2010 Honda Pilot

The Honda Pilot wins more awards than any other midsize SUV in its price range. With room for eight and a sterling reputation for reliability, experts say the Honda Pilot is the best buy in its class.

"It makes me wonder why anyone would pay extra for an Acura MDX," the Pilot's luxury cousin, says Car and Driver's Tony Swan.

Spaciousness is the boxy Pilot's main asset. Testers find plenty of room for five in the first and second rows, with space for three kids in the third row (or two adults, for short trips). There are 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row -- enough for "a couple golf bags or a folded stroller," ConsumerGuide.com says -- but start folding seats, and the flat-floored cargo bay swallows nearly 48 cubic feet behind the second row or 87 cubes behind the first row. "I actually fit a go-kart in the cargo bay," Car and Driver's Mark Gillies reports.

Some testers find the Pilot's truckish looks carry over to its performance. Weighing in at more than 4,300 pounds, the Pilot posts long braking distances in two top tests, and critics say it's not agile. On the other hand, its optional four-wheel drive handles rutted forest roads and a year's worth of snowy commutes in Car and Driver's 40,000-mile long-term test. The Pilot can tow a maximum of 4,500 pounds, but it's slow going, "with fuel economy dipping as low as 9 mpg," Car and Driver reports.

Otherwise, the Pilot delivers average fuel economy for its class: 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway/19 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, losing 1 mpg all around with four-wheel drive. All Pilots come with a five-speed automatic transmission and a 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine that shuts down half of its cylinders to save fuel when they aren't needed.

Roomy and reliable

The Pilot's main rival in reviews is the 2010 Toyota Highlander (Base MSRP: $25,855 to $34,670), which Toyota recalled in early 2010 for sticky gas pedals that could potentially lead to unintended acceleration. Some experts still prefer the lighter, more fuel-efficient Highlander, but reviewers say its third row feels cramped compared with the Pilot's. The 2010 Toyota 4Runner (Base MSRP: $27,500 to $39,800) also has a tight-squeeze third row, but this rugged SUV beats the Pilot off-road. If you don't need three rows of seats, experts highly recommend the more budget-friendly five-passenger 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe.

Trim levels start with the Honda Pilot LX (Base MSRP: $27,895 to $29,495), which includes keyless entry, cruise control, tilt-and-telescoping steering and a CD stereo with auxiliary jack. The Pilot EX (Base MSRP: $30,745 to $32,345) adds a CD changer, steering wheel audio controls, satellite radio, three-zone automatic climate control and more. The Pilot EX-L (Base MSRP: $33,845 to $35,445) includes a sunroof, backup camera and heated leather seats (which collected grime in their pebbled surfaces in Car and Driver's test). A backseat DVD player is optional. The Pilot Touring (Base MSRP: $37,045 to $38,645) adds navigation, Bluetooth, built-in sunshades for the rear windows, a power tailgate and more.

Crash ratings are generally excellent, except for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's new rollover roof strength test; the Pilot earns only a "Marginal" rating for that. All of the usual safety features for this class come standard: antilock brakes, traction and stability control and front, front-side and curtain airbags.

Reliability is better than average, according to experts including Cars.com. The 2010 Honda Pilot carries a three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Research sources

ConsumerReports.org thoroughly tests the Honda Pilot and ranks it against most other SUVs on the market. Car and Driver, ConsumerGuide.com, Cars.com, Kelley Blue Book and PBS's "Motor Week" single out the Pilot as a best buy, based on their own tests, but Edmunds.com disagrees. SaferCar.gov and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conduct separate crash tests of the Pilot, and FuelEconomy.gov provides official fuel economy estimates.