We have a 2005 Acura MDX, which is very similar to a Pilot. It's been in our family since new, and with over 100,000 miles on it now, it's been an excellent family companion.
You can see the 100,000 mile report I wrote, including history of all repairs, here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3199384
I've done a number of things to it since we got it, but that's just because that's what I like to do. Things like brakes and tires. I didn't include fluid changes on there only because the list would grow quite long.
The Honda V-6 engine is a peach. The transmission in ours is still rock solid, and I expect it to remain so for another 100,000 miles. All suspension pieces are original, all exhaust pieces are original, all interior bits are original. The car has worn VERY well. The material quality is very good...and I'm not talking just about the leather bits or door cards. I'm talking about the quality of the hard parts. Bushings are durable, sensors are durable, electrical connectors are durable. All of the vacuum lines under the hood are silicone instead of rubber, so they all look like brand new.
Another thing about it that I really appreciate is how easy it is to maintain. The engine and transmission fluid sumps have dipsticks, so you can check them AND so that you can service them. The transfer case has a very easy-to-get-to drain and fill plug. The VTM-4 unit in the back has a very easy-to-get-to drain and fill plug. The VTM-4 unit is also very durable; you never hear of failures with these things. It's a pretty cool electro-mechanical differential that you can manually lock on the dashboard, or let it manage itself. It's not intended for rock-crawling, and it doesn't have a low range. It's intended for driving through slush and snow and it works incredibly well for that. Pair it with good tires and it's very sure-footed.
If our MDX fell off the face of the earth tomorrow, we would be in your shoes, and would likely replace it with a Pilot. It also has a very useful third row. Adults are a very tight squeeze, but it works great for kids, and we use ours regularly, which was a big factor in letting us get rid of our minivan to buy this. This drives a ton better than our minivan did, and it's as versatile as well. Its go-in-all-weather capabilities far surpass our minivan, so that's a win. Obvious compromise is fuel economy, but we glady make the trade.
We like our Acura so much, we bought a CR-V to compliment it almost three years ago, replacing a string of two Toyotas I owned. It's my daily driver and is I think the best car I've ever owned. The Toyotas were fine, but their car chassis are getting more difficult to maintain (with their "sealed" transmissions and other issues), and they aren't as engaging to drive, which was important to me.
You can see the 100,000 mile report I wrote, including history of all repairs, here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3199384
I've done a number of things to it since we got it, but that's just because that's what I like to do. Things like brakes and tires. I didn't include fluid changes on there only because the list would grow quite long.
The Honda V-6 engine is a peach. The transmission in ours is still rock solid, and I expect it to remain so for another 100,000 miles. All suspension pieces are original, all exhaust pieces are original, all interior bits are original. The car has worn VERY well. The material quality is very good...and I'm not talking just about the leather bits or door cards. I'm talking about the quality of the hard parts. Bushings are durable, sensors are durable, electrical connectors are durable. All of the vacuum lines under the hood are silicone instead of rubber, so they all look like brand new.
Another thing about it that I really appreciate is how easy it is to maintain. The engine and transmission fluid sumps have dipsticks, so you can check them AND so that you can service them. The transfer case has a very easy-to-get-to drain and fill plug. The VTM-4 unit in the back has a very easy-to-get-to drain and fill plug. The VTM-4 unit is also very durable; you never hear of failures with these things. It's a pretty cool electro-mechanical differential that you can manually lock on the dashboard, or let it manage itself. It's not intended for rock-crawling, and it doesn't have a low range. It's intended for driving through slush and snow and it works incredibly well for that. Pair it with good tires and it's very sure-footed.
If our MDX fell off the face of the earth tomorrow, we would be in your shoes, and would likely replace it with a Pilot. It also has a very useful third row. Adults are a very tight squeeze, but it works great for kids, and we use ours regularly, which was a big factor in letting us get rid of our minivan to buy this. This drives a ton better than our minivan did, and it's as versatile as well. Its go-in-all-weather capabilities far surpass our minivan, so that's a win. Obvious compromise is fuel economy, but we glady make the trade.
We like our Acura so much, we bought a CR-V to compliment it almost three years ago, replacing a string of two Toyotas I owned. It's my daily driver and is I think the best car I've ever owned. The Toyotas were fine, but their car chassis are getting more difficult to maintain (with their "sealed" transmissions and other issues), and they aren't as engaging to drive, which was important to me.
