Even better than my 2005!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Great handling, visibility, and maneuvering
Great fuel economy for its size

Cons: 

Third-row seat not useful
Not built for serious towing

The Bottom Line: 

If you're looking for a good family car, and 17-20 mpg is good for you - grab one of these used!

First, the story. I had purchased a new 2005 Pilot EX, which I sadly sold due to financial easons in '06. Since then, things have improved dramatically; so, last month (9/08), I found a certified used '07 Pilot EX with 33K miles on it (*whew*!), and am (again) a very happy Honda owner.

I have not driven very many other SUVs (I owned an '04 Trailblazer EXT for a short period in the interim - blech!), so comparisons are hard for me to make. However, what I find I really like about the Pilot is:

* its acceleration - it's quick for its size and doesn't protest when you step on it;
* Honda car-like handling - fun to drive; it's very light on its feet, in my opinion
* overall length is easy to deal with when parking/maneuvering
* excellent gas mileage for a vehicle of its size
* nice wide stance and interior room.

Other features I enjoy are the transmission - its grade logic keep it from upshifting when going downhill and the fifth gear works great to save gas on the highway. The instrumentation continues to be easy to read; the climate control works well (wish it would not default to turning on the A/C, though), and visibility all around is excellent.

The Pilot is unibody construction, so it does not have a full frame (the '07s are still based on the Odyssey minivan platform). That, coupled with the small V-6 engine make it not a good towing vehicle. Also, the third-row seat is not comfortable at all for normal-sized adults. From what I've read elsewhere, other SUVs have eclipsed its nimble handling capabilities in recent years. It's also a bit noisy when empty - especially at highway speeds - moreso than its truck-based counterparts.

Compared to the '05 I had, the '07 has now-standard vehicle stability control (only available in the EXL model in '05). Honda has dropped the cassette player, however satellite radio is now offered.