Used 2011 Honda Pilot for sale 

Given there is no drastic change in the Honda Pilot, the SUV will enter the market with the same squad. In other words, the Pilot will be produced in four trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring. Each of the trims builds upon the features and amenities that Honda has in store for the brand. Furthermore, the SUV can be availed with either front- or all-wheel drive, with a price difference based on your choice. Standard on the Pilot are 17-inch steel wheels, keyless entry, rear privacy glass, a trailer hitch, automatic headlights, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, front and rear air-conditioning, 60/40-split second-and third-row seats, and a seven-speaker audio system with an auxiliary audio jack and CD/MP3 player.

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Although the Pilot is priced very well throughout, it is the EX trim that caught our attention. It constructively builds upon the very subtle feature list of the base LX and happens to revamp the entire cabin. The electronics it inherits are of great futuristic value. However, if you wish for a leather treated cabin along with some leisure amenities, it is advisable to opt for the EX-L trim.

Powering this bulky, rugged SUV is a mighty 3.5-liter V6 that generates 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed automatic is the only available transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all Pilot models are available with an all-wheel-drive system that automatically apportions power to the rear wheels -- up to 70 percent -- when front slippage occurs. 

For those meant to ride along the countryside, the AWD is highly recommended. To elaborate, Pilot shares its platform with the Acura MDX, as well as the North American market Odyssey minivan. The Pilot's unibody construction and independent suspension are designed to provide handling similar to that of a car, and it has integrated perimeter frame rails to allow towing and light off-road use. 

In performance testing, we clocked a Pilot Touring from zero to 60 mph in a pokey 9.7 seconds, a full second or two behind many rivals. Here, the Nissan Pathfinder, another Japanese off-roader, astonishes with a 7.4 second run to 60 MPH mark. Meanwhile, the Toyota Highlander crawls close to the Pilot, thanks to its bulk and lackluster engine. The 5-speed automatic and Honda’s penchant for the economy is to blame for the unsatisfactory performance of their biggest SUV. A piece of good news for the admirers though is that the SUV has a driver-selectable "lock" feature that routes maximum torque to the rear wheels at speeds below 19 mph.

By now, it is a well-known fact that Honda’s refinement is second to none. The efforts that Honda puts into making their powertrains fuel-efficient is enormous. However, the surprising fact is that Honda’s powertrains continue to mesmerize with their performance despite being tuned for thrift. This phenomenon is quite rare in the industry. Well, speaking of the Pilot specifically, the EPA estimates 17 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highways with an AWD powertrain. Persistently, the secret behind it is Honda's Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system, which shuts down half of the V6's cylinders when they're not needed.

After praising Honda so much about its refinement, it is quite hard to admit the fact that the Pilot is not as economical as some other SUVs in the segment. Starting with the national rival, Toyota Highlander, the Pilot lags a mile behind in the combined fuel economy figures. Whereas, even the Ford Explorer manages a figure similar to that of the Toyota. An advantage, however, is the availability of a substantial fuel tank that helps add some extra miles with a full tank.

Inside, the Pilot is as roomy and functional as ever; it's one of few vehicles this size to have a third row that's spacious enough for adults (though headroom is tight in the far back). Front seats are generously sized and excellent for long road trips, while the second-row seats slide fore and aft for easy access to the third row or to get just the right balance of legroom between rows.

The second and third rows split 60/40 and fold forward. In the front, like many current Honda vehicles, the center stack is packed with far too many small buttons and controls. The operation of these controls is made a bit easier by a logical layout, but it still takes some time to get used to this needlessly complicated setup. 

From a practical standpoint, the interior of the 2011 Honda Pilot interior brims with cubbies, holders, and bins for accouterments of all sorts. Oddly, the chunky, oversized aesthetic doesn't carry over to instrument-panel controls, which come across as cluttered, and the hard-plastic surfaces used throughout the dash are disappointing. Honda claims to be able to seat 8-occupants in the Pilot, and our thinking coincides with that claim. The rear row, especially, aids in seating two adults very comfortably, however, also leaving a decent space to accommodate the third one. Major interior features include-

• Cruise Control
• Leather Steering Wheel
• Three Zone Climate Control
• Speed-Proportional Power Steering
• Multi-Level Heating Front Seats
• 8 -Way Power Driver Seat
• 4-Way Power Passenger Seat

2011 Honda Pilot Infotainment:

People have been talking about Honda’s practicality so much that only so much emphasis has been laid on the convenience and leisure amenities of the SUV. Though the largest vehicle, the Pilot occupies just the basic features to keep the occupants’ attention away from the disruptive noise of the city traffic.

A seven-speaker audio system with an auxiliary audio jack and CD/MP3 player is what the base Pilot gets for entertainment purposes. Meanwhile, as you climb up the ladder, the features become more sophisticated. So much so, that by the time you reach the Touring model, individualism is extended to the rear-seats, occupying a separate entertainment screen as well as 10 Speaker premium audio systems. Few key features include-

• Satellite-linked navigation system 
• 10-speaker premium audio system
• Bluetooth 
• rearview camera 
• Optional rear entertainment system 
• 3 Months Of Provided Satellite Radio Service
• 155 Watts Stereo Output

The 2011 Honda Pilot has a rugged, boxy SUV look that gives no hint of its car-like driving dynamics. A long wheelbase and short front and rear overhangs create a purposeful stance, while the use of Honda’s high-strength Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure in the front helps absorb energy and mitigate frontal impacts.

Other conveniences include a standard integrated tow hitch and a lift-up glass hatch on the tailgate. Aesthetically, the bold front fascia stands out, especially the six-sided grille, and the large 17-inch wheels fill out the wheel wells in style.

Honda appears to be running in the opposite direction, style-wise, than the rest of the industry—which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your taste. All the SUVs share the same distance off the ground. The Explorer remains the heaviest, while the Nissan Pathfinder is the tallest of the lot. Despite all this, the Honda Pilot manifests the widest track on the record. Major exterior features include-

• Optional roof rails
• Optional fog lights
• Optional body-colored side mirrors and door handles
• 17 X 7.5 In. Wheels
• All Season Tires

In the government's new, more strenuous crash testing for 2011, the Pilot earned an overall rating of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for overall frontal crash protection and five stars for overall side crash protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety likewise awarded the Pilot it's top "Good" rating for both frontal-offset and side-impact crashes. 

Standard safety equipment includes stability control, front-seat side airbags, and full-length side curtain airbags. Antilock disc brakes are also standard, but they don't do a very good job in panic stops, requiring a very long 149 feet to halt the Pilot from 60 mph. Only vehicles without ABS or heavy-duty trucks tend to match that distance, which is at least 20 feet longer than most competitors. Few key safety features include-

• All-disc anti-lock brakes
• Electronic stability system
• Side-impact airbags for front seats
• Side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats
• Active front head restraints
• Emergency Braking Assist
• Tire Pressure Monitoring

As it is said, you can always trust a Honda, the Pilot also adheres to this notion quite willfully. Even though the design is a bit dated, the SUV has got a decent powertrain managing to pull all its weight comfortably. Plus, the most important aspect the Pilot exhibits is the unparalleled practicality. There are hardly any SUVs in the market that have as extravagant a cabin as that of Honda. Perhaps, the old-school layout is something that enables it to do so. In any case, the Pilot is a perfect vehicle for a family of 6 or 7 people.