2019 Honda Pilot Elite Review: A Luxury SUV For Adventurers

The Honda Pilot easily handled the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Photo: Shannon Entin.

The Honda Pilot easily handled the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Photo: Shannon Entin.

Your family needs space and comfort, especially when fun is on the agenda.

When my family takes a ski vacation, we have a system. We like to park at the base near a ski lift. We pop open the back and change into our ski boots right there in the parking lot. Then we carry our skis directly to the lift. No messing with the lodge or lockers.

This requires two things:

  1. We need to get up early because those parking spots near the lifts fill up fast!
  2. We need to have a car that can fit four pairs of skis, poles, boots, and helmets in the cargo space, but still leave enough room for everyone to ride comfortably.

The Honda Pilot Elite delivered all that and more on our recent ski trip to Lake Tahoe, California.

My family – me, my husband, and our two teenagers – took a spring skiing vacation at Heavenly Mountain Resort. It’s been a record-setting year for snow in Lake Tahoe (it’s still snowing in late May!) and we enjoyed February conditions in April. The Honda Pilot Elite was the perfect car for our mountain adventures.

Related: This is why you love Honda’s SUV’s: Lara Harrington, Honda’s chief engineer, is building them for you! 

Who This Car is For

Related: The 2023 Honda Pilot 3 Row SUV Now Has a Removable Seat for 7 or 8!

What it Costs

The Honda Pilot offers a wide range of trim levels, with pricing starting at $31,450.

Related: How does the Honda Pilot compare to the Volkswagen Atlas?

Minivan Features in a Luxury SUV

If your family is like mine, you want a car that offers plenty of space for your gear while offering a luxury feel for your passengers. I’ve always loved the interior experience of a minivan, but not the exterior “van” look.

The Honda Pilot Elite is the answer to that dilemma. It’s got seating for seven, and, like Honda’s Odyssey minivan, the Pilot features some fantastic family-friendly options.

Related: See how the Honda Pilot stacks up against the Toyota Sequoia

Super Comfortable Ride and So Many Cupholders!

Sitting in the driver’s seat of the Honda Pilot is a treat. First, there’s the heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel that feels substantial and powerful when you put your hands on it. Then you’ll notice the bright, airy feel of the cabin. The windshield is large and, combined with the double, panoramic sunroof and big windows, gives a wonderful, atrium-like experience.

Next, you’ve got the cozy, heated and ventilated, 10-way power driver’s seat. And finally, the dash and infotainment display is customizable, clear and accessible. It was simple to sync my iPhone and just as easy to use the car’s navigation system.

Related: SUV or minivan? See how the Pilot compares to the Honda Odyssey

The ride is smooth in the Honda Pilot. It’s a large SUV, so it’s not super peppy, but it handled the climb into the Sierra Nevada Mountains just fine. And it’s got great towing capability – another plus for adventurous families!

The other thing any family car needs is ample cupholders. I am absolutely in love with the cupholders in the Honda Pilot Elite. My family always has several beverages when we travel – water bottles, coffees, iced tea, sodas… And we often have trouble fitting them all. No problem in the Pilot.

The cupholders in this car are all upright! That might sound silly, but so many cars have “angled” cupholders, especially in the doors. This car had multiple, deep, straight-up holders in the door so we could easily secure our Starbucks Venti Pink Drink AND an iced tea for later. And I was able to keep an open can of seltzer in the driver’s side door without any spillage!

State of the Art Technology

I’ve already mentioned some of the tech in the Pilot, including the rear entertainment system, CabinTalk and the Cabin Control app. It also has Wifi hotspot capability, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The wireless phone charging pad is another great feature, though it was slow to charge my iPhone XR.

There are plenty of USB plugs and three-zone climate control to make all your passengers comfortable. Another feature I loved was the customizable touch screen that allows you to organize your touch screen to your liking!

Read More: Need more luxury in a minivan alternative? The Acura RDX sports a new look and more luxury than ever.

What We Loved

What You Should Know

Disclosure: Honda loaned me the 2019 Pilot AWD Elite for our Lake Tahoe ski trip. All opinions are my own.

Feeling most at home when on the road, Shannon Entin grew up under the impression that the highest form ... More about Shannon Entin
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