Honda Pilot (2023) Review

Honda redesigned the Pilot around how families actually use a big car, and the details land. The centre section of the second row lifts out and stores under the boot floor, turning the car from an eight seater into a captain chair layout in about a minute. The third row is usable by adults. Sightlines are excellent because the body is upright and the glass is deep, the boot is deep enough for a real shop behind row three, and there are sensible cubbies everywhere.

The TrailSport version adds proper all terrain tyres and enough clearance to make a forest road unremarkable. What holds it back is the drivetrain. The 3.5 litre V6 makes 285 horsepower, is smooth and quiet, and returns economy in the low twenties at best, with no hybrid alternative on offer while rivals increasingly have one. Reliability has been good, though the ten speed automatic drew early complaints. Servicing is affordable and residuals are solid without being extraordinary. As a piece of family packaging it is close to the best here. As a thing to fuel, it is behind the times.