2016 Honda Pilot Elite Long-Term Verdict

In August 2015, my friend Marc sent me a query:

“We are in the market and think the new Pilot is the way to go. How does it compare to your other top scorers from prior competitions like the Durango and Highlander? Any reason we should choose something else? Thanks!”

I wrote back, “Pilot is great. Durango is fun, too, just older. Just got out of the long-awaited new Volvo XC90, and it’s pretty stunning. Beautiful inside, but I only drove it 5 miles. All-new engines.”

We went back and forth through the options, as you do in these choice-spoiled days, before Marc posited, “If I said we plan on driving the crap out of it, past warranty for many years, would that make the choice clearer?”

I could tell Marc was already leaning toward the Pilot, so I told him, “You’ve chosen wisely; it’s a 10-year car for sure,” and then headed out into the desert for our 2016 SUV of the Year program, which included the Honda but would ultimately crown the Volvo XC90 as the winner. Meanwhile, Marc went on a hard target search, and just a couple of weeks later sent a final query: “Picking up our Pilot Elite on Monday. After all of your recent testing, are we still making the right call?”

2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD side in motion 04

2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD interior 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear interior seats 02 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear climate controls 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear interior seats 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD instrument cluster 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front interior seats 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD cockpit 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD drive mode

In retrospect, it looks damning that I failed to answer his last question, but I assure you it was not on purpose. And what did I know of what was to come anyway? Time and miles would have to be the judge.

We certainly put on enough of the latter in the 15 months we tested the 2016 Pilot Elite. For the purposes of this review, we ended its official evaluation at 38,523 miles, but we kept it in service a few more months and added more than 5,000 additional miles. Over that distance, our Pilot averaged 21.7 mpg, just shy of its EPA-estimated rating of 22 mpg combined.

In between stints as the official surfboard transporter of Motor Trend’s editor-in-chief, our Pilot supported countless photo and video shoots up and down the West Coast during the workweek. We also took it on just as many weekend trips to the desert, mountains, sand, and snow. The interior took a beating from all of the people and gear it hauled on these trips, but it always cleaned up surprisingly well, aside from the expected jean dye transfer to the driver’s seat cushion. In the time it took for that seat to blue, we got used to the transmission’s push-button gear selector—but never fully got over the absence of tuning knobs and Apple CarPlay (added for 2017) in the Pilot’s infotainment system.

2016 Honda Pilot Elite front end in motion

Our Pilot suffered no major mechanical defects, save for the well-documented replacement of the nine-speed transmission at 21,428 miles. To be clear, this ZF transmission, an upgrade option over the six-speed automatic, was replaced under warranty as a preventative measure after we heard noisy clicks and whirrs during upshifts.

The replacement served us well through another 20,000-plus miles, but we’re still not fans. It’s great for cruising on the highway, but the nine-speed lacks smoothness for stop-and-go in-town driving. It can be especially maddening in driving conditions when the throttle needs constant modulation, with jerkiness and hesitation between upshifts and downshifts. Staffers would also often hear a soft but extremely high-pitched whirring, ostensibly from the transmission, during throttle application but could never pin down the cause. Was it related to temperature? Engine load? Road incline? We still don’t know.

Routine maintenance costs for our Pilot were $378.62, which is on par with the last three-row SUV in our garage, a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL AWD. Over the course of its 26,871 miles, we spent $341.96 on the Outlander for similar maintenance but one less oil change than the Pilot. This jibes with the service history of the Pilot’s little brother, our 2015 Honda CR-V AWD. It received three oil changes, a tire rotation, and rear differential service for $349.50.

2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite interior

If you live where it snows and need an unstoppable winter beast, you’d be wise to consider the Pilot. On one of the Honda’s last major road trips, visual assets manager Brian Vance took a crew of five friends and all of their gear on a weekend ski trip to Mammoth Mountain into what he says was one of the wildest winter storms he has ever seen (this from a guy with years of experience in the Eastern Sierras).

“It was the most snow I had seen anywhere, ever, with 20-foot snow drifts along the snow-covered roads in some places,” he said. “All over town, cars were stuck, making it difficult for those of us with traction to go forward. The morning we were set to leave, another storm was set to roll in. Out of fear and uncertainty, my friends begged me to turn back and rent another night at the Airbnb, but I knew that the combination of AWD and clearance would give us an advantage on the quickly deteriorating roads. I insisted we head south and off the mountain, knowing that the sooner we could get to lower elevations, the more likely the road conditions would improve. We carried on, and the Pilot’s abilities amazed me. I never had to install chains yet never once got stuck, not even close. The tires were nothing more than the stock all-season rubber (Continental CrossContact LX Sport) that came with the car.”

2016 Honda Pilot Elite with snow and Chevron station

2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear three quarters 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD side 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear end 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front end 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD foglight 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD badge 02 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite grille 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD engine 02

Although clearly smitten by its ability to tackle snowy conditions, Vance did take issue with the performance of the Pilot’s windshield wipers. “Every 20 minutes I’d have to pull over and knock the ice buildup off the blades that was preventing them from working correctly,” he said.

For this final check-in, I messaged Marc to see how he felt about his Pilot Elite/Touring’s performance after his 20 months and 23,995 miles of ownership. Did I mislead him and his family?

“That transmission software is still terrible for local in-town driving—incredibly unpredictable,” Marc said. “On the highway, it’s a dream. We’ve done about 10,000 miles in just road trips, and the Pilot has been fantastic for those. I would buy a Pilot again but skip the Elite and load up an EX-L so I had most of the luxury features but with the plain Jane six-speed. I don’t feel misled at all—we are keeping ours until something truly compelling comes along.”

Sounds about right.

More on our long-term 2016 Honda Pilot here:

Our Car
SERVICE LIFE  15 mo/38,523 mi
BASE PRICE $47,300
OPTIONS None
PRICE AS TESTED $47,300
AVG ECON/CO2 21.7 mpg / 0.89 lb/mi
PROBLEM AREAS Transmission replaced under warranty
MAINTENANCE COST $378.62 (4 oil changes, rear differential fluid change, cabin filters, tire mount/balance)
NORMAL-WEAR COST $1,330 (tires)
3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $27,300 / $29,800
RECALLS 3: Software reflash (instrument panel warning lights); Third-row seatbelts; Improper fuel-tank welds (replaced tank)
*Intelligence trade-in/retail (at 42,000 miles)

 

2016 Honda Pilot Elite
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD
ENGINE TYPE V-6, alum block heads
VALVETRAIN SOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT 211.8 cu in/3471 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO 11.5:1
POWER (SAE NET) 280 hp @ 6,000 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET) 262 lb-ft @ 4,700 rpm
REDLINE 6,750 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER 15.3 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 4.33:1/2.08:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multi-link, coil springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO 16.0:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 3.1
BRAKES, F; R 12.6-in vented disc; 13.0-in disc, ABS
WHEELS, F;R 9.5 x 20-in, cast aluminum
TIRES, F;R 245/50R20 102H M+S Continental CrossContact LX Sport
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE 111.0
TRACK, F/R 66.3/66.3 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 194.5 x 78.6 x 70.4 in
GROUND CLEARANCE 7.3 in
APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE 18/19.7 deg
TURNING CIRCLE 39.4 ft
CURB WEIGHT 4,290 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R 56/44 %
TOWING CAPACITY 4,280 lb
SEATING CAPACITY 7
HEADROOM, F/R 39.5/40.9/38.9 in
LEGROOM, F/R 40.9/38.4/31.9 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 62.0/62.0/57.6 in
CARGO VOLUME BEH F/R 82.1/46.0/16.0 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30 2.2 sec
0-40 3.2
0-50 4.6
0-60 6.2
0-70 8.3
0-80 10.7
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 13.5
QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 93.9 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 119 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.80 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.5 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,750 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS Dual front, fr side, f/m/r curtain
BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/60,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY 19.5 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 18.7/26.5/19.8 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 19/26/22 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 177/130 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.90 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded regular
2016 Honda Pilot Elite side in motion 2016 Honda Pilot Elite rear three quarter 2016 Honda Pilot Elite rear three quarter in motion 2016 Honda Pilot Elite wine barrel cargo 2016 Honda Pilot Elite front three quarter in motion 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD wheels 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD steering wheel 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD side in motion 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD side in motion 03 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD side in motion 02 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear three quarters in motion 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear three quarter 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear taillight 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear interior seats 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear brake light 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear center console cup holders 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD rear badge 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD nterior door panel 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD interior seats 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD headlamp 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD headlamp 02 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front wheels 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front three quarters 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front three quarters 02 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front three quarter in motion 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front grille 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD front badge 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD engine 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD cockpit 02 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD badge 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite MT homepage 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite wheels 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite taillight 02 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite steering wheel 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite side 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite interior 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite headlamp 2016 Honda Pilot Touring Elite AWD grille 02 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front three quarters in motion 03 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front three quarter in motion 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front three quarter in motion 03 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front three quarter in motion 02 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front interior seats 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front end 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite front end in motion 02 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite engine 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite cockpit 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite climate controls 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite center stack 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite center console 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite center console 02 2016 Honda Pilot AWD Elite cargo

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