I would like to throw in a few thoughts about the '06 Pilot now that I have about 6000 kms on ours.
First of all, the power moonroof is standard on the EX-L. We paid about $42K for ours and it is certainly there, so it's not an extra charge (I believe it is on the regular EX); as a matter of fact, I don't think the interior piece has ever been clsoed!
The options the author noted as being missing don't bother me. Here's what does: telescoping wheel, power pedals, better cupholders (won't hold a gatorade bottle for those long summer trips), temperature gauge not integrated into trip gauge, no auxillary input jack, and no heated wiper zone.
The biggest plus to this vehicle -- at least for us -- is its size. Trust me, we looked at many of the "competirors" on that list, and if you are looking for a roomy mid-sized SUV, the Pilot is the winner. The Highlander is a nice vehicle for sure, but it's being replaced soon -- and rightly so -- with a larger model. The Mazda is a greta looking vehicle, but the room is not there for our needs. The only other vehicle that came close was the Pathfinder, which we came very close to buying.
The third row seats are useless, and I wish they had an option where you could delete them. However, the ability to move the seocnd row forward is huge when it comes to storage. It made the deal for us, as those extra couple fo inches really change what can be put in the back without lowering the second row. There are a lot of handy tie-downs in the back as well.
One last note: it does not have a full size spare, which took me by surprise (I somehow neglected to notice that when doing research). You can put a full size one underneath, but it is difficult if you have a hitch installed.
If Honda ever makes this vehicle with cylinder deactivation, it would be the perfect vehicle for us. If they made the Odyssey AWD, I would have bought it instead.
