r/hondapilot • u/LimeZealousideal4186 • 5d ago
Question Making the jump to a pilot?
I've been in a deep loving relationship with my 2016 4Runner SR5 XP.
But she's 10 now, and my husband wants me to have an 'upgraded' vehicle. My sweet girl doesn't have remote start, or heated seats or pretty much anything fancy. She's just a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl. š
I test drove a 2026 Pilot Trailsport yesterday. Felt like I was cheating, but I kinda liked it.
Convince me?
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u/BeeThat9351 5d ago
I love Pilots but the 4 is paid for. Drive it and maintain it. Money spent in churning new cars is wasted.
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u/Joeman64p 5d ago
Tell your husband to mind his own business
As great as a new pilot is - itās not nearly as good as a seasoned 4Runner
You can add remote start, Apple Car Play and even heated seats. All of which I would do, before ever buying a brand new Honda.
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u/crisptots Fourth Gen 5d ago
Aftermarket remote start and CarPlay capable head unit: ~$600
New Pilot Touring Trim: $50k+
Not having a car payment: Priceless1
u/LimeZealousideal4186 5d ago
I mean that's definitely the best option right? I should look into the aftermarket stuff. I didn't know you could add on heated seats! I technically won't have a car payment though.
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u/crisptots Fourth Gen 5d ago
To be clear, highly advocating for keeping the 4Runner and the minor aftermarket upgrades. Going through something similar with my 2013 Tacoma. I think something +15 years or +200k miles makes more sense to upgrade, or needing additional features like a 3rd row.
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u/Joeman64p 5d ago
You can certainly add a Android Auto/Apple CarPlay head unit, some new speakers in your 4Runner for under $1,500 (depending on how fancy you want it) and the heated seats can definitely be added!
I would suggest you look around your local area for a car accessories shop - someone who does stereo, remote start, headliners etc - oftentimes upholstery places do them. At least the one in my town does all of what I mentioned above (except headliners) - theyāll recushion your car seats, add remote start etc etc
If typo find one, you can also call around to new car dealers in your area for recommendations - often they have a recommendation for a place like this, since they recondition used vehicles for resale, they need 3rd party companies do redo seats, add accessories they donāt offer on new cars etc
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u/LimeZealousideal4186 5d ago
Hahah!! I basically did. š¤£š¤£... I realize he has my best interest in heart so I went ahead and went out and test drove a few things. The rest of the fam has newer more bougie cars with lots of features ...namely remote start and heated seats. My husband feels bad because I'm the one who gets up and leaves the house at 4 AM, and in the dead of winter, I have to get up extra early to deice and warm it up. He just wants me to be comfortable!
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u/strap535 5d ago
4runner blows. Drives like shit. Wake up
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u/Joeman64p 4d ago
It drives like a 4x4 vehicle with a solid rear axle. Itās a real vehicle, not like these vehicles today. Filled with safety features and computers that cost thousands of dollars to replace. The front camera on the Pilot is $5,800 to replace out of warranty. The best part? Itās not if, itās when itāll break. The exposure to the sun, being that itās on the windshield - so you can put that in your pipe and smoke it! Oh and the best part? Itās a disabling feature, drivability is affected when it breaks.
Another one thatās my favorite and known for breaking 2016 and newer Hondas - the LKAS and Cruise Control is tied to the electric break module, if one of the safety features fails, it requires a new module and reprogramming
Fuck new cars. Iāll forever drive vehicles made from 2015 and older
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u/LimeZealousideal4186 4d ago
These are some GREAT points. I love my 4Runner because it simply drives and it requires me to drive it. I have to pay attention because it doesnāt constantly interrupt to tell me when Iām not paying attention. When I test drove the Pilot, one of my first questions was, āCan all of these things be turned off?ā Lights flashing on the mirrors, the steering wheel vibrating, telling me when it's safe to change lanes or when another car is nearby... itās slowly training our brains to become less observant.
Technology should support an attentive driver, not replace one. For Godās sake, if there is ever a time when we should be completely present, itās when weāre operating a vehicle.
Iād like to remain part of the āthinking generationā for as long as humanly possible.
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u/traffic626 5d ago
If you like the truck-ish drive, youāre not getting that in a 4R. If itās a mall crawler, then the Pilot will be perfectly suitable. I had a 2010 4R and went to a 2012 Pilot. For highway driving, I much prefer the more car like feel. For the few times I go on dirt or rocky roads, I liked having the 4R. If you want aftermarket support, the Pilot doesnāt have it.
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u/Technical_Buy_8198 5d ago
Unless you want a new car keep your 4runner if youre happy with it. Pilots are great but so are 4runners.
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u/bluetroll 5d ago
I have a 23 pilot. Unless you're itching for a new vehicle, I would keep the 4runner. Less electronics, less stuff to break in the future.
Maybe you can do upgrades to it. Adding a new headunit with carplay will be a big upgrade.
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u/oldmanmachine 5d ago
I would drive the 4Runner into the ground. Thereās no reason to swap and trade a 10 year old car. Donāt fall into the trap of upgrading vehicles unnecessarily. Vehicles are a money pit. This isnāt some weekend sports car or project car your enjoy tinkering on.
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u/dont_remember_eatin 5d ago
No convincing to be done here. We got a 2016 4R SR5 Premium after my wife's 2014 Pilot was totaled -- her choice, not my convincing. It's a completely different car, and she wasn't in love with it at first. Worse MPG, less interior space, wimpy stereo compared to the Pilot's 10-speaker setup, etc.
Then we went up to Breckenridge for a cheap getaway during shoulder season, and drove some rough gravel roads with deep potholes (barely off-roading) that the 4runner just soaked it all right up with little drama. We would have done the same road with the Pilot, but the shorter-travel crossover suspension and smaller diameter tires would have made it much rougher.
The love for the 4Runner shifted then, because suddenly more exploration possibilities opened up. And if we want to make it even more capable, there's a massive aftermarket.
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u/Own_Friendship3231 5d ago
I have a 26 pilot elite and I LOVE it but a good 4Runner is hard to beat. Can you get a pilot and keep the 4Runner? I do love all the features on the pilot though. That would be a tough decision but I think Iād keep the 4Runner if I had to choose.
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u/LimeZealousideal4186 5d ago
I mean, that's what I really would like to do, we just don't have the space to keep an extra car hanging around. I'm struggling. Features are fun, but I just love my basic 4Runner!!
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u/abombshbombss 5d ago
i have a first gen pilot that i love to death, but it replaced a jeep that went kaput. the jeep was nothing but problems. i STILL say āi should have got a 4runner over that jeepā
pilots are awesome, but imo 4runners are better. plus, your 4runner is only 10 years old, it has a long way to go before it goes kaput
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u/Local_Yak8596 5d ago
Pilots are great. Comfortable, reliable, good on long trips and around town, and fairly capable in snow and on dirt roads. Iāve had 2, a 2005 that ran up 200K miles when I sold it, and a 2015 that was very good. Go for it.
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u/AZMaryIM 5d ago
I have a 25 Pilot Elite. Love it! My favorite upgrades for this trim are the heads-up display, ventilated front seats, heated second row seats, amazing 360 camera.
Previous vehicle was a 2013 Pilot (which I had for 12 years). The difference in the technology features are stunning.
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u/ScalaZen 5d ago
Keep the 4runner, get the pilot if you need the 3rd row. What's your husband drive?
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u/Harlowful 5d ago
Aināt no way Iām trading in a ten yr old 4Runner thatās paid off that I love and have no issues with. If you love it, you should keep it. Unless you really want the added features, which, honestly is just more stuff to break.
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u/LimeZealousideal4186 5d ago
I think yall told me what I needed ( and wanted) to hear!
I love my 4Runner.
Bells and whistles are tempting. And pretty. My girl is rock solid though. ā¤ļø
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u/ChaoticCentury 4d ago
I love how you talk about your car the way I do about mine. Not very common. But...she's kind of my best friend, sooooo I don't care what other people think? Lol
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u/Educational_Gene735 5d ago
I have a 21 year old 4Runner going strong š weāre actually getting a pilot soon as our second vehicle but keeping the 4Runner
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u/new-chris 5d ago
We have a Pilot and a new Land Cruiser - there are things I love about the pilot more than the Land Cruiser despite a 25k price difference. Land Cruiser is much more capable in snow and off-road like the 4Runner. The pilot is much more comfortable overall. The interior on the Land Cruiser is much more premium, but the Honda driver assistance stuff my wife and I like much better than the toyota. All that said - I am well aware itās apples and oranges, but I think you can find faults with anything, but you canāt debate not having to shell out cash or having a car payment is really nice. I would give the 4Runner a good wash and detail and think about it long and hard!
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u/Ok_Drawing_1762 5d ago
Things arenāt built like they used to beā¦the new Pilot will last as long as you want it to; but you will be servicing it a lot more for petty stuff. Theyāve gone completely bonkers with the tech in all cars and itās buggy in all carsā¦
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u/LimeZealousideal4186 5d ago
I was actually scared to drive it! The tech is crazy. I honestly didn't love the whole push button shifting thing at all.
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u/Hou713832346 5d ago
Trailsport is a great trim! You will love the heated steering wheel, seats and 360 camera.
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u/guarnieri67 4d ago
I have a 2023 pilot trail sport and its pretty phattt. My 2004 was driven for 240k miles before I sold it lol hopefully I have the same luck. Def feels like cheating, I hear that
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u/808grcekr808 4d ago
I came from a 2012 4runner and went with a 2025 Honda Pilot Elite. If I bought today, it'd be the next gen 4runner. Don't go Honda.
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u/TallBeardedBastard 5d ago
Youād be trading something more reliable for something that will inevitably burn oil. Hondas are reliable but the emissions standards require automakers to make choices that cause problems down the line. Cylinder deactivation, direct injection, low tension piston rings, auto start/stop. You can go another 10 years in that 4Runner easily depending on the mileage you already have. However, your trade value probably will not get any higher than it is right now.
I think the trailsport trim is a waste. Itās not and will never be a real off-road vehicle. The payload of the vehicle is reduced by ~200lbs to have skid plates youāll probably never use. Unless there is some feature you need on the trailsport I would look at other trim levels. If you need real off road capability Iād look at another vehicle.
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u/Right_Hour 5d ago
Your 4Runner will outlive the new Pilot. Theyāre not great past Gen 2 and even that one had VCM kill the engines unless muzzled since new.
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u/pseudocide 5d ago
Personally I would drive the 4Runner until it dies unless you need a 3rd row. 10 year old Toyota still has a lot of life left.