I was very close to pulling the trigger on a Highlander. In fact, I probably would have had the dealer been willing to negotiate.
I liked the styling of the Highlander a lot more, same goes for the interior, which I felt was more "upscale". It also felt like it had a lot more low-end torque. My only major critique was that the third row was very tight and the steering wheel felt very loose - reminded me of my parents' 1985 Ford LTD wagon. There was absolutely no sense of "sport" in the way that it handled - very trucklike IMO.
Now, the Pilot has a little less power and the gas mileage is lower, but the dealer was much more willing to work with me. The Pilot definitely has more space and adults 6' tall can sit comfortably in the third row. Although some will disagree with me here, I also thought the Pilot handled more like a car - much more confidence-inspiring than the Toyota - which is really something considering the size of this beast.
And of course, in a Honda you won't be "Moving Forward".... whether you want to or not!
