Honda the automaker, big brother to Honda Marine, is a company that understands boats — which is why its midsize SUV, the Pilot, bears two tow ratings: 4,500 pounds for boat trailers, and a 3,500-pound rating for everything else. Same engine, same suspension, same tow package, same everything — but different tow ratings and a definite perk for boaters. Sweet.

To put this into perspective, a rating of 4,500 pounds is enough to tow a 22-foot Stingray 220 LX runabout, whereas a rating of 3,500-pounds would limit you to a much smaller 18-foot 180 RX. Do the math, and you can see the benefit Honda offers boaters. Why does Honda do it? Because its engineers realize the aerodynamic design of boats reduces drag on the tow vehicle and is less taxing on the powertrain and other key components. So why don’t other automakers follow Honda’s example? Go figure.

Not only does the EX-L Pilot give the boater a towing bonus, but the vehicle is also recognized as one of the best values in the midsize SUV market. The Pilot is solidly designed, has outstanding fit and finish, is known for component longevity, and offers great performance. The Pilot is built on a strong, truck-based unit-body design — a plus when it comes to the added demands of towing — and boasts a sophisticated suspension system, featuring MacPherson struts in front and a multilink independent rear. As a result, the Pilot handles superbly for such a large and heavy vehicle.

With fuel prices soaring nearly as high as the space shuttle, it’s nice to know two-wheel-drive (2WD) Pilots come standard with Honda’s i-VTEC engine. This 3.5L V6 engine features Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), which deactivates three of the engine’s six cylinders during cruising and deceleration to improve overall fuel efficiency. If you were to use the Pilot solely for towing, however, the VCM feature would rarely kick in due to the added load of the boat and trailer.

The 4WD model comes with the non-VCM, VTEC 3.5L engine. Each engine, however, puts out 244 hp and 240 pounds per foot of torque, and is coupled with a smooth five-speed automatic transmission.

The subject of Boating World’s test is the 4WD Pilot with amenity-laden, top-of-the-line EX-L trim. (Other trim levels are base EL and up-level EX.) With a 22-foot, 4,500-pound Centurion Air Warrior ski boat from Castaic Marine in tow, the non-VCM-equipped test rig nets 8.8 miles per gallon (mpg). Because the towed weight is at the Pilot’s maximum-allowed capacity, acceleration from 0 to 60 mph is a rather anemic 19.6 seconds, which is something to consider when you’re merging into highway traffic. Without the boat, though, acceleration improves dramatically to 8.3 seconds, and fuel economy increases to 18.4 mpg.

The Pilot can seat an entourage of up to eight passengers, but if you intend to carry that many, you should plan on putting small children or extremely slender adults in the third row. All passengers, no matter where they sit, will be well-protected, thanks to standard front- and side-curtain airbags with rollover sensors. In government crash test ratings, the Pilot rates extremely high. It also rates extremely high in another category — as a tow vehicle for boaters.

---

Honda Pilot 4WD EX-L NAV

Engine: VTEC 3.5L V6
Horsepower: 244
Torque: 240 lbs.-ft.
Passengers: 8
Ground Clearance (min.): 8 inches
Cargo Capacity (max.): 87.6 cubic feet
Towing Capacity: 4,500 lbs.
Fuel Economy As Tested: 8.8/18.4 mpg (towing/non-towing)
Price As Tested: $36,040