Which Honda Pilot would you buy?

[heartsy77]

Ok so in case you missed it last week my DH hit a tree, in a snowstorm, on his way home from work. So our insurance totaled our minivan; while it wasnt my favorite car it was the only one that fit our 4 kids. I also run family daycare out of our home so I need a large vehicle. So I am looking at Honda Pilots; two in particular. A 2005 EXL with 53,000 miles on it for $16,999 or a 2007 EX with 36,000 for 21,999. I love the 2007 but I am not feeling easy about financing 24,000 for a car! I also think that because its a HONDA 20,000 or so more miles really isn't a big deal? Would you buy the 2005 or the 2007? They both have all the options; EXL is they top priced Honda Pilot model with leather trim ( not a huge importance to me).

 

[DISdreamin']

Ok so in case you missed it last week my DH hit a tree, in a snowstorm, on his way home from work. So our insurance totaled our minivan; while it wasnt my favorite car it was the only one that fit our 4 kids. I also run family daycare out of our home so I need a large vehicle. So I am looking at Honda Pilots; two in particular. A 2005 EXL with 53,000 miles on it for $16,999 or a 2007 EX with 36,000 for 21,999. I love the 2007 but I am not feeling easy about financing 24,000 for a car! I also think that because its a HONDA 20,000 or so more miles really isn't a big deal? Would you buy the 2005 or the 2007? They both have all the options; EXL is they top priced Honda Pilot model with leather trim ( not a huge importance to me).

Have you actually driven the Pilot for a bit? I had one for nearly a week while our Honda Odyssey was being worked on, and I wouldn't trade our old Ody for a newer Pilot. Not as comfortable to me, not as much room, harder to get the kids in and out, etc. It just didn't do it for me...totally personal preference, of course, but just checking.

BTW, our Ody is the EXL and I love, love, LOVE the leather interior even though, originally, we didn't intend to get it. It has cleaned up so easily and stays looking as nice as you can expect for a car with 120+K on it!

 

[LlamaMamaof2]

I have a 2004 EX Pilot. There weren't any EXL's around when I bought it so I haven't seen one of those. I have 75,000 miles and have never had to do anything besides tires, regular maintenance, and a battery. Still have the original brakes! I bought it new and really like it. I have lots of friends with the Odyssey with the EXL and they seem to like them.

I can say from experience that the back seat says it will hold 3 people, but that means 3 small adults or children. It is almost impossible to use more than 1 booster seat back there as you can't buckle it around the other people in the seat. If you are using big car seats, you might get one in and one person back there. That is also after you push up the seat, lift the kids back there, and crawl in to get them buckled!! I only have 2 kids so we don't mess with the back seat unless other people are coming with us. Good luck picking one!

 

[GoofyGirl75]

I have a 2009 Pilot and I LOVE it! (But before that I had a 1998 CRV, so anything would have probably thrilled me.)

Really though, I think either one would be a good choice, and the 50K is not much on a Honda. My CRV had like 180K, and was still going strong until I wrecked it.

I agree that you need to drive it before you decide. It's perfect for me, dh, and our two kids (and occasional guests), but I don't know that I'd want to have to leave the 3rd row up for use at all times. Not nearly as easy to get kids in and out of the back row as I'd think a minivan would be...

 

[AbbysFamily]

Tough call... The only other thing to think about (especially with kids!) - I'm a huge fan of safety equipment and the newer one will have side-curtain airbags. see... http://www.edmunds.com/honda/pilot/review.html

 

[kkwis2]

I think I would go with the 2005. There's no body style change between the two. Leather with kids is easy to clean (but hot in the summer so be careful!). I would agree that the extra miles aren't going to matter a whole lot.

Is financing any different between the two? I know the older the vehicle, the higher the rates.

We have had several minivans and currently own an Odyssey which I love. The convenience of getting kids in and out and all the space, especially when my kids were younger, is great.

HOWEVER, we just recently traded our old car for a Pilot and absolutely LOVE IT! Love the 4WD in northern MN. So much better than the Odyssey. It is also very spacious. It is BIG (high off the ground with heavy doors), though, and I would guess more difficult for kids and car seats.

If the Pilot is what you want, either vehicle you mentioned will be great!

 

[CowboyCO]

I'd get an MDX. But that's me. I don't care for the Pilot styling.

 

[wgqual]

We bought a 06 EXL last year. It had about 54k miles. The leather is nice especially with kids as it cleans up real nice. It hauls our family around very comfortably and we have 4 kids. There was a small change in design between 05 and 06 but it was small changes like clear taillights and updated front face(hood and grill). The only way to tell for me is the Pilot is on the right side of the tailgate for <05 and the right side for 06>.

If it was me i would go for the 05 EXL. The miles are good (10k year) and its a Honda and its cheaper. I guess i would ask myself if i would like paying 5k more plus interest for a few less miles. If your worried about the miles maybe you could add in a warranty? and still come out cheaper than the 07

 

[heartsy77]

Have you actually driven the Pilot for a bit? I had one for nearly a week while our Honda Odyssey was being worked on, and I wouldn't trade our old Ody for a newer Pilot. Not as comfortable to me, not as much room, harder to get the kids in and out, etc. It just didn't do it for me...totally personal preference, of course, but just checking.

BTW, our Ody is the EXL and I love, love, LOVE the leather interior even though, originally, we didn't intend to get it. It has cleaned up so easily and stays looking as nice as you can expect for a car with 120+K on it!

I drove the 2007 Pilot for a 100 mile test drive and loved it.

I always have bought minivans but have decided no more mini vans for me! For one thing in Upstate NY I need 4x4 and I am currently in school to be nurse so I will only need it for a few more years for daycare.

I am going to call the salesman and tell him I want to see the 05. Thanks everyone for all your help!

 

[Melrosgirl]

I'd get the newer one with less miles on it.

 

[mgroshans]

We live in northern indiana and i drive an '09 odyssey exl and love it. this was our first vehicle with all the bells and whitstles and i am addicted to them. i have no problem getting around in the snow- and we get a lot of it, thanks to lake michigan. good luck with your decision.

 

[okeydokey]

We bought the base model Honda Pilot. It is a 2007 and we love it. We got it at the end of the year though and it was never previously owned and we paid less than 24,000 for it new.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Honestly, I wouldn't get either. If you have more than two children that you are trying to get in and out of the car, the Pilot isn't the vehicle to buy. I've had two Odysseys and a Pilot and traded the Pilot back in after a year for a new Ody because of my frustrations with getting the kids loaded in it. Now don't get me wrong, I loved driving the Pilot and it was a really nice SUV to own. But it just wasn't worth it when you factored in the passenger issues (particularly if it is the primary car that you are going to be using for hauling your family). Yes, it has a third row seat, but the way it is designed makes getting people/kids in that seat really difficult and next to impossible if the kids are in carseats.

 

[madelyn]

I really hate the styling of vans and have never owned one. My kids are now 11, 8 and 3 and about 5 years ago when I thought we were only going to have the first two, we bought a 2 year old Infiniti FX35 (mid-size SUV). We ended up having our 3rd child the next year. We still love our Infiniti but it has been a big hassle having all 3 kids in the back (esp 2 in boosters/1 in an infant and/or convertible seat). Back in 2005 I really wanted to buy a Pilot but my husband couldn't stand the styling and we ended up falling in love w/ the Infiniti. Never test drove the Pilot but I had ridden in one and thought it was roomy but was not that impressed with the styling of the interior. For the past week, I have been driving a 2004 Pilot (not sure what model but it has leather) while my vehicle is having hail damage repaired. It has almost 90K miles on it and since it has been a loaner car it probably hasn't been cared for as well as it would be by an owner. I wasn't impressed by the acceleration and handling and the interior is falling apart a bit. Silver peeling off the door handles, the base of the driver seat plastic is cracked and hanging off. The leather is in great shape though. The handling took some getting use to but after 6 days I am growing accustomed to it. The back (2nd seat) is much roomier than my vehicle but we haven't used the 3rd seat. There is so little cargo space with that seat in use I would think if you had to use the 3rd seat all the time, a 7 or 8 passenger van would be the way to go. We also have a 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan in our driveway while my in-laws are using our truck during their move. The roominess of that vehicle beats the Pilot hands down. It could also be the age/maintenance history of the Pilot we're using but the gas mileage does not seem to be very good. So far I have driven about 90 miles and used about 1/3 a tank of gas. Not sure how many gallons that really is though since I haven't re-filled. As much as I hate vans, I can see the appeal for families with kids (especially young kids in carseats). If you are set on buying a Pilot, I would probably go with the 2005. Less money in and less to lose if you change your mind and decide to sell it later.

 

[DISdreamin']

I drove the 2007 Pilot for a 100 mile test drive and loved it.

Glad to hear it! It's definitely a personal preference things with cars. BTW, my beef with the Pilot came primarily from the room left behind the 3rd row, and also the PITA it was to get carseats in there! I also wasn't impressed with the handling or acceleration (I think the handling was a body roll issue...didn't feel as solid cornering to me - the Ody seems to corner more like a car, the Pilot more like a truck).

I always have bought minivans but have decided no more mini vans for me! For one thing in Upstate NY I need 4x4 and I am currently in school to be nurse so I will only need it for a few more years for daycare.

Erm....you don't REALLY need 4WD in upstate NY. Really. A good pair of snow tires is, IMO, more helpful than 4WD with "all-season" tires in most situations.

 

[Swimalie]

They both sound like good choices. But before you decide, both should be taken to a mechanic and checked out. That might help you make your decision, too.

Good luck.

 

[rosanafamily]

We have a 2006 Honda Odyssey purchased new, at 70,000 miles we had to have the transmission rebuilt for $3,700. and at 74,000 miles the motor mount was bad and that cost over $600 to replace. If you research this online you will find many many people having this problem. not to mention all the nit picky stuff like problems with the automatic doors and a windshield that is very noisy. We had it back so many times for the windshield that we ended up giving up and living with the noise.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I'd get an MDX. But that's me. I don't care for the Pilot styling.

Really??? I don't think that was very helpful and the MDX is priced much higher.

We bought an 07 EXL with leather and DVD. Weren't really looking for the extras but we found one and got a great deal on it. I have to tell you, I LOVE the leather. Heated seats especially. I believe there is a body change from the 05 to the 07. My parents have an 05 and it doesn't look exactly like ours. We could not be happier with our purchase. We have 2 kids in the 2nd row, with a full size car seat for each. There is still enough room for either me or DH to sit between them. We usually have the 3rd row folded flat so the dog has plenty of room to stretch out.

If it were me I would go for the 07. If it's a dealer I would e-mail them and ask if they would take $22k out the door (tax and license included). They will probably counter with 23 or 23500, then say lets meet in the middle at 500 less than they counter with. That is what we did with ours. The deal was done before we walked in the door. Piece of cake. Every little bit off the top helps right?

 

[heartsy77]

Really??? I don't think that was very helpful and the MDX is priced much higher.

We bought an 07 EXL with leather and DVD. Weren't really looking for the extras but we found one and got a great deal on it. I have to tell you, I LOVE the leather. Heated seats especially. I believe there is a body change from the 05 to the 07. My parents have an 05 and it doesn't look exactly like ours. We could not be happier with our purchase. We have 2 kids in the 2nd row, with a full size car seat for each. There is still enough room for either me or DH to sit between them. We usually have the 3rd row folded flat so the dog has plenty of room to stretch out.

If it were me I would go for the 07. If it's a dealer I would e-mail them and ask if they would take $22k out the door (tax and license included). They will probably counter with 23 or 23500, then say lets meet in the middle at 500 less than they counter with. That is what we did with ours. The deal was done before we walked in the door. Piece of cake. Every little bit off the top helps right?

Good idea I will keep in mind. However, we also need to negotiate a hitch in the deal ( we need it to haul our popup camper). So far they have offered the Honda hitch kit at their cost with free labor. That is an okay deal; we really want the Honda hitch done at the Honda dealer.

 

[mcrockett1220]

I had an 03 Pilot for 6 years and absolutely loved it!! However, had to get rid of it when at 6 years old and only 84000 miles the transmission went up and Honda wouldnt stand behind it even though there were tons of hits I found on the internet with people having the same issue as mine. I am sure the tranny issues have been worked out in the 2 your looking at, however, I was very put off by the way Honda would not stand behind a product that had less than 100K miles on it, especially after it was my 3rd Honda. Auto shop told me the old Honda would have replaced it at no charge with those miles in a heartbeat. So now I have a Toyota 4 runner, which I love too, however, there are still many things I miss about my Pilot..shhh don't tell my husband! Although I will say I am glad I have the 4 runner now as I live in MD and it has been great to have in the 4-5 feet of snow we have on the ground!! Pilot was good int he snow, but AWD and 4WD are not the same thing!