2026 Pilot Trim Comparisons

A three-row that grew up without a redesign

This isn't an all-new Pilot, it's a mid-cycle refresh of the fourth generation that launched for 2023, and that's a point in its favor. The chassis, the V6, and the interior packaging that already earned strong marks stay put, while Honda spent the update budget on the parts owners actually touch every day. The old 9-inch touchscreen is gone, replaced by a 12.3-inch unit with Google built-in on every trim, including the base Sport. The instrument cluster grows to 10.2 inches across the board. And the power tailgate, previously reserved for pricier trims, now opens itself on all seven. For a household cross-shopping three-row SUVs on a Staten Island lot, that means the cheapest Pilot on the sticker no longer feels like the cheapest Pilot to live with.

Honda also quieted the cabin, semi-tempered door glass and added insulation cut down on wind and road noise, which matters more on the Staten Island Expressway than in a magazine test loop. The nose and grille pick up a bolder two-tone look, and buyers get two new colors, Smoke Blue Pearl and Solar Silver Metallic, plus a TrailSport-exclusive Ash Green Metallic.

One engine, one real decision: FWD or AWD

Every 2026 Pilot shares the same 3.5-liter V6, 285 horsepower, 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic. Honda doesn't publish a 0-60 number, treat any specific figure you see elsewhere as an estimate, not a spec. The real fork in the road is drivetrain. Sport and EX-L can be had in front-wheel drive, saving $2,100 off the AWD price, while TrailSport and every trim above it ship with Honda's i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive standard, no option box to check. FWD Pilots are EPA-rated 19 city / 27 highway and tow up to 3,500 pounds; AWD models drop slightly to 19/25 highway but tow up to 5,000 pounds, an important number if a boat or camper is part of the plan. TrailSport, riding on all-terrain tires, lands at 18/23/20.

For most Island driveways, the AWD question comes down to how the car handles the first bad-weather morning of the season, not the spec sheet. A Pilot that spends its life on cleared Hylan Boulevard pavement does fine in FWD; a household that regularly heads toward the hillier South Shore streets in winter, or just wants the traction margin, will feel the $2,100 upgrade the first icy week of January.

Choose your 2026 Pilot

What Pilot owners tell Honda of Staten Island

Honda of Staten Island carries a 4.4-star Google rating across roughly 2,700 reviews, and the Pilot shows up in them across nearly every model year the dealership has sold. One recent buyer wrote of his sales consultant, Mike Lopiano, a Gold Sales Consultant on the team: "He was excellent to work with- friendly, calm, and respectful. The whole process was quick and easy, with no hard sell or last minute fees/add-ons. It was a very good, transparent experience and I'm happy with my purchase." When a Pilot needed attention afterward, another owner described a fast fix: "Dealt with Will on an issue with my Honda Pilot, he was concerned, made phone calls and resolved the issue." Will Torres is a service advisor on the current team.

Reviews like those aren't outliers in the file, they're the pattern, buyers describing a process where the numbers matched what they were told, and a service department that follows up when something needs a second look.

Living with the Pilot after the sale

Ownership continues at 250 Parkinson Avenue, where the service department runs six days a week. The Pilot service & repair guide covers how the Maintenance Minder decides your schedule, what Staten Island's roads and salted winters do to a three-row SUV, and the annual New York inspection. The pricing & leasing guide works through NYC's 8.875% sales tax, monthly Honda incentives, and the lease-versus-buy math on a vehicle this size.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2026 Honda Pilot changing much this year?

It's a mid-cycle refresh, not a redesign, of the fourth-generation Pilot that debuted for 2023. The changes are real and trim-wide: a larger touchscreen with Google built-in, a bigger digital gauge cluster, a standard power tailgate and roof rails, and a quieter cabin, plus a new Touring Blackout appearance trim. The underlying platform and V6 carry over.

Will the 2027 Honda Pilot be redesigned?

Honda hasn't announced a next-generation Pilot. The 2026 model is a refresh of the current generation, not a placeholder ahead of an all-new one, so buying now doesn't mean skipping a redesign that's already been confirmed; none has been.

Is the 2026 Honda Pilot a good buy?

For families who want three real rows, a familiar V6 rather than a turbo-four or hybrid system, and a trim ladder that runs from budget-conscious to genuinely upscale, yes. The 2026 changes close most of the tech gap that used to separate the base Sport from the loaded trims, which makes the whole lineup a stronger buy than the outgoing car.

Does the Pilot come as a hybrid?

No. The 2026 Pilot is gas-only, built around the 3.5-liter V6. Honda doesn't offer a hybrid or plug-in variant of this model; buyers wanting a hybrid three-row from the brand would need to look at a different Honda model.

Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander?

Both are established three-row picks. The Pilot answers with more usable third-row space, a stronger available towing figure at 5,000 pounds AWD, and a trim ladder that runs all the way to the Black Edition's near-luxury equipment. The fair way to settle it is a back-to-back test drive, and the Pilot half of that comparison is available seven days a week on Parkinson Avenue.

Which Pilot trim should I test drive first?

Start at the ends: the Sport shows how much the 2026 refresh gave the base trim, the Black Edition shows the ceiling. Most buyers land in between, EX-L for value with leather, TrailSport for capability, Touring or Elite for comfort tech. Each trim has its own guide below.

Seven trims, one showroom

Reading a trim chart only gets a family so far, sitting in a Sport and a Black Edition back to back usually settles the debate faster than any spec sheet. Honda of Staten Island stocks the current lineup alongside its Certified Pre-Owned inventory, so a new 2026 Pilot and a 182-point-inspected used one can be cross-shopped under the same roof.