CHATHAM, Mass. – Honda has filled its 2025 Pilot AWD Black Edition not only with room for seven, but also lots of cleverly designed places for their cups, bottles and stuff. And it has done this in a comfortable, well equipped, modern, efficient package.
Honda does not specifically label the Pilot Black Edition as a luxury or premium model, but the equipment, amenities, technology, ride and comfort translate into a large sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with these attributes.
Solid, efficient performance
Motivating the Pilot, the largest passenger vehicle Honda has sold in the United States (199.9-inches long) is a 24-valve, double-overhead camshaft (DOHC) 3.5-liter V6 engine. The engine is Honda’s most powerful, producing 285 horsepower and 262 pounds-feet of torque.
This power flows through a 10-speed automatic transmission with console-mounted button actuation as well as steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Standard on the Pilot Black Edition is Honda’s torque-vectoring (i-VTM4™) all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. Honda says the new i-VTM4 can react 30% faster than the earlier version to send up to 70% of the engine’s power to the rear wheels (when the system demands it) and 100% of that torque can be distributed to either the left or right rear wheel (again, depending upon road conditions and driving needs).
Five standard selectable drive modes optimize the driving experience for various conditions: Normal, Econ, Snow, plus new Sport and Tow modes. Speaking of towing, the 2025 Pilot is capable of pulling trailers of up to 5,000 pounds.
Performance wise, the 3.5-liter aluminum motor can move the Pilot from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.2 seconds according to testing by Car and Driver magazine. That is quick for a 4,660-pound SUV not designed for high performance. And it felt this strong, the power on tap whenever I needed it to maneuver around slow-moving traffic on southbound I-95 during Friday-afternoon congestion as I drove from Massachusetts to New Jersey.
This performance capability came without any fuel-economy penalty. I saw 23.8 miles per gallon when my week behind the wheel concluded, better than the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rating of 21 mpg overall (19 urban, 25 highway).
Platform designed for handling and ride
When the latest generation of the Pilot was introduced in 2023 it featured a chassis revised to be a bit more sporting in feel and with a more rigid body structure to further enhance the dynamic characteristics of the SUV.
The front MacPherson-type struts were re-tuned for crisper response in the latest version which are combined with 25.7mm solid anti roll bar and coil springs. In the rear, a new independent multi-link setup with an 18mm solid stabilizer bar, does the work.
The power-assisted, electronic-brake distribution (EBD), anti-lock (ABS), vehicle-stability-assist equipped braking system features ventilated 13.8-inch rotors up front, solid 13.0-inch ones in the rear. These operate within 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels (with black lug nuts) shod with 255/50R20 all-season tires.
The sum of these parts is a large, heavy vehicle which drives like a smaller one. It is no sports car, but it is far from a lumbering living-room-on-wheels. The precise handling profile does not diminish the ride quality which is firm but comfortable. I spent seven hours on an extended trip (that I-95 congestion) and the experience was as positive as possible.
ADAS enhances the driving experience
A comprehensive suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) under the Honda Sensing umbrella further enabled a reassuring experience while navigating the Pilot Black Edition through the congestion of both I-95 and that of Northern New Jersey and Cape Cod.
The list included adaptive cruise control; collision mitigation braking system; lane-keeping assist; road-departure mitigation; traffic-jam assist; forward collision warning; lane-departure warning; low-speed braking control; blind-spot information; cross-traffic monitor; auto high beams; parking sensors front & rear, and traffic-sign recognition.
An interior filled with features, amenities and technology
The Pilot designers filled the interior with modern technology, amenities and conveniences, similar to premium models from other manufacturers. Things like three-zone automatic climate-control system; leather trimmed interior; heated/ventilated/power-adjustable front seats; heated second-row seats; heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel; second-row sunshades, and one-touch folding second-row seats for access to the third row are standard.
The technology encompasses a customizable cluster display; a nine-inch color LCD touchscreen at the heart of the infotainment system including navigation, voice recognition and surround-view monitor; wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; head-up display, and cabin talk. Cabin talk uses the infotainment systems pieces to allow communication between driver and passenger without having to shout. And the sounds, like all of them from the Pilot Black Edition’s infotainment system, are projected by a 12-speaker Bose® premium audio system.
None of these features are unique to the Pilot, but the interior designers went one better than their competitors with how they utilized the space within the vehicle. They turned the door panels into a real storage area, providing two rows of cubbies, cup/bottle holders as well as a number of nooks and crannies. In most vehicles (the only other one I have experienced with this level of thoughtfulness was a Ford F-150 pickup), this space goes to waste with one bottom-situated pocket with cup holder.
Another well engineered feature is the center portion of the second-row backrest. Folding it turns the bench seat into a pair of seats with a center console including cup holders and cubby.
The front center console is larger than most. The living area within the 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition is very livable; roomy and filled with places for all of the occupants to store their stuff.
A large family of Pilots
The Black Edition is the top of the Pilot lineup which opens with the Sport at $40,200. Four additional trims follow, reaching the Black Edition with a list price of $54,580. The test unit added radiant red paint ($455) and the destination and handling fee ($1,395) resulting in an as-reviewed total of $56,430.
The 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition is a competitive three-row SUV offering some very clever packaging features to set it apart from the competition.
