2004 Honda Pilot EX

When Honda developed its own midsize family-transporter for the 2000 model year, that vehicle went to its Acura division. The MDX abruptly won countless awards and legions of loyal owners. Finally, the Honda nameplate got its own version of the MDX for 2003, the Pilot. Although more value-priced than its upscale older brother, the Pilot isn't as blue-collar as one might initially expect. Many of the MDX's amenities are either standard on the Pilot or available as options.

The Pilot's stability is laudable, and body roll is well controlled by the widest-in-class track and dual stabilizer bars.

At their cores, both the Pilot and MDX have the Odyssey platform (which is basically Accord architecture), but with stouter siderails. Underpinnings are front struts with coil springs and semi-independent multilink suspension in the rear (which allows a flat load-floor inside). Pilot is more softly sprung than the MDX, and its 16-inch tire/wheel package also biases the Honda more toward daily commuting duties than the Acura's sportier suspension and canyon-carving 17-inch arrangement. The Pilot's steering is quite accurate, although slightly slower than the MDX's. Stability is laudable, and body roll is well controlled by the widest-in-class track (more than 63 inches) and dual stabilizer bars.


Pilot features four-wheel disc braking system with ABS at each corner and electronic brake-force distribution proportioning. Performance is above average for the midsize SUV class. Although we didn't tow with the Pilot, we'd speculate that it's slightly under-braked at tag-along capacity (a 3,500-pound enclosed trailer or a 4,500-pound boat).


The Pilot boasts a 240-horse 3.5-liter VTEC V-6. This all-aluminum, variable-valve-timing powerplant is characteristically smooth. High-end thrust is particularly noticeable during freeway passing—valve timing changes at 4,300 rpm. Although the peak torque doesn't occur until 4,500 revs, low-end launch and ensuing acceleration are surprisingly sprightly (especially when considering the vehicle's 4,400-pound heft). A 0-60 sprint that's near the top of the midsize class supports this. We managed an 8.57-second best; other independent lead-feet report 8.1.

Honda's straightforward, highly functional interior designs are well represented in the Pilot.

A 5-speed automatic is the lone transmission offering. Also, all Pilots are equipped with Honda's VTM-4 (Variable Torque Management 4-Wheel Drive) system. Marketing semantics aside, it's primarily a front-drive system that seamlessly and automatically converts to all-wheel drive by sending as much as 50 percent of the engine's torque rearward. ABS sensors trigger the transfer. Below 18 mph, a dashboard switch dispatches half of the available torque rearward for inclement-weather/off-pavement extractions.