Our Opinion - 2026 Honda Pilot Review The Honda Pilot is a useful, modest mid-size SUV with three rows of seating. It has all the features you’d expect from this kind of car: lots of room for people and things, smooth handling, and even a TrailSport model that can handle a short off-road trip. The Pilot has a 285-hp V-6 engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission, so it always delivers the same amount of power. All-wheel drive is available on the Pilot, but the front wheels are driven by default. The TrailSport, designed for rough terrain, has two captain’s chairs instead of a second-row bench seat. Most models have three rows of seats inside that can fit eight people. Even though the Pilot’s front end is a bit rougher for 2026, it still has a modest look that fits its general attitude. Even though it can do a lot, the Pilot doesn’t look, perform, or have the style of market winners like the Mazda CX-90, Hyundai Palisade, or Kia Telluride. If you don’t need the third row and would rather have something better and newer, the Honda Passport lasts longer than the Pilot. It also comes with all-wheel drive as standard and has better off-road handling in the Trailsport trim level. What's New? For 2026, Honda has made many changes to the Pilot’s basic features and exterior design. The Pilot’s front end is boxier than before, with a larger grille and a two-tone rectangular panel at the bottom. New exterior colors are Solar Silver Metallic and Smoke Blue Pearl, and the Touring and Elite models now come with 20-inch Shark Gray wheels. The TrailSport can now be bought in Ash Green Metallic instead of Diffused Sky Blue Pearl. As of now, all types come with roof rails and a motorized tailgate. The most important changes this year have been made to the inside. All models now come with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a larger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The TrailSport, Touring, and Elite trims offer more upholstery choices. According to Honda, the car will be quieter because of more sound-deadening materials. Also, the Pilot’s steering has been improved to make it feel better and be more accurate. Pros and Cons Pros Roomy inside Excellent ratings and traits for safety. Very simple to use. Cons It gets loud inside the cabin. It might be better to drive. How many miles per gallon? Engine, Transmission, and Performance It has a 3.5-liter V6 engine that makes 285 horsepower. Automatic transmission with 10 speeds. There are two different types of drivetrains: all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive. With 285 horsepower, the Pilot’s 3.5-liter V-6 engine gives it speed. There is an automatic transmission with 10 speeds. You can get an SUV with all-wheel drive, but most of them are front-wheel drive. The Pilot’s V-6 engine isn’t very fast, but the 10-speed automatic transmission does a great job of making changes smooth. In our most recent Elite model test, the Pilot had a poor 189-foot stop from 70 mph. However, it feels solid and rides comfortably on the road. We had previously reported that the Pilot’s steering felt numb, but Honda says the problem has been fixed by redesigning the electric power steering system. On real off-road roads near Breckenridge, Colorado, and Sedona, Arizona, we tested the most rugged TrailSport model and proved that it could handle the rough terrain. The Pilot TrailSport has steel skid plates under the body, all-terrain tires, a hill-descent control system, an all-wheel-drive system tuned for Trail driving, and a suspension raised by 1 inch. But keep in mind that this isn’t a rock-climbing super-truck made to fight with Moab 4Runners, Broncos, and Wranglers. Its goal is light to modest off-roading. Safety All Pilot models come with Honda Sensing, a suite of driver-assist features. Blind-spot recognition, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high-beam headlights are among the features included in the package. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot tracking, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection are all standard safety features. Internal and External Cargo Capacity First Row: The Honda Pilot’s front seat is roomy and comfortable. The inside isn’t as nice as the Mazda CX-90’s. The more expensive Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims include a panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and high-quality leather seating. However, they don’t look as fancy as some of its competitors in the same market. Second Row: The TrailSport comes with standard second-row captain’s chairs, but the EX-L trim offers them as an option. The narrow middle seat on the second-row seats in the Touring and Elite models can be removed and stored in the cargo area under the floor when not in use. The TrailSport now comes with heated rear side seats as standard. Third Row: The third row of seats in most trims can fit up to eight adults. The third row of seats in the Pilot is big enough for people of average size, and it’s easy to get to. Space Capacity: There is enough room for goods with all three rows of seats filled. We were able to fit six carry-on-sized boxes behind the third row, which is two more than we could fit in a Kia Telluride. Fuel Economy and Actual MPG At 75 mph on the highway, tests show that the Elite gets 27 mpg and the TrailSport gets 22 mpg. Based on the EPA, 18–19 mpg in the city The EPA estimates that cars get 23-27 mpg on the highway. The EPA has not yet released the 2026 Pilot’s gas mileage, but the 2025 Pilot with front-wheel drive got 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. Other all-wheel-drive models got 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The TrailSport, on the other hand, got 18 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. These scores won’t change for the models released in 2026. We’ll keep this page up to date with the most recent information. We tried a 2023 Pilot TrailSport with better all-terrain tires and off-road protection on our highway fuel-economy route at 75 mph. It got 22 mpg. The Kia Telluride, which gets 24 mpg, is a three-row SUV with a V-6 engine that gets better gas mileage. It got 27 mpg in the same test, but its tires were not as harsh. Infotainment and Connectivity 12.3-inch tablet for entertainment Connectivity through Bluetooth and WiFi, Google Auto, and Apple CarPlay The Bose 12-speaker system is available as an option, and the 7-speaker system is standard. All 2026 models come with a large 12.3-inch tablet for entertainment in the middle. Thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Honda’s newest entertainment system is easy to use. Before, only the Elite and Black Edition versions had the 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Now, all models have it. The Touring and Elite models feature a high-end 12-speaker Bose system, while the Honda Pilot has a basic 7-speaker sound system. Range, Charging, and Battery Life The Elite took 7.2 seconds to test at 60 mph, while the TrailSport took 6.9 seconds. The Pilot doesn’t do very well in its class when it comes to acceleration. Toyota’s Grand Highlander can go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, while our test car, the Kia Telluride, can do it in 6.8 seconds. Towing and Payload Capacity The maximum weight that can be pulled is 5,000 pounds. The Honda Pilot can tow up to 5,000 pounds when equipped with all-wheel drive. When pilots use front-wheel drive, they can pull up to 3500 pounds. This isn’t nearly as strong as the Dodge Durango’s 8700-pound-feet of torque, but it’s about the same as the Kia Telluride and Grand Highlander’s towing capacity. Price and How to Choose The 2026 Honda Pilot will likely cost between $43,000 and $58,000, depending on the trim level and any extras. The Pilot EX-L is a good choice because it has a good price-to-feature ratio. The EX-L model comes with heated leather seats, a power-operated liftgate, and second-row seats that slide with a single touch. You might or might not need all-wheel drive, depending on your wants. The extra pulling power makes the purchase worth it. For those who want a more rugged look and some off-road ability, the mid-range Trailsport is a good deal for the price.
