The Honda Pilot has long been the Japanese automaker’s largest SUV offering. The 2023 Honda Pilot returns strong. The Pilot has been a steady seller for Honda since 2002.
The Honda Pilot’s main competitors also come from the home of the Hinomaru: The Toyota Highlander and the Mazda CX-9.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Japanese big three—The Pilot, Highlander, and CX-9.
| SUV crossover | Size L/W/H ft | Price | Good | Bad |
| Toyota Highlander XSE | 16.5/6.3/5.7 | $41,685 | XSE suspension | $$$ |
| Mazda CX-9 | 16.6/6.5/5.7 | $35,335 | 10.3” Display | Cramped int. |
| 2023 Honda Pilot | ? | $34,000 | Bigger than 2022 | ? |
What’s new
Although the 2022 Pilot presented a new look to its compact SUV bell cow, the 2023 edition is looking to up its crossover game further.
It’ll be bigger
The well-established third row within the Pilot was a cramped one. If you sat guests in the third row the sacrifice included limited cargo storage too. The main issue with that third row was size-related; worth of an asterisk. *
*Third row best used for horizontal as you would enjoy on a small love seat. Not recommended for more than one average-sized adult; does not include armrests to hike outstretched legs upon to mitigate tight fit.
The 2023 Pilot will be three inches longer than its predecessors. So, this should alleviate the somewhat pinched third-row seating situation.
Improved Aesthetics
Previous editions of the Honda Pilot have felt the brunt of aesthetic criticism. Many folks felt that it resembled more minivan than SUV. Honda will look to disrupt that perception. Some speculation exists that design cues for the Pilot will be lifted from the Honda Ridgeline.
It won’t outsell the Honda CR-V
And Honda isn’t trying to poison their compact SUV well either. The CR-V, even during the pandemic’s wrath still managed to sell over 123,000 units in the US alone.
The new-look Pilot should provide a solid option for Honda fans seeking something larger than the CRV.
Autopilot?
Rumors about autopilot have been whispered around the “inter-webs”. You can thank Tesla’s Elon Musk for “autopilot” becoming this decade’s tech-savvy catchphrase.
Autopilot could be in the works for the 2023 Pilot. But if it is, I don’t have that level of security clearance.
The 2023 Pilot: Wrapping Up
All information surrounding the 2023 Honda Pilot is speculative in nature, as it isn’t set to reach dealerships until late 2022. However, you can expect the fourth-generation Pilot to pack more punch visually, as it will be sized for the midsize SUV market.
Here’s hoping it’s fresh-faced new look will invoke more SUV than Minivan.
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