The old saying: Buy once. Cry Once.

 

love the 360 cameras as well! - saw it on a co-worker's Murano a few years back. I press the button whenever parking - I've never been good at being in the middle of the parking space. And yes it is quiet!!

Dan

 

Just recently took home an Elite. We needed the 360 cameras. On our minivan, it’s probably saved us thousands by avoiding parking scrapes, curb rash and alignments. The HUD was a pleasant surprise as it also relays Apple Maps directions and vented seats are always welcome in Texas. Our kids also love the pano sunroof and it has, so far, supplanted the Blu-ray player and screens of the minivan. I appreciate the acoustic glass and immediately noticed the quietness on light throttle even at freeway speeds.

After the honeymoon period, I can start complaining about the 10-speed hunting for first gear.

 

As an Elite owner - it’s definitely with it. You also get the heads up display and the 360 cameras.

 

Does anyone else who has an Elite forget that the HUD exists? After 5k miles I still forget that I can get directions and speed there… I end up looking at the screens.

on the other hand my wife learned to drive on the Pilot and she loved the HUD

 

Turned HUD off before I even left the dealer lot. I hate the HUD with a passion

 

So what is the purpose of having auto wipers if you don't set them to auto and leave the switch alone?

Most manufacturers recommend leaving the wipers off and only switching them to auto when it begins to rain. The rationale for this is other objects and lighting can trigger the sensor to turn the wipers on when it’s not raining.

The wiper interval is intended to be the automatic feature - not the on/off operation itself.

Page 230 in the manual:

The wiper interval is intended to be the automatic feature - not the on/off operation itself.

Page 230 in the manual:

 

I have a 2017 touring and the heated steering wheel was installed by the dealer for like 500 bucks. if that's all you really want this about it that way too. No such luck with heated rear seats however.

 

This thread has really taken a weird turn. Why would anyone think that a manufacturer would put rain sensing on the rear glass for the rear wiper? And if they did, the price of the vehicle would increase and then people would complain.

Also, who wants a wiper scraping across a dry, dirty windshield? Wipers are cheap but why abuse it for no reason? Also, you can mar and put scratch’s in the rear glass as well. Just because we want leave it in auto? Ok, that’s just strange.

Edit: you put this feature and it’s exact function on a CX-90 or a Grand Highlander and people would rave about it.

 

You buying that from the wiper black market?
I haven't bought a wiper under $20 in years.
Maybe I need to shop where you do LOL

 

You buying that from the wiper black market?
I haven't bought a wiper under $20 in years.
Maybe I need to shop where you do LOL

Hmmm?

If you did it the "right way" you would buy the Honda OEM rubber inserts. They work really well and last a long time and they are cheap especially if you buy them in multiples off some Honda dealer on Ebay etc. At least that used to be the case last time I ordered. No need to pay for expensive metal frames etc when you can keep your OEM frames and just change the rubber

 

The reason why I don’t leave them on is because of the rear wiper. When on and in auto mode, the rear wipe will swipe automatically when put into reverse regardless of rain/weather. That is nice when it’s raining but if it’s dry out, I don’t want my rear wiper swiping a dry window.

This is a $hitty design to be honest.

 

A rear wiper is only like $5 tho. Not big enough of a deal to care, is it?

 

(just the same movement like any other model without it) from off, to intermittent, before the automatic speed control takes over.

I didn't know that, you need to put the wiper to intermittent. I thought just keep the button ON and it would do its job.

And pilot is probably only in it's class that shouldn't be bought as FWD.

Why is that?

 

Why is that?

It has torque vectoring differential, actual mechanical torque vectoring, after adding that it handles better than all competitors (not considering cx-90 here) and is also more off road capable. Plus if I can live with FWD then minivans are generally better or in the segment, subjectively, Hyundai palisade.

 

Swamp ass coolers were a non negotiable on my car. Fat northern boy living in the south now.

I was limited on trim options for that

 

If I buy one it would be either EX-L or Elite. Touring over EX-L doesn't offer features I want and Elite over touring does. To me Touring doesn't make sense. And pilot is probably only in it's class that shouldn't be bought as FWD.

 

I generally agree with this. EXL is much more cost effective. Once you realize the secret that even the EXL has the magical "removable seat", then you are basically getting a panoramic moonroof in the Touring for $4500 bucks and maybe a few other things, but then I think lots of people that are willing to spend that much for minimal differences look at all extra stuff you then get on the Elite, for "only" another $3500, and decide what the heck, might as well go all in. At least that is how my brain worked...

 

The Elite has the TrailWatch Camera, HUD, heated steering wheel, power folding side mirrors, ventilated front seats, heated 2nd row seats, laminated glass up front, AWD only, 7 drive modes vs Tourings 5, CabinTalk PA System, and the 10.2" driver information interface. That's quite a bit of equipment for the difference in price.

 

The ventilated seats circulate the ambient air from inside the vehicle. There is no "ac" system in the seat itself.

 

Thank you all for the responses. Great insight and honesty from you all. I think we have determined the Elite trim is the right choice. In the end its just the right combimation of features. We could live without some of the Touring features but Elite has the things that we are most interested in. Honda knew what they were doing when they decided on features for each trim, pushes most buyers past Touring to Elite.

Now to find tbe right color combo in stock for a reasonable OTD price....wish me luck

 

Trying to determine if the Elite trim is worth an extra $4-5K. My wife really wants a heated steering wheel and rear heated seats but Honda decided that would only be available on the Elite even though similiar vehicles 5+ years old had those options on lower trims. As far as I can tell the big differences between the Elite and Touring are the above items, the HUD (which she would turn off anyway), the perforated and ventilated front seats, the 110V plug, automatic folding mirrors. Am i missing anything else to compel almost $5K higher MSRP?

Having tested out the 23 pathfinder and 23 pallisade, the pilot just seems better put together with a smoother ride and quieter cabin. Pathfinder was quiet but suspension was rougher and the cabin space felt smaller than it was (and by measurements is smaller than her current 2016 pathfinder). Pallisade had all kinds of cabin noise although the tech was much better and had a nice interior. In the end we are pretty convinced the Pilot is the right vehicle, just having a hard time spending mid/high $50s for a Honda (its been about 5 years since I bought a car but for mid fiftys i would have expected a luxury brand. Touring trim seems like a good compromise although i may be missing something on the differences between Touring and Elite.

Welcome any thoughts.

I recently purchased a 2022 Elite and I had the same questions. My last one was just an ELX. I love all of the features you mentioned.. I live on the Coast of Georgia and it gets very hot here..so the Air cooled seat were a plus. But we hd one cold snap and I did love the heated steering wheel! I love that the mirrors tilt down when you back up. This may not be an "Elite only" feature, but it has a special glass that reduces the road noise a lot. Fortunately for me, I bought one they had given me to drive for 10 days while my 2018 was getting a new transmission. By the time the 2018 was fixed, I knew I wanted the Elite. Fortunately since it had been a loaner for about a month, it was considered "Certified Preowned" so I got a much better deal than on a new one, plus I got a warranty that was better buy 2 years. And it only had 1300 miles on it. Probably 500 were miles I put on. The cost was still more than I wanted to pay, but after 3 months I believe ti was worth it.

 

It just comes down to wether or not you think she is worth the x-trA money for an Elite - or not. ^^

 

Trying to determine if the Elite trim is worth an extra $4-5K. My wife really wants a heated steering wheel and rear heated seats but Honda decided that would only be available on the Elite even though similiar vehicles 5+ years old had those options on lower trims. As far as I can tell the big differences between the Elite and Touring are the above items, the HUD (which she would turn off anyway), the perforated and ventilated front seats, the 110V plug, automatic folding mirrors. Am i missing anything else to compel almost $5K higher MSRP?

Having tested out the 23 pathfinder and 23 pallisade, the pilot just seems better put together with a smoother ride and quieter cabin. Pathfinder was quiet but suspension was rougher and the cabin space felt smaller than it was (and by measurements is smaller than her current 2016 pathfinder). Pallisade had all kinds of cabin noise although the tech was much better and had a nice interior. In the end we are pretty convinced the Pilot is the right vehicle, just having a hard time spending mid/high $50s for a Honda (its been about 5 years since I bought a car but for mid fiftys i would have expected a luxury brand. Touring trim seems like a good compromise although i may be missing something on the differences between Touring and Elite.

Welcome any thoughts.

I got an EX-L because I did not want the sunroof or the roof rails. However, had I gone with the higher trim level, I would have gone straight to the Elite.

 

After owning my Elite for 8 years.....I am looking for a new vehicle. I had soooooo many problems with my 2016 Elite (Camshaft fell out, transmission had to be replaced, odometer issues, transmission warmer had to be replaced) that I am thinking of looking elsewhere for my next vehicle. Has anyone else done any comparisons with other vehicles? I am strongly looking at Kia Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige - seems to have all the same bells and whistles as the Pilot Elite.

 

Trying to determine if the Elite trim is worth an extra $4-5K. My wife really wants a heated steering wheel and rear heated seats but Honda decided that would only be available on the Elite even though similiar vehicles 5+ years old had those options on lower trims. As far as I can tell the big differences between the Elite and Touring are the above items, the HUD (which she would turn off anyway), the perforated and ventilated front seats, the 110V plug, automatic folding mirrors. Am i missing anything else to compel almost $5K higher MSRP?

Having tested out the 23 pathfinder and 23 pallisade, the pilot just seems better put together with a smoother ride and quieter cabin. Pathfinder was quiet but suspension was rougher and the cabin space felt smaller than it was (and by measurements is smaller than her current 2016 pathfinder). Pallisade had all kinds of cabin noise although the tech was much better and had a nice interior. In the end we are pretty convinced the Pilot is the right vehicle, just having a hard time spending mid/high $50s for a Honda (its been about 5 years since I bought a car but for mid fiftys i would have expected a luxury brand. Touring trim seems like a good compromise although i may be missing something on the differences between Touring and Elite.

Welcome any thoughts.

Definitely get the Elite......I love those things she does......but having the A/C blown up my bottom on a ~HOT~ summer day is sooooo awesome. The other features with the elite were worth it too - but for me that has been the best one

 

What AC? Honda has ventilated seats which just use fans, not cooled seats.

 

I bought a touring over an elite because I bought the vehicle with the accessories I wanted/needed. Where I live, if it is cold enough for a heated steering wheel, it is cold enough for me to have gloves on. I didn't want windshield wipers that turned on, buy them selves. Where I live there are too many neighbors that have sprinkler systems that are either not aimed properly or the wind blows water into the street. I didn't want to be driving down the street with the wipers saying...Dumb Guy...Dumb Guy....Dumb Guy.....on a sunny dry day, just because of a little over spray. But that's just me. Buy what suits your needs and your wants.

 

It's just blowing cabin air, the seats themselves are not cooled they are just ventilated.

2 things.
That’s not how the auto wipers work. You still have to turn it from off to auto. So, no you wouldn’t have to be self conscious.
For the cooled seats, I turned my AC to Low this morning and the seats were noticeably cooler. Placebo? Maybe. But for those saying their seats are not effective, that might be an option to try.

 

Trying to determine if the Elite trim is worth an extra $4-5K. My wife really wants a heated steering wheel and rear heated seats but Honda decided that would only be available on the Elite even though similiar vehicles 5+ years old had those options on lower trims. As far as I can tell the big differences between the Elite and Touring are the above items, the HUD (which she would turn off anyway), the perforated and ventilated front seats, the 110V plug, automatic folding mirrors. Am i missing anything else to compel almost $5K higher MSRP?

Having tested out the 23 pathfinder and 23 pallisade, the pilot just seems better put together with a smoother ride and quieter cabin. Pathfinder was quiet but suspension was rougher and the cabin space felt smaller than it was (and by measurements is smaller than her current 2016 pathfinder). Pallisade had all kinds of cabin noise although the tech was much better and had a nice interior. In the end we are pretty convinced the Pilot is the right vehicle, just having a hard time spending mid/high $50s for a Honda (its been about 5 years since I bought a car but for mid fiftys i would have expected a luxury brand. Touring trim seems like a good compromise although i may be missing something on the differences between Touring and Elite.

Welcome any thoughts.
Here's my $0.02 worth: If you keep the car for 10 years (I would,) you're talking $500/year, and get some of it back. If you sell/trade it sooner, you'll get more of it back. I would get the Elite. (And I would highly recommend running-boards and the hood-deflector as they make the car, IMO, really stand out.)

 

Trying to determine if the Elite trim is worth an extra $4-5K. My wife really wants a heated steering wheel and rear heated seats but Honda decided that would only be available on the Elite even though similiar vehicles 5+ years old had those options on lower trims. As far as I can tell the big differences between the Elite and Touring are the above items, the HUD (which she would turn off anyway), the perforated and ventilated front seats, the 110V plug, automatic folding mirrors. Am i missing anything else to compel almost $5K higher MSRP?

Having tested out the 23 pathfinder and 23 pallisade, the pilot just seems better put together with a smoother ride and quieter cabin. Pathfinder was quiet but suspension was rougher and the cabin space felt smaller than it was (and by measurements is smaller than her current 2016 pathfinder). Pallisade had all kinds of cabin noise although the tech was much better and had a nice interior. In the end we are pretty convinced the Pilot is the right vehicle, just having a hard time spending mid/high $50s for a Honda (its been about 5 years since I bought a car but for mid fiftys i would have expected a luxury brand. Touring trim seems like a good compromise although i may be missing something on the differences between Touring and Elite.

Welcome any thoughts.

For the price difference and if you keep the car for any amount of time, get her what she wants. If you keep it 5 years (we keep our close to 10) it’s maybe $2.50 a day more.

 

How is a quality of leather seats in Hondas these days? My past experience was not very good. Do ventilated seats affect surface quality long term?

 

To all of you who talk(ed) yourself up to the top trim, count me in too !

If you look at the thread on total (out the door) prices, some people are getting good discounts below MSRP using the Costco Auto program. Of course, you have to find a dealer who participates. I sure hope that car deals return to pre-pandemic levels soon - I've never ever ever paid MSRP in my life and I feel like a small piece of me will die if I'm forced to pay Monroney for my Pilot Elite The last car I bought (Oct 2022) was a top-trim Crosstrek at about $800 below MSRP. The vehicle before that was $1,300 below invoice in May of 2015. My how times have changed!!!

 

To all of you who talk(ed) yourself up to the top trim, count me in too !

If you look at the thread on total (out the door) prices, some people are getting good discounts below MSRP using the Costco Auto program. Of course, you have to find a dealer who participates. I sure hope that car deals return to pre-pandemic levels soon - I've never ever ever paid MSRP in my life and I feel like a small piece of me will die if I'm forced to pay Monroney for my Pilot Elite The last car I bought (Oct 2022) was a top-trim Crosstrek at about $800 below MSRP. The vehicle before that was $1,300 below invoice in May of 2015. My how times have changed!!!

I'm with you brother

In the past my game was to negotiate below INVOICE as best I could. Let all the lazy or uninformed suckers pay MSRP or close to it, and subsidize my better deal with the dealership haha

In this market I was happy to go ahead and just settle on MSRP. I had been waiting for like 18 months thinking about replacing our Odyssey, and almost jumped on an MDX so I can say that waiting was well worth it as I got a better car for me, and saved a bunch of money too, so I didn't want to keep waiting another 6-12 months to potentially save another 1-2 thousand or whatever.