What is the new Pilot like to drive?

Have you driven a Pilot and what are they like? What are they like off
road...say a good dirt road, logging road or a mudd, snowy road? How are
they for hiway driving or in the city ? How are they on gas and do they
compare to a Toyota forerunner Thanx

 

Had mine two weeks, 1`700 miles, mostly freeway.

Very comfortable, quiet- a pleasure. On good quality dirt and gravel, it's
fine. On big rocks, I didn't push it.

Haven't been in snow or mud yet.

Too new to evaluate gas mileage, but others say it gets better with time and
mileage.

 

If you plan to do some serious off roading, then the Pilot's not the
vehicle for you. You should be looking at SUV's which have truck
chassis, such as the 4Runner, Pathfinder, and those big boxy SUV's out
of Detroit.

You'll know which ones are truck based SUV's when you testdrive them.
They ride just like a truck. The Pilot, the Highlander and a few
others that are car based SUV's have a smoother ride and better
handling. Good luck!

 

Thank you for the input...My nextdoor neighbour is crazy about toyotas and
thinks that the 4runner is a good vehicle..but I did sit in a Pilot and
thought that it was an excellent vehicle just with all the room and the way
that it was organized.

 

I have had mine on dirt roads and slick launch ramps. It's fine. It has
the automatic 4 wheel drive and I don't even think about it. I've not had
it in snow, yet. On the road, it is very smooth. Almost too smooth as the
suspension is quite soft. It could use stiffer shocks because it has an
almost Buick-like ride. The Pilot is a dream to park and maneuver in close
quarters. Maybe because of the silky smooth steering and short wheelbase.
The tranny does shift a lot. That could be because when it does need power
it must get into the higher rpm, VTEC range to make serious power. It does
get up and scoot when you demand it do so.
Dave

 

I have a Nissan Pathfinder and recently test drove a Pilot while shopping
for a minivan. I had considered
trading the Pathfinder for a Pilot. But the ultimate decision was to keep
the Pathfinder and bought an
Odyssey. I like the handling of the Odyssey. It is excellent for its size
and the engine provides ample
power.

I did not like the Pilot. Period. The engine was not tuned for a heavy
vehicle and the extra drivetrain
for the 4WD is robbing too much power. Handling is vague or too soft. The
Pathfinder, even though only
150 HP, felt peppier and steering was quicker and more precise.

 

While I do agree with most of what you are saying, I have to defend the
Pilot a little. As far as the PF seeming peppier. Consider that the Pilot
gets the same MPG while being able to haul twice as much bodies/stuff.
Also, I know it's hard to get away with on a new tester but did you happen
to stomp on it to see how it goes in a real situation? Remember, I said you
have to get the thing past the 4k mark before it really starts to move (240
hp).
Dave

 

[snip]

Funny, I testdrove a Pathfinder SE last year as I was shopping around
for an SUV and despite it's 240HP (the same as the Pilot. I testdrove
the automatic), I still felt the Pilot was peppier and felt it took
turns, corner and sudden lane changes better. To each to his own, I
guess.

Maybe you never stepped on the Pilot hard enough to get the V-TEC to
kick in. I thought it was a gimmick at first, but once you feel its
smooth but assertive powers, you realize what those Honda owners were
talking about. I expected a similar type of performance from the
Pathfinder's VI/VT engine, but just wasn't there for me.

 

Have you passed your driving test yet?