Honda introduced the Pilot for the 2003 model year, slotting it a notch above the soon-to-be-discontinued, Isuzu-sourced Passport. Unlike the Passport, a true off-roading SUV capable of carrying five, the new Pilot was a big, three-row crossover with seating for up to eight that had more in common with the Honda Odyssey minivan (and, by extension, the Honda Accord sedan) than a traditional truck-based sport-ute. Americans loved it. A mid-cycle freshening aimed to add a measure of masculinity to the Pilot, and now, with this snub-nosed redesign, the 2009 Honda Pilot looks ready to rumble.

Here is a summary of the changes to the 2009 Honda Pilot:
• Completely redesigned inside and out
• Longer, wider, taller, bigger inside
• Standard 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology
• Improved fuel economy over previous model
• Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure
• Roomier seating in all three rows
• Air vents added for the third-row seat
• Standard 17-inch wheels
• Standard tilt and telescopic steering wheel
• Standard lift-up glass hatch that open independently of the tailgate
• Standard integrated tow hitch
• Standard humidity control as part of air conditioning system
• Standard Hill Start Assist technology
• Standard auxiliary input jack
• Standard Class III integrated towing hitch
• New top-of-the-line Touring trim level
• Available rearview camera system
• Available navigation system with Bluetooth wireless connectivity
• Available 115-volt power outlet with USB port
• Available GPS-based, solar-sensing climate control system
• Available power tailgate
• Available rear DVD entertainment system
• Available 512-watt premium audio system

The 2009 Honda Pilot is available in LX, EX, EX-L, or Touring trim, each offered with front- or all-wheel drive. The Pilot LX seats 8 passengers and is equipped with the basics: air conditioning, stereo with CD player and auxiliary input jack, cruise control, power windows, power mirrors, power door locks with remote, privacy glass, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, floor mats, cargo net, and 17-inch steel wheels.

The Pilot EX can be told apart from the LX by its alloy wheels, body-color exterior trim, roof rails, fog lights, and chrome exhaust finishers. The EX also includes triple-zone automatic climate control, a six-disc CD changer, XM satellite radio, heated side mirrors, a HomeLink programmable transmitter, an 8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support, an outside temperature display, and several other comfort and convenience items.

The Pilot EX-L trim level adds leather upholstery (vinyl for the third-row seat), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a conversation mirror that lets the driver see activity in all rows of seats, heated front seats, a power moonroof, an automatic dimming rearview mirror with reversing camera display, a 4-way power front passenger’s seat, and an acoustic windshield to reduce interior noise. Purchasing the Pilot EX-L is also the path to a DVD entertainment system with a rear 115-volt power outlet and a 512-watt premium audio system.

The 2009 Honda Pilot Touring is the most luxurious model. It has all of the EX-L model’s standard equipment plus unique alloy wheels, side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators, a power rear tailgate, and chrome exterior trim. The Touring also includes a storage tray under the right front passenger’s seat, memory-linked driver’s seat and side mirror positions, front and rear parking sensors, a 512-watt premium audio system with USB audio interface, a 115-volt power outlet in the front center console, integrated side window sunshades, a programmable multi-information display, a 7-pin trailer harness, and enhancements to the tire pressure monitoring system display. The Touring is also exclusively available with navigation and Bluetooth wireless cell phone pairing. A rear-seat DVD entertainment system is optional on the Pilot Touring.

The 2009 Honda Pilot is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine driving the front or all four wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology, which shuts down two or three of the engine’s six cylinders under low-load conditions to save fuel and cut down on emissions, is standard along with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which helps quiet the cycling of the VCM. The V-6 generates 250 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 253 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. Fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway with front-wheel drive and 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway for the 4WD models. Our review vehicle, a Pilot Touring with 4WD, averaged 16.5 mpg in mixed driving.

Standard safety equipment on the 2009 Honda Pilot includes dual front airbags, side-impact airbags for the front seat occupants, and side-curtain airbags for outboard occupants in all three rows of seats that remain inflated for an extended period of time depending on information from the Pilot’s rollover sensors. Additionally, the Pilot comes standard with four-wheel-disc ABS with electronic brake-force distribution and Brake Assist; stability control; and traction control.

Every Pilot is made to adhere to the tenets of Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) philosophy, which includes a structure designed to deflect crash energy away from occupants combined with improved compatibility with external elements of various sizes and shapes, such as pedestrians and other vehicles. However, if a buyer wants Bluetooth cell phone pairing technology for safer, hands-free communication, front and rear parking sensors, a voice-activated navigation system with trip routing around user-determined areas and off-road tracking, or an enhanced tire pressure monitoring system, she must select the most expensive Touring trim level. A rearview camera is offered on both the Touring and EX-L models.

J.D. Power and Associates says the 2009 Honda Pilot competes against other midsize multi-activity vehicles such as the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Dodge Durango, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia, Hyundai Veracruz, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Pathfinder, Saturn Outlook, and Toyota Highlander.