Road Trip to Vegas In the Honda Pilot Elite Family SUV: What Could Be Painful Was Pleasant

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Joanne Pham

Three kids, my husband, my mom and a week in Las Vegas? I got this.

Are we crazy? We left the pleasant temperatures of Los Angeles for a week in sweltering 108+ degrees in the Nevada desert. Just the trip there could be enough to doom our week.

But with a relaxing ride, entertained kids and plenty of room for our luggage, we arrived refreshed and ready for the pool, the sights and to enjoy the desert sun and fun.

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Kama Moiha

Meet the 2017 Honda Pilot Elite 

This is the car we spent our week in. We loved the roomy three rows of seating, the technology and most of all, the cargo space! We fit ALL our luggage in the cargo area and STILL had plenty of room for six passengers (there’s actually room for 7). If you’d told me this, I wouldn’t have believed you. And then I saw for myself.

Critical Details: 

  • Price: $47,220 + 995 destination charge
  • The Elite model comes fully loaded with everything Honda has to offer: heated leather seats in the front and second rows (air-conditioned seats in the front as well!), three-zone climate control, all wheel drive, panoramic sun roof, entertainment system and navigation
  • Honda Sensing safety tech is standard and includes blind spot monitors, lane departure warning, lane departure assist, crash mitigation and adaptive cruise control
  • Fuel economy is 19 city/27 highway

My friend Kama Moiha and I took a walk through of the Honda on my first day with it. Take a look!

Meet my Happy Family

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Joanne Pham

And they are usually happy. From left to right: me, my mother, my daughter, my niece, my son and my husband. With only two people to a row the trip was comfortable. The girls watched TV and BlueRays on the wireless headphones, my mom read a book and my son listened to music as I livestreamed from the front seat. My husband, always a good sport, had his eyes on the road and got us to and from Las Vegas safely.

While we were in Las Vegas I snuck away to the cool A/C of the Pilot chat with my Periscope peeps. It was nice to get out of the hotel and have my own quiet space!

The Honda Pilot Elite – a View Without Us

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Kama Moiha

 

When I first got into the Honda Pilot I was impressed with the room and the luxury of the Elite edition. The seats are leather, the huge sunroof lets in lots of light, the dashboard has everything you need and it was all easy to find, and there were plenty of places to plug in devices, like my phone for Periscoping. Navigation, entertainment and settings for the car are on the touchscreen infotainment system, which also has Apple Car Play; just plug in your phone and it’s mirrored on the screen!

Want to know more about the Honda Pilot? Read our review here!

Plenty of Leg Room in All Three Rows – Even For Full Sized People

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Kama Moiha

My friend, Kama Moiha, hopped into the third row to see how REALLY roomy it is. He’s 6 foot tall and 240 lbs – a really good test. He didn’t complain and was actually pleasantly surprised; there’s room for a full size person back there–two of them, even – and it was easy enough for him to climb in because the center row seats move forward for access.

Honda Pilot Family Suv
Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Joanne Pham

An SUV Designed to Make Kids Happy

Yes, we want our kids to be happy every day, but especially when you’re on the road for 6 or 8 hours and when traffic gets heavy. Their complaints are more stress you don’t need! We loved that all three kids could entertain themselves. They watched TV the whole way to and from Las Vegas; we didn’t hear a single complaint about being bored. You will never have to hear the dreaded “Are we there yet?” again!

The Pilot is also great for little kids and the moms that need to use car seats. My friend Pang-Ni Landrum showed us how easy it is to install child car seats in the Pilot in under 5 minutes flat!

Can’t decide between an SUV and a minivan? Compare the Honda Odyssey with the Pilot!

The Rear View of the Honda Pilot Elite

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Kama Moiha

 

This is a really important point on the Honda Pilot. First, it’s what everyone behind you in traffic sees, but also, it’s where you spend a lot of time making sure all your stuff fits, doesn’t fall over, you can reach it and that you can get to what you need. Also, if it’s too big it can be hard to drive. I found it all really easy: easy to look at, easy to reach, easy to manage getting luggage in and out.

I Just Have to Say it Again: Those Wireless Headphones! 

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Joanne Pham

 

These made the girls feel really special and EMPOWERED to not have to keep asking us in the front to change the radio/TV station, change the Blue Rays or adjust the volume. They could plug in and listen to something together–radio, TV or their own music. They had fun in the ‘way back’ and best of all, got to ignore the rest of us!

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Kama Moiha

A Front View of the Honda Pilot 

I love the way this car looks. Badass and elegant too! When I first got it I was worried it might be hard to drive and park because of its size (I drive a Mini Cooper). But it was quite easy to manage on city streets, highways and even in our many parking structures in LA.

I also loved the roominess for hanging out with friends. Pang-Ni and I had a chance to chat in peace without kids, husbands or other interruptions. THAT is a luxury.

The Second Row Was Welcoming, Too!

Honda Pilot Family Suv
2017 Honda Pilot Elite. Photo Kama Moiha

The center row seats are captain’s chairs and they are HEATED, great for winter or cold LA mornings. My mom and son were very happy here, each relaxing in their own space. A cup holder and storage cubby sits between the seats, and the back of the front seat arm rest holds controls for back seat passengers. They can adjust the air conditioner, turn on their heated seats, charge their devices and plug headphones into the entertainment system.

 

Even the trip home was fun in the Honda Pilot. With everyone happily enjoying their own electronics, I could share the ride on Periscope and point out all the road side attractions!

Disclosure: Honda provided the Pilot for this story. Thanks Honda for making our trip such a success!

Joanne Pham
Joanne Pham

A broadcaster, social media storyteller and mother of two, Joanne is the founder of The PeriGirls, the largest Periscope content creator group.

She lives in Los Angeles with her family and can be found on social media as @GoRiceGirl and @RiceandSpam.

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