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2016 Honda Pilot Wins Cars.com Three-Row SUV Challenge

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2016 Honda Pilot Elite

After some extensive testing, Cars.com has announced a winner in the “Three-Row SUV Challenge,” recognizing the redesigned 2016 Honda Pilot with the top honor.

Cars.com tested eight different three-row SUVs that were priced below $45,000 (including destination fee). The Pilot finished first, earning 782 points from the panel of expert judges.

The Pilot beat out the second-place 2017 GMC Acadia (763 points) and the third-place 2017 Kia Sorento (735 points). Rounding out the list was the 2016 Mazda CX-9 (715 points), the 2017 Dodge Durango (702 points), the 2017 Ford Explorer (693 points), the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe (689 points), and the last place 2017 Nissan Pathfinder (655 points).


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The judges’ testing included expert evaluation on a set course, a 170-mile drive to determine real-world mileage, and driving by an actual family in the market for a new vehicle.

“If you really need a minivan for hauling the family around but just can’t pull the trigger, the Pilot is for you,” said Cars.com managing editor Jennifer Newman. “It offers minivan practicality in an SUV body.”

The Pilot was praised for its reliability, large amount of family-friendly features, spacious and versatile interior, and high-tech accouterments, including a rear-seat entertainment system with a full plate of connections.

The 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine was also praised for delivering plenty of acceleration.

“Oh wow. There wasn’t much of a lag,” said Jeff Givens, one of the two parents asked to test drive the vehicles. “You can definitely feel the turbo kick in.”


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