2012 Honda Pilot revised headlights and a redone grille

2012 Honda Pilot

Honda, like airline companies, likes its Pilots to be sober, and there’s nothing to raise the pulse in the 2012 Honda Pilot, which the company has subtly refreshed. LX still wear 17-inch steel wheels, but EX models and up gain new 18-inch aluminum wheels (an increase of 1 inch over last year’s). Honda’s HandsFree Link Bluetooth and audio streaming is now standard on EX, EX-L and Touring Pilots—previously the feature was available only when paired with navigation on EX-L and Touring models.

Four-wheel-drive Pilots see the same mileage increases, now earning a rating of 17/24 mpg.
Prices for the 2012 Honda Pilot are up marginally, with the EX-L model’s $300 increase being the largest. The front-drive Pilot LX starts at $29,280, followed by the $32,130 EX; $35,380 EX-L; and $40,030 Touring.

Arguably, Honda zinged when it should have sagged in designing the current Pilot. For 2012, the Pilot styling is softened, the interior is upgraded, and fuel economy is nudged up. Combined with friction-reduction efforts in the powertrain, a variable-displacement power steering pump, and low-rolling-resistance tires, the 2012 tweaks see the two-wheel-drive Honda Pilot improve 1 mpg city, 2 mpg highway for a combined 21-mpg EPA rating. The cabin is updated with new gauge faces, redesigned center control stack, deeper storage pockets, and some revised controls. By improving sealing around seams, changing suspension mounts, upgrading insulation materials, and reducing air leaks, Honda promises a quieter driving experience.

After the 2009 Honda Pilot SUV debuted, our editor-in-chief penned a blog titled, “The trouble with Honda design” with the popular crossover as the featured vehicle.

The Honda Pilot remains one of the few large crossovers available with traditional, blocky SUV styling. That polarizing appeal has been carried into the 2012 model year with revised headlights and a redone grille.
Honda has paid attention to interior complaints for the 2009-2011 Honda Pilots, introducing revised interior trim