My current station car (92 Nissan Sentra) is looking it's age. I'm looking to replace with either a small or mid-size SUV. I'm still in the exploratory stage but thought the Pilot was a promising pick, the Element is a bit sparse. Are there any 'Pilot' forums? How about a good Honda forum?

Other potential choices are the Nissan Murano, Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Highlander.

The choice will most likely come down to ride/comfort and value.

Any input or suggestions would be appreciated before I head out and start test driving.

Thanks,
Michael

 

A Pilot is a great ride! Drive one and you won't be disappointed. Best value out there in that segment.

 

Get the Pilot

 

I think it's probably the best value in the segment and a great car, but it just looks too much like a mini-van for my taste (I know, that's probably shallow). So, my pick would be the 4-Runner, maybe a Sport V8. My .02$.

 

Have you considered a slightly used 4runner in that price range?

 

I had a Pilot for a year now and I absolutely love it.

You won't find a better full-size SUV in that price range.

 

http://www.hondapilot.org

I have had mine for 2 months, no problems. I like it.

 

Test drive a Murano... If you like the looks, it's a great vehicle! The CVT is cool as well.

Pilot's are also nice, a little less "sporty" than the Murano.

 

The Pilot has been a great vehicle this past 4 months.

My wife really likes this vehicle and my 3 year old son enjoys the DVD system, great for road trips.

 

I have a Pilot, my in-laws have a Pilot, one of my best friends owns a Pilot, my brother-in-law's business partner owns a Pilot(he is also a friend of mine), a good friend of my family owns a Pilot and my neighbor owns a Pilot. I have a good amount of knowledge on all of our cars. Everyone else's car has been good for them(one or two minor problems each); mine, however, has not.

Since day one we have had very loud clunking noises coming from the front suspension area, a very loud cracking noise coming from the rear suspension area, we have had interior molding pieces mysteriously pop off for no reason, the rear spoiler seperated from the body during one hot summer day and insanely poor gas mileage (i.e. We recently took a family trip to Socal from SF Bay Area [around 350 miles] in our Pilot and my in-laws following us in their Pilot. My in-laws actually had a couple hundred pounds more weight in their car then us. I checked both our cars tire pressure before and throughout the trip and it was the same. We both were on cruise control the whole time. I got 10.7 mpg and they got 20.2 mpg. I actually had to make one extra stop for gas each way then they did!!!). We first took the car in regarding the mileage and the noises at around 1000 miles. We have since taken the car in for the same issues 5 more times and we are at 14000 miles. Three different dealerships have worked on it and none have been able to solve the noise problems and all three have told us that the mpg problem is "within acceptable limits". I filed a complaint with Honda Customer service regarding potential lemon law filings and they contacted my preferred dealership. They are taking the car in tomorrow, providing us a loaner SUV and they are keeping my car until they can either fix it or determine that it is unfixable. Overall, the service department and customer service have been very good and reasonable. My overall opinion of Honda hasn't suffered tremendously. However, prior to this, I owned a 4Runner and with 3 years and 75k miles I had exactly ZERO problems with the car. If Honda ends up buying the car back from us, we are going to be getting an '04 4Runner with the 3rd row seat.

I am not trying persuade you either way, just giving you my experience so you can be aware when making the purchase. You might also find it interesting to note that at www.honda-pilot.org, outside of "General Discussions", the highest posted to section is "Problems".

If you are determined to get the Pilot, I would suggest taking a look at the MDX. You can usually get them for $1k under MSRP and they are a much better overall value plus your service experience, warranty and HP are are all better with the MDX. Just my few cents....