Base Price: $28,365
Price as Tested: $40,765
Why We Drove It: The 2009 Honda Pilot is a "Top Safety Pick" according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.


Honda introduced the Pilot for the 2003 model year, slotting it a notch above the soon-to-be-discontinued, Isuzu-sourced Passport. Unlike the Passport, a true off-roading SUV capable of carrying five, the new Pilot was a big, three-row crossover with seating for up to eight that had more in common with the Honda Odyssey minivan (and, by extension, the Honda Accord sedan) than a traditional truck-based sport-ute. Americans loved it. A mid-cycle freshening aimed to add a measure of masculinity to the Pilot, and now, with this snub-nosed redesign, the 2009 Honda Pilot looks ready to rumble.


Here is a summary of the changes to the 2009 Honda Pilot:
. Completely redesigned inside and out
. Longer, wider, taller, bigger inside
. Standard 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology
. Improved fuel economy over previous model
. Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure
. Roomier seating in all three rows
. Air vents added for the third-row seat
. Standard 17-inch wheels
. Standard tilt and telescopic steering wheel
. Standard lift-up glass hatch that open independently of the tailgate
. Standard integrated tow hitch
. Standard humidity control as part of air conditioning system
. Standard Hill Start Assist technology
. Standard auxiliary input jack
. Standard Class III integrated towing hitch
. New top-of-the-line Touring trim level
. Available rearview camera system
. Available navigation system with Bluetooth wireless connectivity
. Available 115-volt power outlet with USB port
. Available GPS-based, solar-sensing climate control system
. Available power tailgate
. Available rear DVD entertainment system
. Available 512-watt premium audio system


The 2009 Honda Pilot is available in LX, EX, EX-L, or Touring trim, each offered with front- or all-wheel drive. The Pilot LX seats 8 passengers and is equipped with the basics: air conditioning, stereo with CD player and auxiliary input jack, cruise control, power windows, power mirrors, power door locks with remote, privacy glass, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, floor mats, cargo net, and 17-inch steel wheels.


The Pilot EX can be told apart from the LX by its alloy wheels, body-color exterior trim, roof rails, fog lights, and chrome exhaust finishers. The EX also includes triple-zone automatic climate control, a six-disc CD changer, XM satellite radio, heated side mirrors, a HomeLink programmable transmitter, an 8-way power driver s seat with power lumbar support, an outside temperature display, and several other comfort and convenience items.


The Pilot EX-L trim level adds leather upholstery (vinyl for the third-row seat), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a conversation mirror that lets the driver see activity in all rows of seats, heated front seats, a power moonroof, an automatic dimming rearview mirror with reversing camera display, a 4-way power front passenger s seat, and an acoustic windshield to reduce interior noise. Purchasing the Pilot EX-L is also the path to a DVD entertainment system with a rear 115-volt power outlet and a 512-watt premium audio system.


The 2009 Honda Pilot Touring is the most luxurious model. It has all of the EX-L model s standard equipment plus unique alloy wheels, side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, a power rear tailgate, and chrome exterior trim. The Touring also includes a storage tray under the right front passenger s seat, memory-linked driver s seat and side mirror positions, front and rear parking sensors, a 512-watt premium audio system with USB audio interface, a 115-volt power outlet in the front center console, integrated side window sunshades, a programmable multi-information display, a 7-pin trailer harness, and enhancements to the tire pressure monitoring system display. The Touring is also exclusively available with navigation and Bluetooth wireless cell phone pairing. A rear-seat DVD entertainment system is optional on the Pilot Touring.


The 2009 Honda Pilot is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine driving the front or all four wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Honda s Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology, which shuts down two or three of the engine s six cylinders under low-load conditions to save fuel and cut down on emissions, is standard along with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which helps quiet the cycling of the VCM. The V-6 generates 250 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 253 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. Fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway with front-wheel drive and 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway for the 4WD models. Our review vehicle, a Pilot Touring with 4WD, averaged 16.5 mpg in mixed driving.


Standard safety equipment on the 2009 Honda Pilot includes dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants, and side-curtain airbags for outboard occupants in all three rows of seats that remain inflated for an extended period of time depending on information from the Pilot s rollover sensors. Additionally, the Odyssey comes standard with four-wheel-disc ABS with electronic brake-force distribution and Brake Assist; stability control; and traction control.


Every Pilot is made to adhere to the tenets of Honda s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) philosophy, which includes a structure designed to deflect crash energy away from occupants combined with improved compatibility with external elements of various sizes and shapes, such as pedestrians and other vehicles. However, if a buyer wants Bluetooth cell phone pairing technology for safer, hands-free communication, front and rear parking sensors, a voice-activated navigation system with trip routing around user-determined areas and off-road tracking, or an enhanced tire pressure monitoring system, she must select the most expensive Touring trim level. A rearview camera is offered on both the Touring and EX-L models.


J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Honda Pilot competes against other midsize multi-activity vehicles such as the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Dodge Durango, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia, Hyundai Veracruz, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Saturn Outlook, and Toyota Highlander.