Road Trip: 2013 Honda Pilot Touring

Story and photos by John LeBlanc SPRINGBROOK, P.E.I. — By definition, a vacation should be carefree and without compromises, particularly if it involves taking your family along. So when it came to booking a press fleet vehicle to test during our family's annual summer sojourn to Prince Edward Island, I asked for a 2013 Honda Pilot Touring. With Yours Truly, Mrs. Automotive Journalist, Princess No. 2 and Grandma Pat making the trip to the Island this past July, a five-passenger, compact utility vehicle would have fit our transportation needs just fine. But with two weeks of luggage, groceries, beverages and three sets of golf clubs to haul as well, the more commodious, eight-passenger Pilot was more inline with our annual “no compromises” P.E.I. holiday anthem. Amidst a seemingly endless list of mid-sized crossover rivals, the Pilot has been doing yeoman service as a family hauler since its debut for 2003. The offspring of a luxury crossover father (Acura MDX) and a minivan mother (Honda Odyssey), the Pilot is unique amongst its six- and seven-seat rivals by offering room for eight passengers. Without altering the Pilot's minivan/SUV DNA, the current second-generation arrived for 2009, with a mild refresh for 2012. For 2013, you can get a front-wheel-drive Pilot LX for $36,630 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection). Our P.E.I. Pilot, though, was the all-conquering, topline Touring edition. For an additional $13,660, it added part-time all-wheel-drive; typical "power everything," leather throughout, heated seats for the first two rows, a navigation system with French and English voice recognition, and a de rigueur rear DVD system (with headphones) among other luxury goodies. Equipped as such, direct competition includes the $44,959 Hyundai Santa Fe XL Limited/Saddle Leather AWD and $45,999 Ford Explorer Limited AWD, to name only two. We picked up our Pilot right after our flight touched down from our home in Ottawa to the Island’s provincial capital, Charlottetown. We had P.E.I.-tested a Toyota Highlander a few years ago, and found that it could not handle our crew and flotsam and jetsam, forcing us to drop off our belongings at the cottage we occupy for a couple of weeks near Springbrook, P.E.I., and then procure our food and beverage. But after lowering its third-row seats, and a simple flip of the 40% portion of its 60/40 rear split second-row, the Honda handled our hauling needs with aplomb. It only takes about five hours to drive from one end of P.E.I. to the other, and there are only a few kilometres of four-lane highway on the entire province, so long stretches behind the wheel at 100 km/h speeds rarely occur. Instead of putting heavy-duty mileage on the car, we take a lot of short trips to the beach, to play golf, or to visit relatives. And in this type of use, the Pilot stacked up extremely well. As all drivers this summer have had to deal with, the cost of fuel has slowly crept again to near peak levels. In our time in P.E.I., regular gas was averaging $1.36 per litre, so while the Honda Odyssey Touring we borrowed last summer scored a more impressive 9.7 L/100 km, our Pilot Touring (using a 250-horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, 3.5-litre six-cylinder gas engine and five-speed automatic transmission) scored a respectable 11.0 overall. Although or holiday driving was limited to short-haul tripping, the Honda’s roomy cabin was appreciated. While Yours Truly commanded the driver’s seat, those in the second-row had zero complaints. The wide Pilot offers generous shoulder and hip room. In fact, its extra girth means three can sit relatively comfortably in both back rows. And even with the third row up, there’s 20.8 cubic feet of cargo room. Driving the Honda was also a “no compromise” affair. Its suspension setup is neither too sporty nor too soft. The Pilot feels relatively well planted for such a large and heavy vehicle and steering has plenty of feel and corners can be taken with little lateral roll. But what really separates the Pilot from the Odyssey (or any other minivan) is its outstanding off-road capabilities. Features normally found on vehicles with Land Rover badges — like hill-start assist (which sends maximum torque to the rear wheels at speeds up to 30 km/h); four-wheel-lock, and shorter front and rear overhangs — means this Honda isn't afraid to get its shiny alloys dirty with P.E.I’s red sands. Even knowing these limitations, about midway through our Island holiday, I boasted that the Honda would be a good buy compared to a luxury SUV, like the $65,185 Land Rover LR4. From a passenger and cargo standpoint, it’s hard to find the difference in dollars. But one area where I hope Honda will address with the next generation Pilot is an upgrade in interior design. Less hard plastic and an easier-to-use control layout would be a welcome change. Despite these interior design complaints, the 2013 Honda Pilot Touring ended up as a “no compromises” type of holiday vehicle. Its “go anywhere” capabilities and roomy and comfortable interior made it as carefree to use as a walk on a P.E.I. beach. Road Test: 2013 Honda Pilot Touring Type of vehicle All-wheel-drive mid-sized crossover Engine 3.5L SOHC six-cylinder Power 250 hp @ 5,700 rpm, 253 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm Transmission Five-speed automatic Brakes Front /rear disc with ABS Tires P235/60R18 Price: base/as tested $34,990/$48,650 Destination charge $1,640 Natural Resources Canada fuel economy L/100 km 12.3 city, 8.2 hwy, 11.0 as tested Standard features Auto-dimming rear-view mirror, 10-way power driver's seat with memory, heated front and second-row seats, leather seating surfaces, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, tilt/telescopic steering, 60/40 split/folding second and third-row seat, backup camera, compass, tri-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, HomeLink, navigation, second-row sunshades, multi-information display, Maintenance Minder, power windows, locks and mirrors, trip computer, cruise control, remote entry, 650-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system with 10 speakers, auxiliary input jack, rear DVD entertainment system, 15 gb hard drive, hill start assist, and more.

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