Amazing, it had been more than six years since I’d tested a Honda Pilot and, in some ways, it hadn’t changed much, but in one important way it had.
Naturally Honda, like all makes, tweaks and improves its products each year, avoiding big investments until a major restyling or relaunch. But for 2026 Honda adds extra sound deadening to quiet the interior to luxury SUV levels.
The tested Pilot Elite was among the quietest SUVs I’ve driven all year, maybe several years.
That, my friends, will make it all the more popular among families needing three rows of seats, V6 towing power, ample storage, and that have been seeking a quieter interior but didn’t want to plunk down more money to secure a luxury brand.
One reason for its popularity has been Pilot’s affordability compared with many 3-row SUVs equipped with AWD. Consider that the base Sport, which starts with just front-wheel-drive at $43,690, adds AWD for $2,100. Follow that with six more trims including the tested Elite listing at $54,990 with AWD standard. Move up just one more slot to the top-end Black Edition for $56,690.
That means there’s a lot of room to play with between the various trims, plus Honda now offers a TrailSport model that’s aimed at moderate off-roading. It starts at $51,890 but instead of carrying eight passengers, it substitutes captain’s chairs in row two for comfort, and limits people hauling to seven.
TrailSport also adds steel skid plates underneath to protect the vitals, adds a one-inch lift kit, plus all-terrain tires (noisier on pavement), hill descent control, and Trail drive mode that adjusts the suspension for off-road romps. Sadly, all that adds some weight and trims gas mileage to 18 mpg city and 23 highway.
By comparison, the tested Elite was rated 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. I got a slightly disappointing 19.6 mpg in a mix of city and highway.
Power is still good with Honda’s sturdy 3.5-liter V6 providing 285 horsepower and a reasonable 262 pound-feet of torque. That’s average for this market segment, but folks wanting steady towing power will appreciate the V6 as many other makes are shifting to turbo I4s for somewhat better fuel economy.
Pilot will tow 3,500 lbs. in FWD models and up to 5,000 in AWD trims. All Pilot’s come now with a 10-speed automatic transmission, up from the 9-speed it had previously. The Honda has seven drive modes too, including one for snow where it can put its AWD to good use.
Handling stands out with Pilot too. This large SUV doesn’t feel big, nor heavy, checking in well below the 5,000 pounds many 3-rows tip the scales at. Steering effort is actually light, but fairly responsive for a ute nearly 200 inches long. The result, easy lane maintenance and easy parking maneuvers. Mom and Dad can get behind that when hauling the kiddos to various practice sessions.
Ride, well, it’s pretty well controlled and shock damping is good too, but despite this being a unibody construction there’s some jiggle on major bumps. There aren’t many SUVs or cars no matter their size or wheelbase that can make driving on Midwest roads entirely pleasant.
Inside the Sonic Gray (slight blue tint) Pilot the interior has seen a couple improvements from the earlier version, starting with a larger 12.3-inch info screen and panoramic sunroof with power shade.
The touchscreen is easy to adjust and there are climate control buttons and heated and cooled front seat buttons below that screen and central air vents. So, it’s simple to find the controls without digging into various screen levels. Bingo!
Seats are well-shaped with 10-way power controls for the driver and four-way power for the front passenger. Gray leather with quilted back panels envelope the seats and these are trimmed with white piping. Door panels also are gray leather with fake brown leather inserts that look great and also grace the console top.
The heated steering wheel (button on wheel) is black leather with black gloss hub trim and dash air vents also are black gloss. There’s a big storage box between the front seats and a console based wireless charger beneath the center stack.
Front seats are heated and cooled with rear seats heated in the Elite trim. Overhead is a light gray headliner to match the seating. Be aware that the A-pillar side mirror arrangement is thick, so somewhat obscures side views. Pretty normal in large SUVs.
The second row bench is comfy and the seat backs feature one-touch buttons to slide them forward for wide row three access. Legroom in that row is better than some 3-row SUVs, but still moderate for adults. On interesting feature, the second row bench also has a portion in the center that can be removed to create more room with the center seat portion stowable in the cargo hold under the rear cargo floor.
That hidden storage also can be used for hiding valuables on a trip, while cargo space above the floor is good too. The split third row seats fold flat manually and there’s mega cargo room if you fold down the second and third rows.
Standard safety features are plentiful in Pilot including adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking and road departure mitigation along with the usual sensors and blind-spot warnings.
Note that the Pilot is built in Alabama, so not subject to most tariffs and since my last drive has grown 3.4 inches in length and had its wheelbase stretched 2.8 inches, both helping its ride and increasing interior space.
The other changes for 2026 include a larger grille to add a bit more muscle to its outer appearance, plus the Elite and Touring models add 20-inch shark gray wheels that blend well with this tester’s gray paint scheme.
Pilot’s power hatch and roof rails are now standard on all models.
Certainly the three-row SUV market is among the most competitive with oodles of makes offering large SUVs. Some prime competitors include Toyota’s Grand Highlander, Hyundai’s Palisade, Kia’s Telluride, Ford’s Expedition, Mazda’s CX-90, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer, and Chevy’s Tahoe.
All have their advantages, but Pilot is among the quietest and easiest to drive, but with blend-in styling.
FAST STATS: 2026 Honda Pilot AWD Elite
Hits: Good power, easy handling and decent ride for big 3-row ute, plus AWD. Super quiet interior, heated steering wheel, comfy heated/cooled seats, heated rear seats, panoramic sun roof, wireless charger, 7 drive modes, one-touch second row seatbacks, and good standard safety equipment.
Misses: Some jiggle on major road bumps. Big A-pillar mirror combo restricts side views, and moderate third row legroom, but easy access.
Made in: Lincoln, Ala.
Engine: 3.5-liter V6 w/VCM, 285 horsepower, 262 torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Weight: 4,698 lbs.
Wheelbase: 113.8 in.
Length: 199.9 in.
Cargo: 18.6-60.1-112.1 cu.ft.
Tow: 3,500-5,000 lbs.
MPG: 19/25
MPG: 19.6 (tested)
Base Price: $54,990 (includes delivery)
Invoice: NA
Options: None
Test vehicle: $54,990
Sources: Honda, www.kbb.com
