re: Any thoughts on the Honda Pilot vs other 3 row SUVs?

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We love our Atlas.

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I sat in our third row when we test drove it. Surprisingly comfortable for adults if going to dinner or across town. I also like that the middle row can move up to make more room, or move back if the third row is down. TONS of leg room in the 2nd row- bench seat or captain chair options. Last thing about cargo space- we brought giant Connect 4 and our Cornhole set to the beach this summer- previously, we could have never fit that in the Escalade, but it fit with ease in The Atlas

Biggest drawback is the gas tank size is 18-19 gallons and the fuel economy is lower, at 22-23 on interstate. It wasn’t a deal breaker for us- we get the same miles per tank as we did in the Escalade using 9 less gallons, and the wife is mostly work at home, but a friend who’s married to a pediatrician said she was ALWAYS at the gas station when making rounds to hospitals all over town.

Just cut the crap and get a Suburban FFS.

Have a 21 pilot. The transmission issue another poster mentioned was supposedly remedied. No noticeable problems for us ~7k miles in. It's a typical Honda if you have ever driven one. They somehow all feel the same when you drive them. To me, it feels less "premium" than the palisade (which i tested) but the wife preferred the Honda (she had a prior Honda and liked it). It also seemed the most friendly for small kids getting in and out of 3rd row. The Palisade was much more difficult and it felt more cramped back there.

There are less luxury features available on the Pilot than some other comparable vehicles, but you get more for your money imo. We got a Touring model for ~$40k. That's a base model Explorer and a step down in Palisade/Telluride (which are harder to find)

We just bought my wife a new Palisade Calligraphy a couple months ago. She drove several other three row SUVs and she said the Palisade was head and shoulders above. Plus she got a 100K powertrain & electronics warranty so it was a no brainer.

I’ve had several Hondas of all different models over the last 25 years and in every single one of them, the transmission has been rough as shite.

If you want a 3rd row, get a minivan or Suburban. The third rows in these mid-size SUVs are about as useless as tits on a boar hog.

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This +1000 times. All the people here suggesting 3-row crossovers are doing the OP a great disservice. The only car the OP should be considering is one of the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica or the Kia Carnival. A minivan has none of the space and comfort compromises that these 3-row crossovers have and they have more cargo room than the ladder frame SUVs even with the 3rd row up.

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I was anti-Mini van. Had a Tahoe. Had a Tiguan (with 3rd row). Have an Explorer (nice actually). But, the minivan is king of easy space and not feeling like you are on top of everyone else in your vehicle. I finally gave in after have a mini van rental for a week while the Tiguan was getting body work.

I added a fuse block and put two 2.0A/2.0A USB chargers in each row. I can carry 8 kids all charging cell phones and tablets simultaneously on 2.0A outlets. Boom. Even with the 3rd row in use, space behind the backseat is surprisingly large. Worse comes to worse, I'll strap shite to the roof or use a hitch haul. I do like the Explorer (2018), though. Seats are nice and ride is great. Been very reliable, have 70K miles on it. But for family duty, give me the Odyssey.

I have a EX-L AWD 2017 Pilot with almost 50k on it. AWD system is excellent on dry/wet/snow, etc. I haul my dogs to trials so middle and rear seats are down flat 90%+ of the time I drive it. It has some body roll, Michelin Defender M+S tires with stiffer side walls took care of most of that. Most of the posters with transmission issues likely got the 9 speed tranny which was new 2016 forward, I got the 6 because of that and haven't had any issues although I'm up in the mountains more now and would like to have 9 speed with paddle shifters. One known issue was the fuel injectors/rails which went out on mine ~ 36k miles but have been warrantied by Honda to 150k miles or 10 years which is transferrable to future buyers, that's the only issue I have had. I know a few Highlander owners, they may be built a little better, but the rear looks smaller to me and AWD is not as good as Honda. I will likely get a truck next vehicle for the versatility.

Why anyone ever buys any small/mid/large SUV thats not a Toyota baffles me. No quality issues and sell it 10 years later for 80% of what you paid new.