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Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER
ok, i gotta ask. WTF is a "cross over vehicle"
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It is a tastier name for tall station wagon or short minivan.
A Pilot is not a crossover; it is as big as, maybe bigger, than a Trailblazer or Explorer. If this is GM’s target, they are not late to the game. Plus the Buick Rendezvous (I remembered the name) was out before the Pilot. Honda was late.
We have a loaded 2006 Pilot EX-L with 16k miles, and I am not overly thrilled with it (but my wife is). I will say I like it way more than our 98 Passport we traded in, but that is not saying much. I don’t like the way it drives, too much like a minivan. There is a bearing noise from the engine accessories when the AC comes on, and the DVD screen periodically squeaks like something is loose when it is down. It is going in for service next week. We’ll see if they help me out with the coolant line problem.
Beyond warranty, I think there are engineering issues with it that I do not like. Some examples:
· I am not holding the hole in the coolant line against Honda, but that frigging lines should not be so exposed. They are exposed on the ghey Ridgeline too, so anyone who says you can off road that thing is full of it.
· The gas door release is squished between the door & the seat – not enough room for my hand.
· The power window lock also locks out the driver from opening the other windows, not just the passengers. My Olds lets me still work all the windows even though the kids can’t. If you have small kids, this complaint will make more sense to you.
· My Olds’ basic stereo has better audio features, like adjustable midrange, better display, cd track time & speed variable volume. The Honda system is their top of the line for the Pilot.
· The DVD player in it is very finicky in what it plays., especially dvd-rs.
These day-to-day things sound like dumb complaints, but GM gets it right & Honda does not. And these are the details the magazines never mention but you have to live with.
I will say the active suspension components are neat. When it snowed last year I took it over the AMC theater lot and threw it around pretty good. Very easy to control it in a snowy mess. Props where props are due.
This is what I do during conference calls I don’t need to be on. :P
