Honda Pilot MPG

* Based on 15,000 Miles and Current fuel prices.

Comparisons from www.fueleconomy.gov

After 287,000 miles in a 1992 Honda Accord, I decided it was time for an upgrade. My decision was helped along by the fact that my car would not pass the California Smog test. I felt like I had stretched my old Accord for every last drop of value and it was time to move on.

Because we have five kids, I wanted something that would fit the family but also fit my mountain bike or camping gear. A minivan was an option, but we already had one and I wanted something a bit tougher looking so I settled on an SUV. My initial focus was on the Ford Explorer. It's a nice looking vehicle. The truck style looks tough and the Explorer was the number one selling SUV for a long time.

After taking a few test drives, I was pretty sure I wanted to buy one so I started researching price, reliability, and miles-per-gallon. Without giving away proprietary information, let's just say that Consumer Reports isn't a big fan of the Ford Explorer.

The Honda Pilot on the other hand gets very high marks for reliability and MPGs. What do you sacrifice? Some size, but not much compared to a standard Explorer. The Explorer XLT is longer, but it isn't very reliable. At 100,000 miles, you are in for a lot of problems.The Pilot will need standard tune ups but is so reliable that it should run for 300,000, as my old Accord can attest. The only vehicle that compares on reliability and MPGs in this class is the Toyota Highlander or the Toyota Sequoia.

I looked at and test drove the Sequoia, the Highlander, and the Pilot. I like the Sequoia but felt like it was too much car for my family right now. I don't need the 4x4 and trailer hitch. I'm not pulling a boat. I didn't like the Highlander because it doesn't feel as powerful as the Pilot. Honda's have more torque than Toyotas and it is quite noticeable when comparing the Highlander and the Pilot.

In the end, I bought a higher mileage 2006 Honda Pilot EXL with DVD entertainment, leather seats, heated seats, moonroof, and six CD changer (112k) for under $13,000. I had to spend another $400 to get it tuned up and after driving it for a while I have no regrets.

No buyers remorse with the Honda Pilot.