[The Dude]

I'll pay off my wife's CR-V in March 2003 and am rabidly looking forward to purchasing a Pilot at that time. I'd rather not have two car payments going at once. Given the March timeframe, would you recommend waiting for the 2004 models?

What are the advantages of waiting/not waiting? I know most everyone here has purchased the first model year (2003), but is it really a smart idea to do that? Or, considering Honda's reputation, is that a non-issue? Will Honda really deal with all these little bugs I'm reading about? Any idea when the 2004s will be available?

 

[havasu]

My two cents:

It's not really the first year, since it's based on the MDX which has been around for a while.

I think Honda owners are spoiled. If you had been buying American cars all these years like us (EXCEPTION: My wonderful Saturn) you'd have so many real problems that you'd consider the majority of the "problems" I've seen posted here as nits!! :5:

 

[jfrano]

Don't hold you're breath on changes. Typically they shift their engineers onto other projects. Maybe 2005.

 

[PrG]

Buy ... whenever you're ready to buy ...

Want and desire need not necessarily outweigh sensible and responsible financial decision making. I am sure whether you purchase a 2003 or 2004 you won't lose out.

PrG

 

[banningjr]

2005

I'm with Frano on this one. I don't think you'll see any major change on the construction of the Pilot in 2003 or 2004. In 2005 it would be due for its first minor face lift and may get some goodies at that time. (Heated seats and mirrors, a sunroof, DVD in the cloth models) The teaser stuff not in the first year car. We're all buying them rabidly without it now, just wait until they offer these things!

If you feel the need to wait do it. I you are waiting for a change, wait. Otherwise go with the flow and get it when you are ready.

 

[Cheesehead]

Dude,

The "problems" you're reading about here are are for the most part very trivial and are going to be found on any vehicle. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone having zero problems. (Except for maybe my '96 Integra ) Buy when you're ready to buy because the Pilot is a very fine vehicle and you can't go wrong with whatever model year you choose.

 

[jfrano]

A web site such as this is great since you get to share information. However, any problems get magnified! Everyone that has any difficulty will post it here. I don't see any chronic problems of any sort, especially serious in nature. Any issues, that is, if you have any, are typically fixed in 1 visit to the dealer. So there are no showstoppers, the Pilot is a GREAT vehicle. Does it have everything...no...who does? I wish it had the heated seats, that the Canadian version has. However, it does allot very well. It handles better than most SUVs, its faster than almost all SUV's, its amongst the best in gas mileage, it has lots of room, its 4wheel drive system makes it handle VERY well in bad weather and off road situations! What are you waiting for...grab one...I did!

Joe

 

[MDXlite]

I'd wait.

If you can wait, that'd be my vote. I'd bet the '04's are available in Oct. '93- about 6 months wait. Reasons?

1- It's a year newer thus worth more on the back end
2- There will definately be fixes to problems and upgrades- maybe even a sunroof?
3- Possibly new color choices.

That's my take.

 

[a2Pilot]

Traditionally Honda sticks to it's 4 year product life cycle pretty well. I bet there won't be any big changes to the Pilot until 2007.

 

[hubby45251]

Actually Honda has a five year product run. As far as waiting, I find no reason too. For example, the Odyssey saw no real changes until 2002, four years into its current body style. I don't think the Pilot will see any changes for three to four years as well. For the sunroof complaints, the same has been said about Odyssey since '99. Still no sunroof as of yet.

Money wise, there is no real reason either to wait. As long as demand stays high, these vehicles will be sold at MSRP for years to come. This will keep the used Pilot market high as well. Example, two year old Odysseys with 40k still retail for within $1-2000 of thier original MSRP!

As for the compliants, they all seem to be minor rattles, inconveniences, and just general nit-picking. We should make a thread solely for our problems we have seen on our past vehicles, so that we can put in prospective the minor things we make light of in this forum. I would be happy to tell you about the '94 Probe and '99 Explorer.

 

[chinalfr]

Why wait if you currently have a chance to own a Pilot.

Even if I have to afford 2 car payment, I still want to get a Pilot. Well, 8 more months to go before my 99 honda accord paid off. In the next 8 months, I will have to save more by cutting expenses such as entertainment or dining out. Overall, I still think my decision on getting the 03 Pilot is correct.

I LOVE my Pilot.......:29:

 

[ChiefPilot]

Re: I'd wait.

If you can wait, that'd be my vote. I'd bet the '04's are available in Oct. '93- about 6 months wait.

Isn't October '93 about a 13-month wait? ...just wondering!

 

[Bean]

Isn't October '93 about a 13-month wait? ...just wondering!

No, but October '03 is...

 

[chinalfr]

Great math skills......


:29:

 

[ChiefPilot]

Whoops...

I'm definitely gonna have to do something about those renegade number keys! (...cheeks turning red) :17:

 

[MDXlite]

Um, The Dude is not in the market till March '03. New model year Honda's come between August and October, about six months...

There is a good point made by Hubby, if the Pilot follows the resale pattern of the Ody and MDX, financially it may not matter whether you go '03 or 04'.

Like I said, if it were me, I'd wait and get in as early as possible on the latest model year, but that's just me. To each his own.

 

[renov8r]

Also depends on features desired...

I would expect a sunroof will be available on '04 Pilot. Probably change over to the voice response Navi. Side CURTAIN air-bags. Maybe VSC.

Basically all the goodies that the '03 MDX MAY offer...

Don't forget, even though the drivetrain has been pretty much trouble-free for MDXs & '03 Pilots, there are niggling little noises and such that AHMC engineers are probably trying to fix RIGHT NOW that will (hopefully) be incorporated into the '04!

OTOH there are pretty good signs that demand is not the rip-roarong TIDAL WAVE that SOME dealers would have you believe , and it may make "dollars & sense" to buy an '03...

Either way, you are doing the right thing by staking out the playing field WELL in advance of needing to make a decision. Folks in your position can call around to MANY dealers and probably even line-up a delivery from far away to help get a fair price.

Good Luck!

 

[a2Pilot]

I think it's reasonable to anticipate small tweaks in the 2004 model. I'm not so sure, however that large changes like a moonroof would be made this early on. Financially for Honda, I imagine re-tooling for large changes is expensive, and avoided until a major model revision 4-5 years out.

But then again, look at issues like the weld in the strut tower thing that have been around for years on the Ody and MDX, and never resolved.

 

[pilotdude]

I have a friend of a friend who worked on the 2003 Pilot and has been offered a position on the 2006 Pilot, the next Pilot to be done by R&D. R&D "sells" the models to manufacturing to make very minor changes until R&D produces the next model. So no major changes then until Fall 2005 when 2006 modle presumably would be released.

-pilotdude

 

[a2Pilot]

AH! Someone with the inside scoop!!!!