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2003 Honda Pilot User Reviews

2003 Honda Pilot Review Ratings

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Average Ratings from 19 reviews

  • Performance:4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars 4.6 / 5
  • Appearance:4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars 4.2 / 5
  • Build Quality:4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars4.7 out of 5 stars 4.7 / 5
  • Overall:4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars4.6 out of 5 stars 4.6 / 5

Review Highlights Click to filter reviews below

PROS
"power" 7 reviews
"space" 6 reviews
"ride" 5 reviews
"handling" 5 reviews
"comfortable car" 3 reviews
CONS
"fuel economy" 4 reviews
"noise" 2 reviews

User Reviews

Displaying 1 - 10 of 19 reviews 12 Next
Tommy writes:
2003 Honda Pilot LX AWD Review
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Pros

mmmmm, how 'bout everything!

Cons

kinda underpowered

75

Just My Take On It — Well, when i first saw it at the dealership, i wanted it terribly. I just fell in love with it. Everything about it, the shiny black, chrome trim, leather interior, not to mention, its a honda, which comes with honda quality and reliability. I couldnt wait to test drive it, and when i did, i was happier than a pig in shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, uhh, mud. one thing dissappointed me though, which still haunts me to today, is the lack of power. Its not bad at all really, your not going to be beating the carlos and the 'stangs at the stop lights, but its bearable. Annoying at times, considering that i live out in the sticks, which means daily scaling steep hills to get to and fro, which in turn means watching the tach jumping from a cozy 1500 to 2800. Its painful but we all bear our crosses.lol. That being said, i just love it!! The braking is the tightest and smoothest of any vehicle i ever drove, the response timing is delightful, and steering is all the above and then some! The Pilot is the best handling truck in the wind i ever seen. Seriously, with the radio blasting, i would never know i was in a tornado until i landed in kansas. Now i have the lx so maybe this is cheating, but the stock sound system is great sounding and the only changes im making to that is adding another sub or 2 for bass, but other than that, everything is just fine! The interior is very plush and surprisingly handy,and i never cease to hear compliments when i give someone a ride.For those with no boose in the house, or whose dealer wont text back cuz you still owe him $25 from last time and so you have nothing else to do but read this, i live right in the heart, or more like the large intestine of wisconsin, so our winters are'nt the worst, but they're nasty. And since im a maintenance guy at a hotel and a church, i always have to drive in these storms, and when the roads are always at they're worst. Never missed a day of work, or was even late because of 6in of unplowed snow on the roads. The pilot plowed through some of the worst storms and even high snow drifts i have ever seen, with ease.I still cant get over how smoothly it handled and easy to control the steering was on the daunting roads. Find yourself an empy parking lot, and some drifting is also easy and very fun! My honda is also one of the lowest maintenance cars ive seen. Gas mileage, well, that varies from person to person, but i got no complaints.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Honda1fan writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX AWD Review
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Pros

Plenty of cargo space for family hauling...sports equipment, Christmas trees, groceries, baby stuff.  Easy to handle and decent gas mileage for its size and power.  I found I got better mileage, particularly on the highway, than estimated.  The best thing about this SUV is that the back deck window is flat so you can actually see out of it.  Those SUVs with curved windows are almost impossible to see out of.

Cons

No real negatives except that I wish manufacturers would do a better job of sound proofing all makes and models!

Honda1fan
30

I Loved This Car! I Just Don't Need A Third Car Anymore. — There is nothing to dislike about this car. It looks great, it is a great family car for hauling the kids with all their equipment and the rear fold down seating (3rd row) is a bonus we have used many times. It may be a little cramped for adults for a long trip, but not bad for short ones. The second row of seats is plenty roomy. Good driving in all weather. Extremely reliable car.

Primary Use: Family transportation

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Justin writes:
2003 Honda Pilot LX AWD Review
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Pros

Its the Best thing for traveling!!!

Cons

Nothing!!

45

Its Amazing!!!! — This car is simply amazing!! Has great pickup on he road!! I havn't ever had any problems with this car, just the normal oil change and tires. It has great gas mileage! It pulls my trailer great, and my boat. The Dvd player in the back is nice on trips to orlando and tennessee, it keeps everyone quiet. the AWD is nice cause I don't have to be shy in the mud!! Its just all around a great vehicle!!

Primary Use: Commuting to work

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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yellowjacket33 writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX-L AWD Review
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Pros

This is a very nice, clean and Honda dependable SUV.  I just replaced the battery with an AC/Delco and replaced both headlight bulbs.  (The headlights are clear and bright).

Cons

This Pilot has a third row seat that would be a little tight for taller individuals.

yellowjacket33
25

Clean Title With No Accidents — The only thing that I do not like are the front seat headrests as they do not adjust. The drivers side has a power seat and the passenger side is manual. The second row of seats have a slight recline that is nice. There is good leg room in the middle row and not so much in the third row. The V6-240 horse power has adequate acceleration and I was very pleased with the gas mileage. It is a midsized SUV that you feel that you are in control of.

Primary Use: Family transportation

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HMF writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX AWD Review
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Pros

Nice over all. Smooth. Tight feel.

Cons

Not fond of front wheel drive.

HMF
20

Fine Car For The Price — It's a Honda. Drive like a front wheel drive even though it also has 4x4. It's not flashy, but seems reliable. Fuel mileage seems better than other suv's in its class. Nice radio. This is not my style, but I can see why it would be a favorite for some.

Primary Use: Family transportation

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hibern8r writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX-L AWD Review
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Pros

Rock solid. Plenty of power! Can you say Vtec? Comfortable inside. Hot heat and cold a/c. Stops quickly for such a heavy vehicle. Cargo room.

Cons

None.

hibern8r
25

Best Family Car To Have If You Really Don't Wnat A Mini Van. — This car is comfortable on long trips. Can swallow 4' x 8' sheets of whatever. Is generally very reliable. What I don't like is that Honda knows this transmission has a built in design flaw. I've had mine repaired rather than let Honda put the same thing back in. It has a solid look and feel to it.

Primary Use: Family transportation

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Killian writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX AWD Review
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Pros

The Honda for a family not wanting an Oddysey

Cons

???

95

Taking Care Of Bidness When My Crz Can't. — Strong V6 acceleration and it's a Honda for those that don't want an Oddysey. Although my oold Civic Si and EX handled immensely better, they were both stranded in the driveway when it snowed. I don't miss that steep, winding sloping cul du sac whatsoever...

Primary Use: Family transportation

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fnyldy1938 writes:
2003 Honda Pilot LX AWD Review
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Pros

Handles well

Cons

Tendancy to roll in tight, fast cornering

fnyldy1938
25

I Would Buy Another In A Minute With A Tow Kit — Early model has only acceptable mileage Handles well in bad weather may roll in turns Nicely styled Lasts forever but maintenance is high I can't say this is a fun car unless you need space for large family and shopping

Primary Use: Utility (towing boats, transporting cargo, etc.)

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dbwester writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX AWD Review
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Performance:
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Pros

Reliable.  Comfortable Ride.  Lots of Room.

Cons

Not a sports car.

dbwester
25

This Is A Great Family Vehicle. — Honda Pilots are well known as vehicles that are well built and perform better than most of their SUV competitors. Better acceleration and ride; better fuel economy. Better repair history. Consistent styling that allows an older model to retain its value. An SUV is NOT expected to be fun to drive - but this sure beats driving a mini-van!

Primary Use: Family transportation

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John writes:
2003 Honda Pilot EX AWD Review
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Performance:
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Pros

It will get you there.

Cons

Gas guzzler

25

I Love This Car — Great car on snow, rain, dry roads. Steering is tight and responsive. Excellent pickup and rides well at high speeds on the highway. It drinks gas like it's .25 a gallon. Great for hauling the whole family as you can fold down the seats to fit 8 or hide them away to have a huge compartment for moving your best friends.

Primary Use: Family transportation

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 19 reviews 12 Next
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Similar Cars Compared to a 2003 Honda Pilot

2003 Honda Pilot 2003 Toyota Highlander 2003 Acura MDX
2003 Honda Pilot EX AWD picture, exterior
Picture of 2003 Toyota Highlander Limited V6 4WD, exterior
2003 Acura MDX Touring picture, exterior
Cost $8,645 Average Instant Market Value $10,672 Average Instant Market Value $10,300 Average Instant Market Value
Gas Mileage (highway) 21 22 21
Horsepower 240 155 260
Crash Test Rating 5 4 4
Cargo Volume (cu. ft.) 14.8
Front Leg Room (inches) 41.4 40.7 41.5

Reviews From Other Years

2012 Honda Pilot Reviews

Love My Pilot! By Tommer45

Other than poor city gas mileage I have nothing bad to say about my 2012 Pilot. I had a 2010 and the '12 is so much more refined. The engine is great, road noise is improved, the dash and cabin make ... Read More

Read all 2012 Honda Pilot reviews

2011 Honda Pilot Reviews

Lovely Honda Pilot! By Paul

2nd Pilot for me. Owned a 2007 EX-L Navy in white and traded when it hit 130Kmiles in 2011. Moved to this Pearl Touring Edition and loved it. Father in law liked it so much that he purchased the exact... Read More

Great Family Car By mmoore0405

This is a great car for a family. Very spacious in all three rows. Good gas mileage for an SUV. The features for the Touring edition are second to none. The Navigation features along with rear seat en... Read More

Read all 5 2011 Honda Pilot reviews

2010 Honda Pilot Reviews

Great Family Hauler By rjreisch

I really enjoyed owning this vehicle however the fuel costs made it an uneconomical vehicle. Once the cost of gas went over $4.00 a gallon we decided that we were going to find something a little less... Read More

Thought It Would Be Better On Gas Mileage By Giovanna26

Love that it is nice and roomy and has a third row. I did think though that it would get a bit more miles to the gallon. But for this type of vehicle, I guess its expected. Drives nice and smooth. ... Read More

Read all 4 2010 Honda Pilot reviews

2009 Honda Pilot Reviews

Great Family Car. By NYCCarSeller

Love the car but its too big for NYC. We thought we'd use it a lot more than we did so decided to sell it off. Never gave us any trouble. Actually seats 8 comfortably. Great for a biggish family. Read More

Great Suv At Great Price! By pjinnc

Excellent condition and very clean! Great performance with good gas mileage. Reason for selling: getting company car. Purchased in May 2008-- 2 weeks after 2009's arrived. Mostly highway miles. N... Read More

Read all 8 2009 Honda Pilot reviews

2008 Honda Pilot Reviews

Great Family Mover By forttie5

Great functional and safe. Wonderful for the whole family. Cant say enough good things about it. I have never had a single issue with the Truck since the day I had other than routine maintenance and f... Read More

A Winner For A Family By forttie5

Very reliable and functional. Never an issue outside of routine maintenance. Great capacity and functionality for a family. strongly recommend to others. Very nice vehicle. A last shot before selling ... Read More

Read all 18 2008 Honda Pilot reviews
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