/articles/2015/02/2016-honda-pilot-up-close

There was a moment at the unveiling of the last-generation Honda Pilot during the 2008 North American International Auto Show that stuck with me all these years: The cover came off the truck, and the crowd was silent. Honda executive John Mendel then asked the assembled journalists, “Well, what do you think?” expecting applause – but getting only continued silence. Honda had turned the Pilot from an attractive, wedgelike machine into a big-eyed, upright box. It didn’t hurt sales much, with Pilot still selling well, but a recent roundup of three-row crossovers has shown that the Pilot has been soundly passed by the competition in many areas.

More 2015 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

Honda is looking to remedy that with this, the new and thoroughly redone 2016 Pilot, and at first glance it looks like Honda has crafted a winner. Styling is even more appealing than the first-generation Pilot, with a sleekness that wears the smaller CR-V’s overall look but with better proportions and heft.

The LED daytime running lamps are attractive, and the standard LED taillamps are distinctive from a distance. In between, the upward sweep to the beltline is reminiscent of the CR-V, and ties in well with both that compact model and the even smaller new HR-V.

Inside, the new Pilot looks and feels good, at least in the well-equipped high-trim-level version on display at the Chicago Auto Show. Soft-touch materials are present on the surfaces that you touch, but are only on the surfaces you touch — much of the dashboard, for instance, is hard plastic, and the piano black trim in the display car is a fingerprint magnet that seems at odds with the Pilot’s duty as a family hauler. The dash and switches remind me of the Odyssey minivan, which is not a bad thing.

The new Pilot gets a welcome upgrade to its onboard electronics, and the multiple USB and power ports should keep everyone happy, but the lack of onboard Wi-Fi in a brand-new family SUV is somewhat surprising. We’re not big fans of Honda’s high-end touch-screen multimedia panel found in the Accord and now in the Pilot, which forgoes buttons for touch-sensitive panels. At least the navigation system has finally been updated to look fully competitive with other automakers’ offerings, instead of the older units that had outdated graphics and fonts.

The seats are big and comfortable in the first two rows, but the third row is suitable for adults only for short distances due to the lack of legroom. There’s plenty of width and height, but the high floor of the rear compartment puts your knees in your chin. Getting into and out of the third row is easier than before, thanks to a lit one-touch button located in two places: on the top of the second-row seatback (and accessible to the third-row passengers) as well as the side of the seats. The button springs the second-row captain’s chair forward, folding the seatback at the same time. It’s still tighter than a minivan in the way back, but it’s a step forward in usability. Behind the third row is plenty of room, either for an 82-quart cooler — an everyday accessory for someone we’re sure — that Honda says will fit or luggage, groceries, etc.

Overall, the new Pilot looks like a serious contender, able to challenge the Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Highlander, Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse and the half dozen other family-friendly three-row crossovers that have become so popular.

We’ll have more photos and coverage of the Pilot later today. 

Cars.com photos by Aaron Bragman, Manufacturer images