The driver's blog: Redesigned in 2009, the 2011 Honda Pilot is the real deal!

For many years my family and myself have owned several Hondas. Honda is widely known and recognized for building dependable quality vehicles and my family has seen proof of this fact first hand. Over the years we have owned a CRX, countless Accords, and one Ridgeline. The one thing I can say about all of the said vehicles, is that all of them were worth every penny. We've never had any major issues or problems with the Honda product and they have always delivered a wonderfully reliable and easy to live with vehicle. The same can be said about the new 2011 Honda Pilot. The Pilot is Honda's mid-size crossover utility vehicle and it got a revamp for the 2009 model year. The revamp was much needed and it was handled perfectly. The Pilot received a very masculine and aggressive look and the flaws if any were taken care of and made better. The 2011 Honda Pilot I'll be driving is a EX-L model which is top of the line in Honda terms, and it is also a 4X4 model with a third row seat. This particular Pilot is dressed in a bright black metallic exterior paint job and it's accented perfectly inside with light gray leather seating surfaces. The cabin is well thought out and very vast inside. Once I am behind the steering wheel I make my normal adjustments and head off the lot for the closest expressway. The Pilot feels very solid and the interior materials are very durable and appeasing to the eye. The pilot has plenty of pick up, is extremely quiet and the transmission is almost unnoticeable. The ride was very pleasurable and smooth. The steering is tight and the brakes felt good as well. On corners and curves the Pilot has minimal body roll and felt safe at all times. The 250 horsepower 3.5 L V-6 is not exceptionally fast, but it is pleasant, responsive, and has a nice little purr coming from the exhaust. In day to day traffic this SUV would be a pleasure to drive. They are very well appointed inside and out, the ride is nice, and the styling is tough yet sophisticated. My only complaint if any would be the small buttons that Hinda uses for the stereo sytem as well as the climate control. Other than that this is a great vehicle, and I wouldn't let a little thing like small buttons keep me from purchasing one. The 3rd row isn't hug by any means, but it does allow for fold and go storage, and it would be very well suited for smaller people. This one has the Rear DVD/TV which is very nice and it also has the power sunroof which seemed pretty generous as far as size goes. The cabin feels huge once you are inside and I bet the Pilot would make for an awesome road trip vehicle. All in all I'd say the 2011 Honda Pilot is definitely worth a look and a drive. What we have come to know is that Honda builds awesome and reliable engines, their vehicles have great resale value, and they have a huge customer following. This should be plenty of reason to keep Honda in your search results no matter what kind of vehicle you are in the market for. We won't have this one long, but if you get a chance you should come by and see why a buying a pre -owned 2011 is a much better decision than going and buying a brand new one. The bottom line is, Honda still makes great vehicles and the 2011 Pilot is just another notch in their belt.

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