Honda Pilot Interior: Everything You Need To Know

Published November 10, 2021
in Model Info

The midsize SUV segment is one of the most competitive markets in the auto industry. Arguably, one model that manages to keep its competitive edge in this market is the Honda Pilot - thanks to its generous cargo and strong performance numbers. But for today, we’ll highlight the interior of the new Honda Pilot.

Is the new Honda Pilot interior any good? Or is it lagging behind its segment rivals?

Join us as we highlight the things you need to know about the Honda Pilot interior. For this interior highlight, we’ll mostly talk about the 2022 Honda Pilot. Let’s get to it!

Passenger Room and Cargo Space

As a vehicle designed to transport kids and teens to school and back, the Honda Pilot is all about maximizing its interior space. With the 2022 Pilot, it’s par for the course for Honda to exhibit smart management of interior space and practical features.

As a midsize SUV, the Honda Pilot can accommodate up to eight passengers. Most Honda Pilots have a three-seater second-row bench for the 8-seater format. In higher trims, the bench is replaced with two captain chairs.

Like most SUVs, most of the seating capacity is allotted for the front and second row. At the front, the Pilot boasts 40.9 inches of legroom and 39.5 inches of headroom. At the rear, the legroom is 38.4 inches, while the headroom is measured 39.9 inches (40.9 inches for the upper trims).

As you can see, the front and second-row seats are roomy, while the third row is big enough for occasional use by adults. However, while the third row is far from the penalty box, it isn’t as big as best-in-class SUVs like the Volkswagen Atlas and Kia Telluride.

The 2022 Honda Pilot is a reliable hauler if you want to carry a lot of stuff, thanks to its ever-practical trunk and overall cargo space. Behind the third row is a 16.5 cu-ft of cargo space but drops to 16 cu-ft on the seven-seater models. Behind the second row, you get 46.8 cu-ft capacity that drops to 46 on seven-seaters. With the second and third-row seats folded, you get the max capacity of 83.8 cubes that drop to 82.1 on seven-seater Pilots.

The Pilot trails behind segment leaders, but it’s still one of the best in class midsize SUVs in terms of trunk and cargo space. Storage utility is further enhanced with extra compartments like the under-the-load floor storage, a small item storage bin in the center console, large door pockets, and the glove box.

FEEL SECURE IN THE CAR YOU CHOOSE

You don’t want to buy a car - you want to get the best deal on the car you’re looking for. The CoPilot app will notify you if there’s a similar vehicle in your area at a better price, so you’re always certain you got the best deal available.

Interior Materials and Comfort

Before you get inside the Honda Pilot, one of the first things you’ll notice is the moderate ride height. Combine that with the large wide-opening doors, and you get an SUV that’s a pleasure to get in and out of.

Once you get inside, the 2022 Honda Pilot interior harbors no surprises - amazingly standard comes to mind. Inside, you’re greeted by a sensible and logical interior, and it’s clear that Honda is going for family-friendly ergonomics. Somewhat outdated, the Pilot’s interior doesn’t feel as upscale as the ones found on a Kia SUV. However, it does have the classic Honda impression of quality, toughness, and solid feel.

As you sit behind the wheel, you’ll appreciate that the driver sits high, which is great for all-around visibility. The layout of the infotainment system and storage bins is convenient and well-utilized. Although the center display is outdated (more on this later), it’s easy to operate due to the well-placed physical controls.

Material-wise, you can’t accuse the Pilot of being luxurious. However, it gets the job done in terms of efficient space management and comfort. For starters, leather seats are now standard, and the front seats provide good support and optional cooling and heating. There’s plenty of plastic components inside, but they are well-constructed, and we didn’t find annoying rattles.

When it comes to materials and creature comforts, there’s not much here to get excited about.

THE BEST USED LUXURY CARS ON THE MARKET

Buying a used or CPO luxury car is one of the smartest buys you can make - you can get a lot of car for not much money. You can pick up a three-year-old luxury car for about half of what you’d pay new. Check out this list of the best used luxury cars on the market to find the best deals.

Infotainment and Tech Features

All 2022 Pilot models are outfitted with an 8-Inch Display Audio with High-Resolution Touch-Screen. While there’s a good list of standard infotainment features, the quality, and look of the system itself are lacking. For example, the touchscreen control feels unwieldy and unresponsive - thankfully, the physical buttons work quite well, but there’s not enough of them.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support are standard, but switching between Honda and Apple/Android interfaces is unintuitive. Interestingly enough, most of the concerns about the infotainment system have been addressed in the new Civic, Odyssey, and Accord models.

Other standard features include Bluetooth, Radio Data System (RDS), HondaLink, SMS text messaging, SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and a 7-speaker system for the base trim up to the Trailsport model.

Going up the range, you can avail several standard and optional features like wireless charging, Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition, a 10-speaker audio system with subwoofer, in-car Wi-Fi, CabinTalk In-Car PA System, and Multi-Zone audio.

Safety Features

As of this writing, the 2022 Honda Pilot has yet to receive a rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) did test the Pilot, and it received good scores across the board, except for a couple of crashworthiness categories where it scored an ‘Acceptable’ rating.

IS GAP INSURANCE WORTH IT?

Gap insurance can prevent you from making payments on an already-totalled car, but is gap insurance worth it? We break down what gap insurance is, if it’s worth it, and more - simply and with plenty of examples.

All 2020 Pilot comes with the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assist features. Below are some of the included features:

Automatic emergency braking
Forward collision warning
Lane keep assist
Lane departure warning
Adaptive cruise control
Auto high beam headlights
Anti-lock braking system
Blindspot information system

Honda Pilot Interior: Begins to Show Its Age

From the cargo space to comfort to safety features, the 2022 Pilot interior is yet another solid entry from Honda. Unfortunately, it has several outdated elements that hold it back from realizing its full potential.

The Honda Pilot interior provides a fun and comfortable ride for the entire family, but it’s lagging behind its new competitors like the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride.

Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You

The CoPilot car shopping app is the easiest way to buy a car. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area to make you a personalized list of the best car listings in your area.

Only looking for newer models? CoPilot Compare is the search engine for nearly-new cars. Only see cars five years or newer with low mileage — CoPilot Compare is the best way to find off-lease, early trade-in, and CPO cars.

The best part? CoPilot is built using the same technology that dealerships use to buy and sell their inventories, so we have more info on each vehicle than competitors. CoPilot doesn’t work with dealerships, so there are no sponsored posts or other shady practices — just the most info on the best cars. Check out our About Us page to see how CoPilot works.