Yes our 2003 Honda Pilot has served the family and I for all those years very well. I am only looking to donate the vehicle to Cars for Kids program to get benefits since our car is starting to require more maintenance where it seems to be worth investing into another vehicle.My Honda Pilot is better than any Subaru I've ever driven. It's only got 300K miles on it though so it's not due for replacement yet.
If/when the time comes I'll consider the Subaru as well, briefly, whilst driving to the Honda dealer. YMMV.I’d rather not purchase a Honda brand vehicle and look else where. Since the Ascend is coming out this year I thought I’d consider it.
FWIW...I've heard in several random places that Honda ruined the Pilot by turning it into a minivan. Including some reputable car magazines.If/when the time comes I'll consider the Subaru as well, briefly, whilst driving to the Honda dealer. YMMV.
Have to disagree with you here. The hype on Ascent is rediculous here at my dealership. We have people in here every day asking about when they arrive and even a few preorders. I think Tribeca would have been a really good seller if not for the reasons you mentioned. They really bungled the design on it. They seemed to have learned from thier failure this time. Granted I am selling in a wealthy area with lots of inclement weather (in the NY metro area), so our market for this car may be better than other regions. But so far so good. My biggest concern is the 2.4L engine, but I was worried about the 2.0L wrxs and they turned out great so I will hold my judgment on that for now."We are all waiting for this SUV!" -- Nobody.
We bought our Honda Pilot the same year when they were released and can totally back that it’s one of the best vehicles we have purchased.Our "family" car is also a Honda Pilot that we got new in December of 2003. It was, and still is, the most we've ever spent on a vehicle (around $32k), but it has undoubtedly been the best vehicle we've ever owned. The longer we have it, the more.....
That $32k was over 14 years ago. These days I'm sure it would be hard to get out the door in a new Pilot or an Ascent for less than $40k. I do like the looks of the Ascent, at least in photos, a lot better than the new Pilot. Then again, the old Pilot was not exactly a looker. It was described in one of the major publications as looking like the product of a congressional subcommittee on SUV design. We've spiced ours up a bit with tubular side steps and a bull bar with fog lights since the photo was taken and it at least looks a little more distinctive from the dozens of other beige Pilots of that era running around this town (that's in addition to the giant Pack-a-Sport that makes it easy to spot in parking lots). My wife coaches a high school robotics team and I am constantly amazed at the amount of bodies/equipment that she manages to pack into that thing for trips all over the northwest.while the starting price of a Pilot is close to $30K, I imagine the average price would be quite a bit higher with options. Stylewise I think the Ascent actually looks better than the current Pilot, at least from the pics.
If it was a congressional Commitee who designed it they'd still be working on it with no end in sight.:rotfl:That $32k was over 14 years ago. These days I'm sure it would be hard to get out the door in a new Pilot or an Ascent for less than $40k. I do like the looks of the Ascent, at least in photos, a lot better than the new Pilot. Then again, the old Pilot was not exactly a looker. It was described in one of the major publications as looking like the product of a congressional subcommittee on SUV design. We've spiced ours up a bit with tubular side steps and a bull bar with fog lights since the photo was taken and it at least looks a little more distinctive from the dozens of other beige Pilots of that era running around this town (that's in addition to the giant Pack-a-Sport that makes it easy to spot in parking lots). My wife coaches a high school robotics team and I am constantly amazed at the amount of bodies/equipment that she manages to pack into that thing for trips all over the northwest.
I'm really looking forward to checking out a new Ascent, but that 2.4 liter turbo sounds better suited to a new STI than it does for a large SUV, but I suppose it is the way most manufacturers are going these days to meet the CAFE standards, assuming those are still a thing.
So true! You must have government experience.If it was a congressional Commitee who designed it they'd still be working on it with no end in sight.:rotfl:
That’s incredible! People still print car magazines?! I’m baffled by that.FWIW...I've heard in several random places that Honda ruined the Pilot by turning it into a minivan. Including some reputable car magazines.
I still love holding and reading a magazine. :dontknow:That’s incredible! People still print car magazines?! I’m baffled by that.
5,000 lbs of towing capacity is the same as our old Pilot, so theoretically the Ascent would work just fine. As it is sitting in that picture for a weekend on the Deschutes, I doubt it is even 1,500 lbs combined trailer/raft and even my old '11 Forester with 175 hp could tow it without too much strain. For longer trips out of state, however, we carry a lot more gear with us (often two boats stacked on the trailer) and the thought of a little 4 cylinder hauling that much weight for that far seems like a stretch. I should probably just buy a pickup.Regarding the 2.4L, the tow rating looks encouraging at 5000lbs. The 3.6L Outback has a tow capacity of 3000lbs to put it in perspective.