Change this, not that: 2024 Honda Pilot review

With its strong brand and body style appeal, the Honda Pilot is an easy contender for in-market families. It has three rows of seating, easy-to-use technology and a more rugged body style in this generation over the last.

I spent a week behind the wheel of the Pilot for this test. It wasn’t the first time I’ve driven the new generation, but the first time I’d spent considerable hours in it since I attend the launch of the vehicle in Sonoma, Arizona, in the middle of winter, in a snowstorm.

This time, I drove the vehicle around Atlanta, Georgia, using it much as a family would, running errands, loading groceries in and out, and going to the gym and back. Even under very different test drive circumstances, there’s a lot to like about the SUV.

What we tested: Newsweek drove a 2025 Honda Pilot AWD Elite in Platinum White Pearl for this review. The three-row SUV has a starting price of $53,080. Honda paid a bit extra for the paint color ($455) but no other options were added. Its final price of $54,930 includes a $1,350 destination charge.

KEEP: The tough guy looks

I like the changes that Honda has made to the exterior of the Pilot, CR-V, and Passport. They appear more rugged than before, and have the equipment to back that up. Pilot, like the Nissan Pathfinder, achieves a level of comfort with its prowess that larger, more purpose-built SUVs are unable to harness.

CHANGE: The shifter

I’ve tried, I’ve really tried to embrace the low-profile shifter in Honda products. It’s… fine. But, it’s not great. I’d rather see a dial or stick shifter here, or even a column shifter like what Hyundai Motor Group and General Motors have changed over to.

CHANGE: Scan and seek buttons

While I wholeheartedly applaud the fact that Honda brought back the volume knob for their infotainment system after banishing it early on in the last-generation Civic, my annoyance with the seek/skip buttons grows.

While most drivers will be utilizing steering wheel controls to move past a song or to find the right radio station, their passengers are left with a long stretch to seek or skip for themselves. And, the buttons are small.

This could be solved by sticking to the “driver controls the radio station” rules, but that’s not always practical.

I’m also not a huge fan of the screen housing, which sees cheap-looking plastic heavier on one side than the other thanks to the location of the physical controls.

KEEP: Physical controls

The Pilot has a refreshing number of buttons and knobs. Everything has its place, is easy to locate upon first glance, and is just as easy to find purely by touch when the mood strikes and eyes need to be on the road.

All the climate control functions are run by knobs and buttons, even the rear. This makes for easy use that doesn’t require menus-deep navigation just to do something as easy as turning down (or up) the high fan speed so you can (or can’t) hear your kids complaining about each other from the third row.

KEEP: Rear under-floor storage

The Pilot’s under-floor storage is good for more than just groceries. I visited the local plant store and filled it with my purchases, which then had all the spare dirt contained for an easy clean out.

You can also keep emergency supplies such as a first aid kit, flashlight and roadside assistance gear in there at all times without eating into the rest of the cabin storage.