone would want a wagon- or minivan-based SUV, right?

Sorry, friends, but all SUVs these days, whether truck or car based, replace the venerable Country Squire because they do the same chores -- hauling kids, groceries, toys and bikes. That SUVs might look different than minivans or wagons -- and certainly the best of the bunch can perform all those wagony duties more handily than past vans or station wagons -- oesn't mean they are actually ever used to climb mountaintops or even take the family car camping. Pulling to the edge of a grass soccer field might be as close as any Honda Pilot owner ever gets to "off-roading."

So now that we know of the Pilot's purpose, pedigree, conservative looks and so on, what about second and third impressions? Ah, we'll to get these, but to find out more of why we came to really like the Pilot, click on the links below.