If black happens to be an appealing color, consider going with the upgraded Black Edition trim of the 2020 Honda Pilot.
What’s not to like for black-preference car shoppers? The Pilot has a captivating all-black theme that includes a black grille, tailgate badges and black-painted 20-inch alloy wheels.
The interior is quite fashionable, featuring red accent lighting for the doors, dash and center console. There’re red stitching accents on the front and second-row captain’s chairs, steering wheel and door panels. In addition, there’s a Black Edition logo on the front seats and floor mats.
Of course, there are two good reasons to not choose black. It’s well known that black-colored vehicles get hotter a little quicker in the sun and are reportedly the worse when it comes to dirt display.
The Black Edition, which is priced at just under $50,00, is based on the Honda Pilot Elite. Both models have standard all-wheel drive and the packages include second-row captain’s chairs, panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and a wireless charging pad.
Although Honda made additional changes to its popular midsize crossover sport utility vehicle a year ago, it’s not dramatically different than the 2016 model, when the last major redesign took place. There are no changes for 2020 other than adding the Black Edition line.
What remains is the Pilot’s primary mission of being a three-row people hauler capable of transporting eight, although that number dips to seven due to the comfy second-row captain’s chairs in the Black Edition and Elite models. The Pilot is offered in six trim models (LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, Elite, Black Edition).
The Pilot comes with just one engine, an efficient 3.5-liter, V6 that generates 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The Pilot has been clocked going 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. Thanks to its cylinder deactivation and engine stop-start system, the Pilot is relatively fuel-efficient, getting 19-27 mpg.
Adding to the Pilot’s overall appeal is its ability to deliver a comfortable and composed ride. It offers reasonably precise steering and gives the driver a fair of amount of confidence in all situations. That includes an ability to maneuver on challenging roads, where the Pilot is steady and predictable.
Honda has put a premium on safety in the Pilot, adding standard features like lane keep assist, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking, and adaptive cruise control.
2020 Honda Pilot
- Performance: 3.5-liter, V6, 280 horsepower
- Mileage estimate: 19-27 mpg
- Estimated price: $31,700 to $49,800
- Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain: 5 years/60,000; corrosion: 5 years/unlimited; roadside assistance: 3 years/36,000
The Pilot interior utilizes lots of soft materials and has cool acoustic equipment to soften the overall noise. Although Honda doesn’t like the inference that the Pilot can look and act a bit like a minivan, there are similarities, including multiple cupholders and bins.
The Pilot provides spacious and comfortable seating in the first two rows and even the third row is fairly suitable for adults, a rarity in most three-row vehicles. The cargo space behind the third row is not great (16 cubic feet), but that expands to 84 cubic feet when the second and third rows are folded down.
The addition of the attractive Black Edition gives SUV shoppers one more reason to go with the 2020 Honda Pilot. The price tag does get a little hefty, yet besides the cool look one also gets an SUV that delivers good performance, handling and a well-thought out interior.
Weidel on Wheels is featured regularly on www.tahoeskiworld.com. Auto writer Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffweidel.
