Orlando Sentinel's view

The company’s glacial response to automotive market trends would be fatal for most manufacturers, but it’s business as usual at Honda. Not many businesses can afford to be as casual about what’s hot, what’s not.

What’s hot, and has been for a decade or so, is sport utility vehicles. For a long time, Honda built only one: the small CR-V, which soldiered along for years before finally getting a needed redesign for 2002.

In the interim, Honda allowed its name to be put on a couple of Isuzu products, the Rodeo (the Honda Passport) and the Trooper (the Acura SLX), but they were never a happy fit.

The Acura SLX disappeared when the Acura MDX arrived as a 2002 model, and now that the 2003 Honda Pilot is here, the Passport has lost its visa.

The Acura MDX and the Honda Pilot share a basic platform, which is kin to the Honda Odyssey minivan. Under the hood, both have the Odyssey’s 3.5-liter V-6, pumping out a healthy 240 horsepower – a good thing, since the Pilot weighs a hefty 4,417 pounds, about the same as a Mercury Mountaineer. The transmission is a responsive five-speed automatic.

The Pilot can tow 4,500 pounds, which is not particularly impressive. If you tow a lot, you would be better off with one of the Pilot’s V-8-powered competitors – which is just about every other medium- to large-sized SUV. The absence of anything bigger than a six-cylinder engine in Honda and Acura’s entire lineup is one more example of how Honda ignores what everyone else is doing.

Though there is a family resemblance between the Pilot and the Acura MDX, they are two entirely different vehicles. The Pilot is 188 inches long, about the same as the MDX, but the Honda is an inch wider and nearly two inches taller. The Pilot can seat eight, thanks to the bigger-than-you-would-expect third seat, which folds flat into the floor, a feature Honda pioneered in the last-generation Odyssey.

Despite their mechanical similarities, the Pilot is less sporty, more utilitarian than the MDX. It has more cargo space, and has 16-inch tires and wheels, instead of the MDX’s 17-inchers.

The test Pilot was an EX model, which is more deluxe than the base LX, but just a little. You can add features to the EX such as leather upholstery and a navigation system, but the test vehicle was reasonably basic. Still, standard equipment includes air conditioning, a stereo with CD player, cruise control, remote locking, steering wheel-mounted stereo controls, side airbags, antilock brakes and power seats, mirrors, windows and locks.

Inside, the EX was pretty generic. The stereo and climate controls were designed more for symmetry than function, and the steering column-mounted gearshift lever follows a peculiar pattern; when shifting from park to drive, you almost always get third gear. It’s the same as with the Odyssey, and it’s a bit annoying.

There’s plenty of room up front and in the second row of seats. The third seat can be used by adults, but they won’t be particularly happy about it.

On the road, the Pilot is typically Honda: Seamless, smooth, sure-footed and forgettable. It does everything well, nothing exceptionally well and nothing poorly. When cornering sharply, there is a little body lean, but not much.

While the Pilot is all-wheel-drive, it is not designed for really serious off-roading. It has the tires, muscle and ground clearance to handle muddy trails and cow paths, but it isn’t made for boulder-hopping.

Our EX listed for $29,730, including transportation. There are no factory options, aside from leather, the navigation system and a DVD entertainment system.

Edmunds.com, an online research source, suggests that our $29,730 Pilot is selling at an average of $30,617, almost $900 over sticker, which has been the story with the Odyssey minivan too.

At that price, the Pilot is still cheap. Good Hondas come to those who wait.

Base price: $29,270.

Price as tested: $29,730.

EPA-rated fuel mileage: 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway.

Details: All-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle powered by a 3.5-liter, 240-horsepower V-6.