General Motors has some larger crossovers that are a bit roomier - the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia - but among the mid-size class, the Pilot shines.
It's also a perfect alternative for those who don't particularly want to drive a minivan - such as Honda's other great family hauler, the Odyssey - but need the eight-passenger capacity.
This is one of the most family-friendly vehicles ever built, and it's just as versatile as a minivan for the routine daily duties of hauling kids, dogs, sports gear and groceries.
For 2012, there are three trim levels, LX, EX and EXL, and 12 total variations, depending on what extras are added, such as four-wheel drive, navigation and rear-seat entertainment.
We tested the fully equipped EX-L four-wheel drive with navigation and rear entertainment.
The Pilot is nearly as elegant and well-equipped as its premium Acura counterpart, the MDX, which is built on the same chassis.
Under the hood is a 3.5-litre V6 engine, rated at 250 horsepower and 253 foot-pounds of torque, connected to a five-speed automatic transmission. It's a smooth, powerful drivetrain that moves the vehicle effortlessly.
We had four people on board, with their luggage, for a long road trip that included some mountain driving, and the Pilot handled the hills with ease, as well as routine uphill free-way ramps.
The Pilot is mostly quiet at highway speeds, although some wind noise does come through.
Although the ride is soft and easy on the body, the Pilot's suspension is strong enough to hold the vehicle steady on curves, and the steering is crisp and responsive.
That's one of the pluses of the crossover's car-style unibody chassis compared with the body-on-frame arrangement of the traditional sport utility vehicle, such as the Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia.
The Pilot's V6 engine has variable cylinder management, which shuts off up to three of the cylinders during highway cruising.
That helps give the Pilot its high-way rating of 9.4 L/100km in the front-wheel-drive model, and 9.8 with four-wheel drive. City ratings are 13.0 for the front-drive model, and 13.8 for the four-wheel drive.
This roomy and comfortable vehicle has 2500 cubic centimetres of passenger space, and a cargo area that easily expands with the middle and the rear seats folded.
The Pilot, less than five metres long, is easier to park than some of its eight-passenger competitors. Some of those are as much as two-thirds of a metre longer that the Pilot, which Honda calls "garage-friendly."
Among safety features, the Pilot comes with Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, designed to make it match the bumper heights of most other vehicles on the road.
The Pilot has been designated as a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the vehicle got the best possible ratings in front and side-crash safety tests conducted by the U.S. Nation-al Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Standard on all models are front and rear air-conditioning with air filtration, keyless entry, tilt and telescopic steering column, cruise control, power windows/ mirrors/door locks, AM/ FM/compact-disc audio system with seven speakers (including subwoofer) and the Radio Data System, trip computer, digital com-pass, automatic headlights, heat-rejecting tinted glass, and integrated tow-hitch receiver.
With the EX, you also get tri-zone automatic climate control with humidity control and air filtration, a 10-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, a six-disc in-dash CD changer, security system, XM radio, body-colour side mirrors and door handles, alloy wheels, roof rails, fog lights, exterior temperature indicator and universal garage opener.
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