Used 2011 Honda Pilot for Sale nearHickory, NC

Looking to start a small daycare or baby delivery - no, not that kind of baby delivery - service? The 2011 Honda Pilot may be the sports utility vehicle for you. The Pilot rates well for safety, seats eight overall, and features anchor positions for four child safety seats, just right for anyone with a family full of youngsters.

Of course, the Pilot’s just right for many others, too. Reviewers and owners love its smooth and comfortable ride, the way it handles, and its roominess, even in its third-row seats. The rear seats split and fold flat to allow a 4-foot sheet of plywood to ride flat.

The experts find the Pilot, with its five-speed automatic transmission and 3.5-liter V6 with 250 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque, plenty powerful enough.

The Pilot comes in four trims, the base LX, the EX, the EX-L, and Touring, and each is available with either front-wheel (FWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD). Properly equipped, FWD versions can tow up to 3,500 pounds, and the 4WD versions, 4,500.

Each step up in trim ups the ante in Pilot gadgets and features. The LX offers a front and rear air conditioning system, keyless entry, an AM/FM/CD stereo system with seven speakers including a subwoofer, trip computer, and an integrated Class III towing receiver.

A 10-way power driver’s seat, tri-zone automatic climate control system, 6-CD changer, exterior temperature indicator, and security system are a few of the add-ons for the 2011 Honda Pilot EX. The EX-L bumps it up further to leather-trimmed seating surfaces, a moonroof, a 4-way powered front passenger seat, and heated front seats.

The Touring trim comes standard with a navigation system with rear-view camera, beefed-up sound system, an entertainment system for the rear of the vehicle, and a power tailgate among its extras.

Redesigned for 2009, the 2011 Honda Pilot remains mostly unchanged from 2010, and it does have its detractors.

Some reviewers remain unimpressed by the vehicle’s boxy design. Others think Honda ought to be able to do better than the Pilot’s gas mileage numbers of 17 city/23 highway mpg in FWD models and 16/22 in 4WDs. Concerns with the braking distances on the Pilot, the quality of interior materials, and the design of gauges and dashboard controls are also issues with the experts.

For buyers, the 2011 Honda Pilot’s nice ride and spaciousness for both people - the young triplets will love it - and cargo may trump any of that.