Honda Pilot test drive since 2009 SUV
Open question
Honda worked for the New World: by releasing a powerful and comfortable Pilot for the market there, the Japanese accompanied it with the UAFAV title The best American family car for adventure ...The technical parameters of Pilot, produced in Canada, are very similar to the Acura MDX that we have, but is designed to satisfy the requests of wider consumer layers. Of course, a car for 52 thousand dollars for many remains a pipe dream, however, compared to the cost of MDX, such a price is more democratic.
Calm, you can even say the discreet appearance of the machine does not interfere with the identification of Pilot by the brand, mainly due to similarity to another popular Honda CR-V model. This is not surprising: Pilot will become a flagship among the SUVs of the Japanese company, and therefore should be recognizable.
The design of the salon is associated with the same MDX. But, despite the abundance of the skin, the interior cannot be called luxurious. It is rather practical: a huge and easily readable instrument shield; a multifunctional steering wheel, without removing the hands from which you can control a cruise control and a radio; An understandable, and most importantly, very effective climatic installation, which allows not only in the jets of warm air not only to the driver and front passenger, but also to those who sit in the second row. The chairs have sufficient to conveniently get a set of adjustments.
The central console resembles a children's arena. An impressive booth or ladies' bag will easily fit this (that they do not fall out of the high mesh sides). Less necessary things can be hidden in the underput located there, and the rest of the little things should be poured into the glove compartment and armrest, offering special places not only for coins, but also for a cell phone that can be recharged: we counted as many as four.
Well, the car is eight -seater, which means that there can be a lot of people who want to use power. All places are full -fledged, including those three that are extracted from the gender of the trunk. It is enough to open the rear side door and move forward part of the second row will open a wide passage to the gallery.
Note that the backs of the seats of the second and third rows are folded so that it will be possible to correctly place a large -sized load with passengers without difficulty. If you remove all the seats, except for the front ones, you get a perfectly flat cargo platform.
Pilot is based on an independent suspension, almost in its pure form borrowed from MDX. Unlike real Americans, the car completely does not have longitudinal and transverse buildup, and rolls are insignificant in corners.
During a brisk start, the car squats slightly for the stern, which resembles the behavior of front -wheel drive models. However, Pilot has a four -wheel drive, and only in exceptional cases, when, for example, it goes along the highway at a constant speed, smart automation allows the rear bridge to relax.
But still, you should not consider Pilot a real SUV. Of course, you can drive it along the lane, but the road should be known in advance. We slipped on one of the forest paths, but soon we had to return. The reason for the retreat was a shallow track. The frozen sand was not going to remember under the onslaught of the exhaust system of the car, but it was not included in our plans.
On the same grounds, it was not possible to feel the operation of the VTM-4 system, which controls the all-wheel drive: the possibility of setting it was not presented. In any case, off -road riding is not a strong side of this car clearance is small.
But the engine of 240 horses is just right. The same 3.5 V6 is installed on MDX. The VTEC proprietary system, the head of the time and the height of lifting the intake valves, significantly improves the engine operation, making it easier to climb and slightly voracious. As it was possible to find out, this is not at all a light car (2012 kg) accelerates to hundreds in less than 10 seconds.
The five -speed automatic KP does not inhibit it. The selector is located on the rolling room towards the market, to which the car is oriented. At first, by mistake, we pulled a couple of times by the wiper control lever, having about the same shape, but then everything fell into place.
Despite the minor flaws, Pilot really liked the solid, comfortable, multi -purpose car. Surely they will be satisfied with both the American master and his whole family. Only now the question of adventures remained open ...
Technical characteristics Honda Pilot 3.5
The body is absurd., All -metal.
Number of places, people. eight
Equipped mass, kg 2012
Dimensions (length/width/height), mm 4775/1963/1793
Base, mm 2700
Maximum speed, km/h 190
Acceleration time to 100 km/h, from 9.0
Control consumption of fuel, l/100 km:
- City cycle 13.8
- Zagorodi 9.6
Engine:
- Type V6
- working volume, cm3 3471
- Power, L.S. at MIN-1 240/5400
- torque, NM at min-1 375/4500
- power supply system for multiple injection
Transmission machine., 5-speed, with electr. system. Management. Full -wheel drive
Tire size 235/70r16
The wheel suspension is independent
Brakes:
- front disk, ventilated
- rear disc
Steering gear-rake, with gur
Price, $ 52,000
Text: Oleg Kalaushin
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [02/2003]
