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10 Reasons Why the 2016 Honda Pilot is the 2016 Autobytel Truck of the Year

Benjamin Hunting
by Benjamin Hunting
February 1, 2016
4 min. Reading Time
suv crossover2 ・  Photo by Drew Phillips

suv crossover2 ・ Photo by Drew Phillips

The Honda Pilot has long been a sales juggernaut for the Japanese brand, so when it came time to redesign it for the 2016 model year there were high expectations from all sides. The result wasn't just a worthy successor to the popular full-size SUV, but it also was improved so much that it stands out from the rest of the people-mover pack and landed enough votes to earn the title of Autobytel Truck of the Year for 2016. With new, sleek looks, an even better and more efficient driving experience, and the same combination of practicality and affordability that the Pilot has always offered, Honda's hauler deserves the praise heaped on it by our editors. Let's take a look at 10 reasons why the 2016 Honda Pilot is the 2016 Autobytel Truck of the Year.

1) The 2016 Honda Pilot gets bigger, cuts weight, drives smoothly.

A growing trend among full-size SUVs is to eek out ever more size from a given platform yet not pay a weight penalty in the process. Thanks to its extensive use of low-mass materials (including aluminum), the 2016 Honda Pilot drops as much as 300 pounds compared to the model it replaces — and all of this despite the fact that it's actually 3.5 inches longer overall. The all-new, lighter platform also helps the Honda Pilot improve its driving manners for a more sedan-like experience than before despite it plus-size proportions.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

2) The 2016 Honda Pilot delivers on its spacious cabin.

The 2016 Honda Pilot's extended platform includes two full inches between the front and rear axles, and this stretched wheelbase benefits even more the comfortable cabin that buyers have come to expect from the SUV. Those opting for the priciest version of the Honda Pilot can enjoy the extra room in style by way of a seven-passenger layout that swaps in a pair of captain's chairs for the second-row bench. The remainder of the Pilot's line-up sticks with its tried-and-true eight-passenger setup, and of course all models benefit from a whopping 90 cubic feet of total storage space with the rear seats folded flat.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

3) The 2016 Honda Pilot drops its truck-like looks.

Part and parcel of the 2016 Honda Pilot's redesign has been a move away from the blockier aspects of the previous generation's styling. Citing consumer perception that the Pilot's right-angles indicated it wasn't nearly as fuel efficient as it actually was, designers drew an aerodynamic shape intended to more accurately communicate Honda's dedication to building a modern, and frugal, SUV. The revised Pilot's looks bear a stronger family resemblance to other SUV models in the Honda showroom (like the CR-V and the equally new HR-V) and include more elaborate front and rear lighting. 

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

4) The 2016 Honda Pilot steps into a next-generation interior.

What good is a well-tailored suit if it's not comfortable? The 2016 Honda Pilot's new sheet metal cloaks a thoroughly modern and, yes, comfortable interior that boasts upscale materials and design. A brand-new, 8.0-inch infotainment screen is available on most Pilot models, increasing its connectivity quotient and dressing up its dashboard, and Honda has also made sure to replace as many hard plastic touch points as possible with the soft feel of more premium materials. It's a move that allows the Pilot to be among the leaders of the rising trend to attract buyers by offering levels of luxury absent from earlier SUVs.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

5) The 2016 Honda Pilot can be ordered five ways.

The 2016 Honda Pilot is offered in LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, and Elite trim levels. Even the base Pilot LX is well equipped with standard 18-inch wheels, USB connectivity, a rearview camera, Bluetooth hands-free calling, and a noise-cancellation system that actively quiets the clamor of the outside world. At the top of the list, the Touring Elite outfits the Honda Pilot with heated first- and second-row seats, leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch rims, a power tailgate, and LED headlights with automatic high beams. The fact that the Pilot is offered in such a diverse range of configurations shows how hard Honda wants to satisfy not just budget-conscious buyers but also those willing to splurge on a fully loaded family hauler.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

6) The 2016 Honda Pilot is safer than ever.

Any vehicle designed as family transport should offer every system possible to protect its precious cargo from harm, and the 2017 Honda Pilot delivers (almost over-delivers) in this respect. Among its active safety systems is the LaneWatch camera system that replaces a traditional blind-spot monitor by way of a camera that shows, on the infotainment display, the area immediately to the right of the vehicle; a lane-keeping and lane-departure warning system; a different type of blind-spot monitoring feature; and a forward-collision warning system that can automatically brake the SUV if an accident is deemed imminent. Honda has even debuted a new driver's aide that detects whether the Pilot is about to run off the road — for instance, in case the driver has become drowsy or otherwise incapacitated — and then takes corrective action.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

7) The 2016 Honda Pilot sticks with V-6 power.

While some sport-utility builders have elected to go with turbocharged four-cylinder engines as their top-spec drivetrains, the 2016 Honda Pilot soldiers forward with a V-6 under its hood. Although the six-cylinder features the same 3.5 liters of displacement as it did the year before, the presence of direct fuel injection, combined with a number of additional improvements, has seen output jump to 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Transmission choice depends entirely on which trim level you specify at ordering time: Until you get to the Pilot Touring, you're looking at a six-speed automatic, while the Touring and Elite benefit from a new nine-speed autobox.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

8) The 2016 Honda Pilot offers a new all-wheel-drive system.

The 2016 Honda Pilot starts out with a front-wheel-drive configuration, but if you are looking for extra traction to help when dealing with rain-slicked or snowy roads, then you might want to opt for the all-wheel-drive version of the SUV. The 2016 Pilot's new all-wheel-drive system is capable of sending torque to both sides of the vehicle, as well as to the front and the rear axles, in an effort to find as much grip as possible. It also offers the ability to dial in which type of terrain you are traveling over (sand, mud, or snow), which is useful for customizing the Pilot's throttle, stability, and traction control response should you decide to do some light off-roading.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

9) The 2016 Honda Pilot gets better fuel mileage.

It's only logical to expect more fuel economy from the 2016 Honda Pilot given that it's lighter than before, features a direct-injected engine, and can be fitted with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and it delivers a 2.0-mpg bonus over the previous-generation Pilot for both city and highway driving. The official rating is 19 mpg around town and 26 mpg during highway cruising from the nine-speed models of the SUV. Even the six-speed edition of the Honda Pilot is capable of 26 mpg highway and 18 mpg around town, which is more than respectable for an eight-passenger vehicle.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips

10) The 2016 Honda Pilot remains affordable.

The 2016 Honda Pilot might offer a long list of available luxury features, but its core intent is to serve as affordable family transportation, and the entry-level Pilot LX's base price of $29,995 places it in good company among its competitors from Ford (Explorer), Toyota (Highlander), and Chevrolet (Traverse). Buyers shopping the Pilot Elite should expect a window sticker of $46,420. Of course, that $16,000 spread between models leaves substantial wiggle room for buyers to configure a Honda Pilot to satisfy their particular desires and budget. Combine all that's new with the Pilot's attractive pricing, and it's clear why it is Autobytel's 2016 Truck of the Year.

 Photo by Drew Phillips

Photo by Drew Phillips


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