This huge SUV is outdated, but has space in spades
2025 Honda Pilot review by The Road Beat
Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman
Maybe not eight, but being able to haul six adults around in relative comfort is a skill that should not be underestimated. This Honda Pilot might have eight total seats, but does anyone really want to sit (squished) in the middle? Didn't think so, and I also didn't want to subject my friend's in-laws to that anyways. Where the Pilot lacks it makes up for with its easy road manners and spacious interior, making it one of the largest family SUVs available today. The Pilot starts at just over $40,000, an attractive and compelling figure for this vast and family-friendly vehicle, but this expensive Black Edition suffers from an abundance of accomplished competition to deter its bloated $56,000 retail price.
With competition stronger and more diverse than ever, standing out can be a significant card to play in order to grab consumers' attentions, and it's here that Honda misses the mark with the new Pilot. Now, it's not to say that any prior Pilots were any sorts of lookers, but this new model is so plainly and lazily designed on the outside that it is unlikely to be noticed by new buyers, but at least the glowing red paint of this model helps when paired to the glossy black trim of the Black Edition. Unfortunately for Honda, American brands are sharpening their visuals, and then you have Mazda with the sensual CX-90 and Kia with the stylish and insanely popular Telluride; Honda just isn't doing enough visually to convert more shoppers to the big H. And that's a shame since their other new offerings, including the Civic, Accord, and CR-V, all look terrific. The Pilot, on the other hand, looks a bit like a big chunk of cheese.
But, standing out has more to do than just visuals, and it's another demerit to the Pilot for offering an SUV that doesn't have any kind of calling card for it, being steadily average in all metrics, but never outstanding in any. Because when it comes down to it, the Pilot is not the best to drive, not the best looking, not the most luxurious nor modern inside, not the most fuel efficient, and surprisingly not the most spacious. When you consider that altogether, this Pilot loses its wings unfortunately. That's not to say it's a bad car, but it's one that has no true calling card except being massive, and even then, a Toyota Grand Highlander has more cargo volume to boast on its spec sheet.
I love a good old-fashioned V6 engine, and the 285-horsepower unit in the Pilot definitely delivers in the smoothness and character department compared to grainy four-bangers. While power up top is impressive when you stretch its legs, there's a lacking flexibility lower in the rev range that requires extra effort to produce and maintain momentum. In the real world, this means that accelerating requires moderate revolutions and frequent downshifts. I'm surprised this engine produces as much pop as it does in the top of the rev range, but I'm also surprised it wasn't tuned to instead sacrifice some of that top-end for increased bottom and drivability. Also disappointing is the thirsty nature of the engine, averaging just 19 MPG overall after a week. Freeway mileage is notably better at nearly 25, but city and slower urban driving brings that number down considerably.
Further defining a lacking engine elasticity is a transmission that doesn't shuffle through its ratios quickly enough. Upshifts are quick and fine at full throttle, but elsewhere it all seems a little lazy, playing shuffleboard instead. Downshifts are particularly weak, where manually asking for a lower gear on steep descends is met with a ponderous pause in-between gears that feels like neutral, causing it to momentarily freewheel and surge a MPH or two with each downshift. If you're towing something (it is rated for 5,000 pounds) and trying to control speed down hills, this is the last thing you would want from your vehicle. I'm also not a fan of the plasticky PRND buttons to control the transmission that reside on the center console.
Pilot is not the best SUV to drive in its class, but it is notably near the top at least, with only the Mazda CX-90 showing improved mannerisms and balance. I like the weight of the steering, providing actual substance in the hands, and the Pilot changes direction with a decisive eagerness for a big honking SUV. Ride quality is also well-judged on a variety of surfaces, and avoids the endless bouncing rebound like I've experienced in other SUVs recently when loaded up with passengers, like the weltering Hyundai Tucson. Dynamically, this is a good SUV, not at the top, but near the top at least, and I'm glad Honda has continued to pay attention to how their cars drive. Because on the road, this is not only more engaging to drive than a Grand Highlander, but also feels smaller, especially noticeable and appreciated on tight roads through the quaint and coastal Carmel.
While the space inside is a plus point, it's the overall quality of the Pilot's cabin that leaves a lot to be desired. Despite this being one of the high-end Black Editions costing over $55K, the interior feels too cheap and too old. This is more annoying when you remember that this is a new Pilot, just having been redesigned not even two years ago, and yet it already feels outdated and outclassed by its competitors. The center display screen is laughably small when situated atop of the vast dash, and lots of hard plastics are easily spotted by the eye, let alone felt by the hands. The seats are plenty comfy enough, and the leather is distinct at least, but the rest of it all, both visually and texturally, lacks the refinement one would expect at this price. I recently drove a $45K Hyundai Palisade XRT which was nearly every bit as refined as this Pilot, and the same price for a Mazda CX-90 will get what you think is a Mercedes inside in terms of comparable quality. Outdated again is the term that comes to mind, and that is further emphasized when reversing for the first time at night and you see just how terribly old and grainy the backup camera is. I do at least enjoy the convenience of the easily folding rear sets of seats.
All that said, I still liked driving the Pilot around, as it was a convenient way to transport myself plus five others around Carmel for a couple days. But, there's no way of getting around the perplexing price tag of this Black Edition; There are simply better options for the money. I think the Pilot represents great value at its entry price in the low forties, because of just how big it is and it drives pretty well, but when forking over the premium dollars, the Pilot Black Edition makes less sense than it should. Even though it might be a recent release, with such stiff competition available from all corners of the globe, this Pilot already feels just a tad too old.
2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition AWD
Price as-tested: $55,975
Pros: Huge and comfortable interior space; Good road manners
Cons: Bland styling; Thirsty; Lacks low-end grunt; Cheapness inside
More photos of the 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition
Thank you for reading The Road Beat's 2025 Honda Pilot review. For more candid and honest real world reviews, please subscribe to our emailing list. All photos by mitchellweitzmanphoto.com.