By James Bergeron
Photo Gallery:
2009 Honda Pilot Touring
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I was warned to not approach this vehicle from the front; it seems like some find the front of my tester this week a little unappealing. That tester would be the 2009 Honda Pilot Touring that is sitting in my driveway this week, and just in case, I backed it in so I could avoid frontal eye contact. Actually, I backed it in to test out the nifty rear back-up camera but it does provide that added bonus of allowing me to only approach from the side or rear.
Honestly, the front isn’t that bad, although it does look kind of like a pig’s snout or something. Some say that Honda has gone mad with their styling lately, while others say they are taking risks that will pay off. I guess we will find out eventually how the chips will fall, but Honda certainly is being bold, modern and high tech with their designs.
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My tester Pilot is a Touring model; this is the fully-loaded, top-of-the-line trim, and to my surprise, the price is $49,920 before taxes and PDI and all those other extras dealerships tend to tack on.
So what do you get in the Touring model? Well, I am not sure there is anything you don’t get: there is power everything (including moonroof), heated front and middle row seats, seating for eight, DVD entertainment centres front and rear as well as navigation, a rear back-up camera with sensors front and rear… I could go on for quite a while.
Starting at $36,820 for the LX 2wd version, all Pilots come with the same underpinnings (minus the 4WD option). They are all powered by the same 3.5-litre V6 engine that produces 250hp and 253lb-ft of torque, and the engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The 4WD models all boast a 2,045kg (4,500lb) towing capacity, while the lone 2WD model can only pull 1,590kg (3,500lbs).
2009 Honda Pilot Touring
MSRP as tested (including destination): $51,480
For more information on Honda and the Pilot visit Honda Canada
