To me this is like comparing apples and oranges! But, since you owned a Santa Fe and had no problems with it you are perfectly entitled to your opinion.

 

To me this is like comparing apples and oranges! But, since you owned a Santa Fe and had no problems with it you are perfectly entitled to your opinion.

But in the right light at the perfect angle the Sante Fe looks like a Porsche Cayenne.

 

I have heard only good things from people who have owned hyundais...atleast those who have bought in the last 2 years...

 

But in the right light at the perfect angle the Sante Fe looks like a Porsche Cayenne.

The Sante Fe.

 

But in the right light at the perfect angle the Sante Fe looks like a Porsche Cayenne.

The Cayenne.

 

I have heard only good things from people who have owned hyundais...atleast those who have bought in the last 2 years...

Same here, and the Kia Amanti (Kia's now a Hyundai company) is a beauty.

 

I know a couple of people who own a Santa Fe and they are quite happy with them. Now that the V6 engine has more power I think it made it a much better vehicle.

 

To me this is like comparing apples and oranges! But, since you owned a Santa Fe and had no problems with it you are perfectly entitled to your opinion.

There's that Honda snobbery I was waiting for...this is my point. Take a close look or spend some time in a Santa Fe and your attitude would radically change.

Pilot - a symphony of nervous ticks and scrunchy body noises going at 60, all from day one.

Santa Fe - None of that, even after 2 years.

The fact that we paid 7K more for a Pilot is not apparent in the fit & finish, materials or engineering of the Pilot.

 

...snip

The fact that we paid 7K more for a Pilot is not apparent in the fit & finish, materials or engineering of the Pilot.

That works out to only $2333.33 for each extra seat in the Pilot.

 

That works out to only $2333.33 for each extra seat in the Pilot.

No worries - we'll recover that in resale!

 

There's that Honda snobbery I was waiting for...this is my point. Take a close look or spend some time in a Santa Fe and your attitude would radically change. [snip]

I don't think it has as much to do with "Honda snobbery" or "Honda pride" than it has to do with different experiences each of the Pilot owners have had. So, there's no way they can empathize with owners like you and me. It was just our bum luck that we ended up with a shoddy Honda.

I've had so far, a very dismal and a very, very disappointing experience with my Pilot. It has to go in again for the passenger side door handle replacement since the chrome coating has flaked off again. It'll be now for the third time. And it'll get one of the rear vents replaced as well, yet again for the fourth time for this one.

Then there are other incessant issues too numerous to write about. So, madfish, I know exactly where you're coming from. Our lowly Pontiac minivan has only had two minor issues taken care of while under warranty and one after the warranty expired. That's it. And this is a car which I only changed oil in for the first three years cuz we were just leasing it. No other fluids or maintenance were performed on it and it's been so reliable with no incessant issues like our Pilot has had. Compared to the Pilot, it's acted like a Honda and my Pilot's acted like a Lada, despite the overzealous maintenance that's been performed on it.

No worries - we'll recover that in resale!

I often think about the time when I'll be getting rid of my Pilot. But what I'm wondering is, would you be telling the prospective buyers, if you are selling it privately and not trade it in, the issues and the points of dissatisfaction with the Pilot?

I think I will be. Starting the window scrunch to the ratchety/pinging noise, to how, compared to my minivan, it's been an absolute disappointment. And if someone doesn't pay me a fair price for it, then I'll just have to trade it in and see what I can get. I don't think I can sell something to someone with all the issues and problems that had plagued and affected while I had it.

 

Our lowly Pontiac minivan has only had two minor issues taken care of while under warranty and one after the warranty expired. That's it. And this is a car which I only changed oil in for the first three years cuz we were just leasing it. No other fluids or maintenance were performed on it and it's been so reliable with no incessant issues like our Pilot has had. Compared to the Pilot, it's acted like a Honda and my Pilot's acted like a Lada, despite the overzealous maintenance that's been performed on it.

RipRock

I think you got the one good Montana just like I seem to be the only person who got a good Dodge Grand Caravan. It's a '96 built in St.Louis in the first two months of production in '95. My Caravan wasn't to the dealer half as many times in it's first two years of ownership as my Pilot has been and it's still soldiering on. That being said I'm still quite happy with the Pilot.

I know five people who have owned Montanas. All five of them have had to have warranty work on the head gaskets. Two of them had to fight GM to get it done when GM denied that there was a problem. Three of them have the common Montana problem of the dashlights and all other electrical systems turning off and on whenever they feel like it. If you've got a Montana that's working I'd keep it.

 

Then sell your Pilot and go Buy another Santa Fe! Jeez! Maybe these are issues with YOUR Pilot, but most of us dont have these issues!:3:

 

Then sell your Pilot and go Buy another Santa Fe! Jeez! Maybe these are issues with YOUR Pilot, but most of us dont have these issues!:3:

If your response is directed to madfish, I'd suggest that you go back and re-read his initial post. If it's directed to RipRock, then you need to chill out. RipRock has had the problems we all had, and then some. His characterization is right on for his experience, and you're out of bounds with your comments. If I were him, I'd have traded my Pilot long ago.

What am I saying, I did trade mine long ago.

 

Then sell your Pilot and go Buy another Santa Fe! Jeez! Maybe these are issues with YOUR Pilot, but most of us dont have these issues!:3:

You missed the point....the Pilot is a good car. I like it...make even "like it like it". We absolutely had to have more seats for carpooling purposes.

But being a first time Honda owner, I think it's worth noting that it's not as perfect as marketing and hype leads you to believe....and worth noting that a Santa Fe drive is worth considering if you don't need 8 seats.

From Andrec8513's post, I'm guessing he's one of those people that has blindly been supporting the war effort and assuming that anyone whom asks questions is unpatriotic....it's that same "you're either with us or against us" mentality!

Isn't a forum like this for sharing opinions?

 

You missed the point....the Pilot is a good car. I like it...make even "like it like it". We absolutely had to have more seats for carpooling purposes.

But being a first time Honda owner, I think it's worth noting that it's not as perfect as marketing and hype leads you to believe....and worth noting that a Santa Fe drive is worth considering if you don't need 8 seats.

From Andrec8513's post, I'm guessing he's one of those people that has blindly been supporting the war effort and assuming that anyone whom asks questions is unpatriotic....it's that same "you're either with us or against us" mentality!

Isn't a forum like this for sharing opinions?

I agree totally, madfish. :4:

 

RipRock

I think you got the one good Montana just like I seem to be the only person who got a good Dodge Grand Caravan. It's a '96 built in St.Louis in the first two months of production in '95. My Caravan wasn't to the dealer half as many times in it's first two years of ownership as my Pilot has been and it's still soldiering on. That being said I'm still quite happy with the Pilot.

I know five people who have owned Montanas. All five of them have had to have warranty work on the head gaskets. Two of them had to fight GM to get it done when GM denied that there was a problem. Three of them have the common Montana problem of the dashlights and all other electrical systems turning off and on whenever they feel like it. If you've got a Montana that's working I'd keep it.

Scoobs, yeah, I plan on keeping it until it start needing some costly repairs. And your story goes to show that different car owners have different experiences even with the same models.The funny thing is, mine's not even a Montana. It's the even lowlier Transport

We started the 3 year lease back in 1999 and when it was going to expire, we looked for another car. So, we excitedly, at the time, chose the Pilot and actually had returned the minivan. But we knew we weren't going to get by with just one car especially with the girls needing constant transportation for their lessons and classes, so we were actually looking for a used car.

That's when the Pontiac dealer gave us a call with an offer to sell us the just returned Transport with a deal we couldn't refuse (just a little over half the lease buy out amount). Turned out Montana was doing alright but Pontiac couldn't give the returned Transports away. And they even had the minivan serviced to bring all the neglected scheduled service up to date (save for the oil changes cuz that's the only thing I did on it for whole 3 years ).

It's been a real workhorse for us.

 

If your response is directed to madfish, I'd suggest that you go back and re-read his initial post. If it's directed to RipRock, then you need to chill out. RipRock has had the problems we all had, and then some. His characterization is right on for his experience, and you're out of bounds with your comments. If I were him, I'd have traded my Pilot long ago.

What am I saying, I did trade mine long ago.

LOL. Well, that's what having a good sized wallet will do for ya, jay And thanks for being so understanding of my situation.

I did seriously looked into trading in our Pilot for a Highlander about 8 months after we got our Pilot and again about 4 months after that, but I just couldn't swallow the depreciation cost on it.

We paid more than half the cost of the car up front in cash and financed the rest, so it's not as though we owe more than what the car was worth or anything, but the 3 Toyota dealers I went to all were lowballing me. I got disgusted and just decided to give up.

Basically, we would've ended up taking on about $8,000 of more debt if we were to have traded in our Pilot and bought a Highlander. I just couldn't bring myself to do that. My wife didn't even have to talk some sense into me on this matter. To me, I might as well have paid $8,000 over the sticker price a year ago for a Highlander.

I wanted the Highlander and only the Highalnder since that was the car we were gonna get up until we went for a spin in the Pilot. And I guess once you've gone import, there's no going back

I've accepted to just live with the pinging/ratchety noise coming from the engine. And with the tranny recall out of the way and with the EGR valve problem solved, I thought I'd finally be able to enjoy my Pilot like it was meant to be, then I found those two things I mentioned above is making me take my car in again for service.

I even kept mum when the passenger handle peeled about a week ago. But just yesterday is when the right rear vent fins slipped out again. Then I came across this thread, so I kind of ranted on

 

But in the right light at the perfect angle the Sante Fe looks like a Porsche Cayenne.

And that's not a good thing... :16:

My apologies to any Santa Fe or Cayenne fans, but I think they're both pretty unattractive. Which is why we have so many different cars, right? Something for everyone!

 

But while we're comparing notes here...the Pilot has a bad front end (IMHO)...it actually mostly looks okay. But stand at your drivers door and gaze out towards the front end. From that angle, it almost has a hideous PT cruiser nose (hood higher than fenders at front). Yukk. Fortunately it's not as noticeable from any other angle.

Driving the Santy, with the bulbous fenders, you could pretend you were driving the Batmobile.

 

But while we're comparing notes here...the Pilot has a bad front end (IMHO)...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ugly, on the other hand, is pretty obvious...

 

Fully agree! I can't believe the general is still spewing these at us! Everytime I see an Aztek, I wonder if the driver is ashamed of it. Even my young KIDS laugh at it!

As for Hyundai...they have made amazing progress in quality, while Honda seems to be slipping a bit. How much of this is because my Pilot is a first year model...probably MOST. Still, on average Hondas are superior in reliability, customer satisfaction, and resale value to Hyundai. But they're hot on our tail. Scary, but good.

I don't think Alexandra's comments should have been taken as snobbery...I think apples to oranges was more intended to mean size of vehicle. They *are* in a different class. The Santa Fe competes with the CR-V, not the Pilot.

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ugly, on the other hand, is pretty obvious...

Beauty is only skin deep. Ugly, however, runs straight to the bone.

 

The fact that we paid 7K more for a Pilot is not apparent in the fit & finish, materials or engineering of the Pilot.

It will at trade in time :4:

 

... From Andrec8513's post, I'm guessing he's one of those people that has blindly been supporting the war effort and assuming that anyone whom asks questions is unpatriotic....it's that same "you're either with us or against us" mentality!...

If I'm understanding this right, then all of us that are happy with our Hondas are automatically supporting the war, no questions asked.

Ow! Ow!! Ow!!, I think I just got whiplash from that sudden leap of logic.

On the bright side, I guess that Fahrenheit 9/11 thread was just a bad dream.