Reader Review: 2021 Honda Pilot Black Edition

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Having always wanted to pilot a Pilot, Nitin Garg of Toronto recently got the opportunity to check that box. And he really put the seven-passenger midsize SUV through its paces. Traveling with his wife and four other family members, they loaded up a 2021 Honda Pilot Black Edition at the Calgary International Airport and set off on a touring journey of the Rocky Mountains.

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“I liked the vehicle immediately,” Garg says of his first impression of the Pilot waiting for them at YYC Arrivals, and adds, “In the Black Edition trim, there were black accents and black details all around the vehicle, including the lower front fascia, grille and wheels. Those touches made the Pilot look aggressive – and if you can make a seven-passenger vehicle look aggressive, that’s a plus.”

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Garg observed that Honda might have missed an opportunity, however, towards the rear of the vehicle to further highlight the Black Edition branding. That aside, even if his Pilot hadn’t been a Black Edition, he feels the vehicle overall is “really good looking, and it doesn’t look huge outside. Inside, it’s large and comfortable, and that’s a very fine balance.”

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First-generation Pilots were introduced in the fall of 2002 as 2003 model year vehicles, and second-generation examples ran from 2009 to 2015. Third-generation Pilots became available in 2016, with a refresh in 2019. Available in six trims, from base LX to fully loaded Black Edition, all are powered by the same 3.5-litre V6 engine. The powerplant is good for 280 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission is in every Pilot, and each model also comes with all-wheel drive, or as Honda calls it, Intelligent-Variable Torque ManagementTM4. All Pilots are equipped to carry eight passengers, except for the Touring and Black Edition trims – they’re designed to seat seven.

Garg’s test vehicle cost $58,805 with freight and PDI but before taxes; that includes the $300 Platinum White Pearl paint. The group managed to stow five carry-on size bags in the cargo area. The sixth went between the second row bucket seats. Several backpacks also went into the hatch. There’s a sunroof over the driver and passenger seats, and then a split, followed by a large sunroof over the second and third row seats.

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“There was good depth with the third row seats up to carry lots of luggage,” Garg says. “The first impression of the full-leather cabin was that it’s very plush and premium, and the second major thing was the sunroof. We all thought that was amazing.”

Before getting underway, Garg took a moment to familiarize himself with the Pilot’s controls, including the push button transmission functions. “I was at home with most of them very quickly,” he says, and adds, “The dashboard and console were very well laid out ergonomically, and well designed. Everything was easily accessible, and the gauges were easy to see.” Immediately, Garg appreciated the ease of entering their destination into the navigation system and then following the highly visible instructions displayed in the instrument cluster screen.

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Garg and family headed west out of Calgary to Canmore. The V6 engine, he says, had good horsepower and great acceleration.

“It was very responsive for a car that size, and at speed, when you asked for more, it still had some grunt,” he says. “The transmission was smooth with hardly noticeable shifts and the adaptive cruise control worked great.”

Steering felt well-weighted, and handling characteristics on the highway were appreciated with no discernible roll in any corners. In parking lots, the Pilot manoeuvred with aplomb. One thing that did irritate Garg was every time he adjusted the door mirrors, once he shut the vehicle off and started it again, they’d reset to a different position.

“I could not figure that out throughout the trip,” he says. “I couldn’t work out how to save the settings in the memory function, and I’m not technologically ignorant.”

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Overall comfort was excellent. Garg drove some 1,500 kilometres, going as far as Hinton, Alberta and returning to Calgary. He says, “Not once did I feel fatigued by the driver’s seat. It offered great lumbar support, and there was plenty of legroom and headroom for all passengers. One of them is five feet eleven inches tall, and they rotated through the second and third row seats during the trip.

“There was good NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) control in the cabin, with very little engine or wind noise.”

The Pilot rode beautifully, Garg says, and adds that whatever the road offered in the way of bumps or ripples, the SUV handled it well. Over their journey, the Pilot returned 10L/100km.

“That’s pretty decent fuel economy for a seven-seat vehicle fully loaded with passengers,” Garg maintains.

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He thinks the Pilot best suits a family with kids – they’d love the sunroof and the rear entertainment screens.

“It’d easily haul bicycles or toys and I’d recommend it to anyone looking in this segment,” he says, and concludes, “It was our first time in the Canadian Rockies for any of us, and we enjoyed the trip very much in the Honda Pilot.”

DRIVER’S JOURNAL

Day 1

Picked up the car from airport. Drove to Canmore. Family loved the space in car and the panoramic sunroof was the highlight. Captain seats were great with arm rests and storage space between seats. The seats also slid forward enough for family members to get into third row. Car has low torque but high HP. Handles well on corners.

Day 2

Went from Canmore to Lake Louise. Watched the sunrise at Moraine Lake. Car handled the ascent beautifully, with adaptive cruise control decelerating and accelerating the car smoothly. The side mirror setting memory was difficult to figure out. I kept adjusting it but it got reset with every engine turn off. The AC worked well even in the severe heat wave of 40C.

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Nitin Garg of Toronto picked up this 2021 Honda Pilot Black Edition with his wife and four other family members and drove as far as Hinton, Alberta in the seven-passenger SUV.

Day 3

Explored the Lake Louise area – went on Lake Minnewanka cruise. The drive was comfortable with ample storage space to keep snacks in car. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth were helpful to navigate and play music. The navigation view in driver console was super helpful.

Day 4

Long Drive to Jasper, then Hinton. Stopped by Emerald Lake and Mistaya Canyon. Drive was made more comfortable by lane keep assist. The panoramic sunroof was again a highlight of the day. Seats were comfortable and ample leg space in third row for adult family members made sure they didn’t complain during the day long trip.

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Day 5

Drove from Hinton to Jasper, where we boarded the bus for the wildlife tour. The drive through the city was scenic and explored a lot of nice patios. The multiple cup and snacks holders around the seats helped us grab drinks on the go and travel along safely. On our way back on the scenic drive the car allowed us to click clear pictures from within the car as the ride was really smooth. You could enjoy the cool breeze through the sunroof once again. The ride was extremely delightful, and we arrived to our stay at Hinton.

Day 6

Jasper to Calgary. It’s the last day and the longest drive of our unforgettable road trip through the Rockies and now the car feels like another member of our own little family. The Icefields Parkway welcomed us back with its mountainous embrace as we cruised with hearts full of this week’s memories. And then suddenly out of nowhere, we passed by a majestic grizzly bear crossing the road! The brakes and the car were silent enough that we could drive alongside the grizzly bear without it noticing us. What a gift that was.