You Can Now Buy an 8-Seat Honda Pilot for Less Than $40K

Were you interested in the redesigned-for-2023 Honda Pilot’s eight-seat, three-row utility, but wanted to spend less than $40,000 to get it? Good news! Honda has added a cheaper Pilot LX trim level that drags the price of entry down from the front-wheel-drive Pilot Sport’s $40,425 ask while still delivering core Pilot goodness. You can even get the new Pilot LX with all-wheel drive without cracking the forty grand mark.

The fact that Honda is no longer commanding an arm, leg, and possibly a few of your internal organs for the newest Pilot—an eight seater SUV—is rather commendable, even if it’s likely that cold economics drove the automaker to lower the Pilot’s price, not warm and fuzzy feelings. Kia’s class-leading Telluride, which also comes standard with eight seats spread across three rows, has an entry-level LX trim of its own that starts at $37,255, well below the until-now-cheapest Pilot, the Sport.

Like the Kia, the Honda comes with a rather decent V-6 powering the front or all four wheels; the 3.5-liter engine makes 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque and powers every 2023 Pilot model from the LX on up to the off-road-ready TrailSport version. Front-wheel drive is standard on all but the TrailSport, which includes the other models’ optional i-VTM4 all-wheel drive along with a specific Trail Torque Logic system.

It’s An Entry Level Trim

To get the Pilot LX’s price down, Honda bakes in some limitations. The LX gets only four drive modes: Normal Economy, Snow, and Tow. Other versions get a Sport mode on front-drive variants and Trail and Sand modes on the AWD versions. The LX also goes without parking sensors, low-speed automated braking control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. You also lose comfort items such as a HomeLink Remote System, auto dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel, larger 9.0-inch infotainment display, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, or a 12-volt cargo area power outlet. You’ll also only get one interior color (gray) and the choice of two no-cost paint colors (Modern Steel Metallic and Crystal Black Pearl). Platinum White Pearl is available for $455.

Not a Penalty Box, Of Course

If you can do without the other Pilots’ niceties, the Pilot LX is well equipped for its price point. You’ll still get the Honda Sensing active safety features minus the low-speed automated braking and blind-spot monitoring we listed above. Also included are dual zone climate control, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow and traffic jam assist, and automatic high-beam headlights, among other convenience items and ADAS features. It even comes with hill assist systems for descent control and start assist.

While you won’t get the wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the standard, wired versions are still included along with Bluetooth phone and audio streaming capabilitie and a 3.0-amp USB Type C charging port up front to go along with the 2.5-amp USB A port for charging and using as an interface and a dual 2.5-amp USB A rear port for the second row passengers.

It’s Under $40,000

The 2023 Honda Pilot LX starts at just $35,950 with seating for eight people and front-wheel drive (plus up to 27 mpg on an EPA highway cycle; it’s rated for 19 in the city and 22 combined). Driving all four wheels will only set you back another $2,100, bringing the AWD Pilot LX’s price tag to $39,395 and lowering the EPA-estimated highway and combined figures by 2 and 1 mpg.

2023 Honda Pilot Pricing

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