2011 pilot 4X4 - get me to camp?

[Old Hunter]

Greetings everyone,

New member, first post.

I've owned GM & Toyota 4X4's. Never went trail blazing, but those vehicles got me up some steep fire roads thru snow and ice. I wasn't pushing snow, but definitely a 4X4 situation. Also like to drive along the edge of fields, path made by tractors and such. NO rock climbing or anything close to that extreme.

I now live at the top of a steep hill in Western NC - paved road. We get snow.

I want to buy an '11 or '12 Pilot Touring 4X4 for all the amenities - now spoiled by my '09 Odyssey Touring.

I'd hate to buy this vehicle only to discover that it can't handle some reasonable off road work.

Any 1st hand experiences with this kind of use would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[xGS]

How well are you getting up snowy hills in the Odyssey?
What tires have you had on the Odyssey and on your 4x4’s?

The Michelin LTX M/S tires on the 2011 Touring exhibit about the best winter traction in an on-road, light-truck type tire.
Those tires on a 4WD Pilot should get you through most snow situations. Winter tires will be better.

The 2012 Pilot Touring is equipped with an all-season, passenger-car type tire that is unlikely to be as good in winter as the one on the 2011.
If you’re going to encounter steep, snowy roads on a regular basis, winter tires could be a worthwhile purchase.

Fire roads are a separate issue.
For off-pavement use, you ought to have an off-pavement capable tire – such as the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2.
While that type of tire is available to fit the 2011 Touring, there’s nothing like it available in the standard size for the 2012 Touring.
One Piloteer, Cpt Canuck, had all sorts of trouble navigating snowy, icy, muddy logging roads before switching to the Revo’s.

If you do much off-roading, something like a 4Runner might be a better choice.

[Old Hunter]

Thanks xGS. The 4Runner is much rougher and less refined than the Pilot - but more capable off road. I owned one previously - good car. Not expecting the Pilot to do all that - just trying to determine how close it would come - as that would serve my needs. Thanks again.

[Arizonaadam]

Some guys here have had really good things to say about the "not getting stuck" abilities of the Pilot. My biggest concern for your intended off road use would be ground clearance. If you think 8 inches is enough clearance I think you'll be fine.

Consider, however, that Honda itself says the Pilot is a street vehicle with additional ability for light off road duty. If you’re a off-road sort of guy you may not be happy with it. Consider another suv like the FJ cruiser or another real off-roader.

This thread will be worth reading:
2011 Pilot-Biggest Complaint

Also, as I mentioned, the 2011 manual says:

"Your vehicle has been designed primarily for use on pavement. But its higher ground clearance allows you to occasionally travel on unpaved roads, such as campgrounds, picnic sites, and similar locations. It is not designed for trail-blazing, mountain climbing, or other challenging offroad activities"

[Old Hunter]

Arizonaadam,

Thanks for the reply. No, I'm not a rock crawling enthusiast. My Jeep and FJ days are long past. AND - I want the amenities in my 2009 Odyssey Touring. 8" of clearance is enough to get around the mountains of Maine, PA, WV, etc in bad weather - IF you stay on the fire roads - which I do.

Provided the road or field ahead of me isn't a complete mess - at which point I would definitely stop and not risk sinking to the axles - I will want to venture across a frozen field to get the decoys out. And, there are times when I have to climb some steep Interstates in snow and ice to get to PA and back to NC safely.

I did a good test drive of the new 4Runner Trail today - absolutely solid - until you get above 60 MPH and the road and wind noise were unbearable. I stopped to make sure a door wasn't left slightly open. Nope. Too bad. So it's out as I do a lot of Interstate driving, ~30K a year. Nissan and GM - scared of reliability issues and MPG just not acceptable.

Seriously considered a new F150 5.0 V8 (NO EcoBoost thank you) until I confirmed 16 to 18 MPG. (Hoping for better when I asked)

From what I'm hearing, a good set of snow tires on all 4 corners of the Pilot, and I should be OK.

Thanks again for the reply. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

[cwa107]

I've had the stock all seasons on both my Pilots and never had a problem, even in deep snow (12"). Maybe I'm lucky, or just a skilled driver in the snow, but I've never seen a need for snow tires given some sensible driving technique.

[Old Hunter]

This vehicle meets so many of my needs, I'm going to do a longer test ride to make sure - then find the dealership with the right figures.

Thank you for your comments. Nice forum, nice community. If I do get this vehicle - after Christmas when a snow storm comes thru - I'll let you know how my "traction concerns" worked out. If my post comes from my laptop at the Hilton in Fletcher NC - that means my wife and I are in the low lands and can't get up the hill to our house.

Thanks again for all the good advice.

Hopeful and Optimistic

[jl_ss]

Originally Posted by cwa107

I've had the stock all seasons on both my Pilots and never had a problem, even in deep snow (12"). Maybe I'm lucky, or just a skilled driver in the snow, but I've never seen a need for snow tires given some sensible driving technique.

Same here. Last winter we had a snowstorm a week for a few months consisting of 18"-24" per storm. We have GY Fortera Triple tred all seasons and it performed fine. It gets driven about 60 miles a day commuting to work, so it was driven with varying amounts of snow on the road, depending on the storm timing and clean-up.

[Old Hunter]

Thanks jl,

Trying to get a longer test ride set up now.

The conditions listed in the posts above are basically the conditions I was referring to. Like cwa 107, I've had a lot of experience driving in snow and ice, and for a long time got by without FWD let alone 4WD, so I feel much better about all this now. All good advice based on first hand experiences - much appreciated.

Thanks again.

[whizmo]

With dedicated snows, I think a Pilot will perform on par with anything short of something with a low-range box and full locking-diffs. But off-road other differences start to come to the front... stuff like approach/departure angles, chassis stiffness, ground clearance, etc. Here the Pilot is definitely more crossover than off-road vehicle.

If snow is your primary issue, I say thumbs up on the Pilot. Otherwise, thumbs down.

- Mark

[pfjohns]

We had our '11 Pilot in the deep, soft sand out to Great Point on Nantucket Island, MA several times last summer and it went fine. My father-in-law does the same thing with his 2008 Pilot, and we've never gotten stuck.