1st post: 4Runner vs. Pilot

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a4passata6

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I am comparing both to purchase in the next two months. I am hoping the 4Runner people in this forum can give me some benfits and drawbacks to owning an 2005 SR5 4X4 vs a 2005 Pilot EX without leather.

Thanks in advance.
 
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a4passata6 said:
I am comparing both to purchase in the next two months. I am hoping the 4Runner people in this forum can give me some benfits and drawbacks to owning an 2005 SR5 4X4 vs a 2005 Pilot EX without leather.

Thanks in advance.
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Not really a good comparison. The Honda would be better compared to a Highlander.

Since you are even considering the Honda than you probably don't care about having Low 4WD and therefore the 4runner is probably more TRUCK than you need.

The Honda will ride nicer, have better gas mileage and is *probably* roomier with more cargo space.

Unless you tow something heavy or desire a more formidable 4wd truck then the Honda will be better.
 
My in-laws bought a new Pilot the weekend I bought my new Runner. They have leather, rear DVD and third row of seats.

Tbox is correct. Pilot drives like an elevated Accord. Smooth power, good room, quiet. The leather is nice, DVD is awesome and the third row seat is habitable by only kids. I sat (volunteered) for a 45 minute drive in the widow maker seat, I couldn't feel my legs when we got there. Plus climbing back and out is a feat of gymnastics. And I was sitting sideways. Pilot uses clutch packs in its diffs and 4wd system. Meaning you have to change the oil like every 7500 miles. It also comes stock with highway tires, no A/T.

4Runner is a truck. It has smooth power, comfortable seats and is quiet for a truck, but I have a Borla, so I am not really looking for quiet. I want it to sound like a truck. All mechanicals are gear driven=more reliable, less maintenance.

I wouldn't take the Pilot off of a dirt road. The Runner has been driven down a hill through a wooded trail and tackled anything a 65 acre ranch can dish out.

IMHO, you can't go wrong choosing either vehicle. It is really a matter of personal preference.

One thing I keep in mind everytime I see an Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline and MDX is they are all basically the same vehicle with different makeup. All car based vehicles.

The 4Runner is based on the Tundra, Land Cruiser and Sequoia, all tough and tumble trucks.

In your mind, do you want to drive a tough truck or a mall queen?

BTW...the power steering pump went out in the Pilot the first weekend. Dealer claims they have never had that happen before and pirated a pump from another Pilot on their lot.

http://hondapilot.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=2521&highlight=hard+start+key

A long Pilot thread about the pump going out more frequently than the dealer will admit.
 
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Welcome to the forums.

If you're planning on doing any off-roading the 4Runner is your vehicle. The Pilot is plenty capable, but wasn't really designed for that purpose. I considered a Pilot because I don't do much off-roading, but ultimately chose the 4Runner because the Pilots were selling for near MSRP (back in 2003).
 
Re: Re: 1st post: 4Runner vs. Pilot

toybox said:
Not really a good comparison. The Honda would be better compared to a Highlander.

Since you are even considering the Honda than you probably don't care about having Low 4WD and therefore the 4runner is probably more TRUCK than you need.

The Honda will ride nicer, have better gas mileage and is *probably* roomier with more cargo space.

Unless you tow something heavy or desire a more formidable 4wd truck then the Honda will be better.
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Th Highlander is a no-go due to impossibility of getting into the 3rd row seat. The Pilot also has an odd seating position for the driver.

One thing I really like about the 4Runner is the way the second row seat "tumble" forward allowing easy access to the 3rd row.

I do some hunting and fishing which I now use my Suburban for. But it would be nice to take the 4Runner as my Suburban is a 1986 and sometimes I wonder if I ever will make it back!
 
My brother has a Pilot. He snapped it up nearly the minute he test drove it because of the smooth ride (he drove 4runner, also). We both have the first "4 wheel drive" vehicles we've ever had. We've taken them out together to mess around off road and one thing you should know is the lack of low range gearing is absolutely HUGE if you intend to mess around off road at all. This, by far, is the single most important thing that separates them and puts them in a different class. He's totally locked out of coming along on the places I go because of the lack of this one simple feature.
 
Remember that the safety of the third row seats is not tested. Most of these vehicles are not available with the third row when sold in Europe due to different safety standards. I'd think twice about putting kids back in any third row seat.

If third row seating is essential to you, you might want to look at minivans.
 
I agree with JungleJim. If third-row seating is important, I would look at a full-size SUV (Sequoia, Tahoe, Expedition, etc.) or, better yet, a minivan.

Of the Pilot, Highlander and 4Runner, I think the 4Runner has the worst third row. I'm shorter than the average person (5' 4" tall) but even I would not be comfortable riding in the 4Runner's third row for any length of time.

I considered the Pilot on my short list of vehicles. Neither off-road capability nor third-row seat was a priority for me.

Two pluses for the Pilot: factory leather (possible on the 4Runner only on the $35K+ Limited) and a roomier interior.

Minuses for the Pilot: I did not like the column-mounted shifter; some of the interior materials (i.e. the center console storage area) seemed flimsy and cheap compared to the 4Runner; and it was not very exciting to look at inside or out.
 
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We were debating on the two as well, until we asked the famous question - Do you want to be a soccer mom with enough 4 wheel drive to get you out of the ditch back onto a road, or do you want a 4x4 that will get you over a mountain? :D Don't get me wrong, I had a honda before my 4R and it was the best car that I have ever had, but the salesman even told me that it wasn't built for offroad stuff, it was built for getting out of a ditch or driving on snow and ice. He said it, not me.
 
Sac State said:

One thing I keep in mind everytime I see an Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline and MDX is they are all basically the same vehicle with different makeup. All car based vehicles.

The 4Runner is based on the Tundra, Land Cruiser and Sequoia, all tough and tumble trucks.
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actually the ridgeline is a real truck. with a closed-box frame and locking rear differentials..
 
JungleJim said:
Remember that the safety of the third row seats is not tested. Most of these vehicles are not available with the third row when sold in Europe due to different safety standards. I'd think twice about putting kids back in any third row seat.

If third row seating is essential to you, you might want to look at minivans.
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3rd row seat safety is not tested on minivans either. The 3rd row seating in minivans is actually what prompted the NHTSA and Insurance companies to probe 3rd row safety.

If you are considering a 3rd row, remember this... a minivan has the 3rd row at the level of the bumper of most trucks (minvan bumper is low). The tailgates are large and light which makes them structurally susceptable to being pushed in. SUV 3rd rows are generally higher than minivans and the rear bumper of a 4Runner or Suburban will line up with most trucks. Keep in mind that the 3rd row on the 4Runner is only comfortable for 10 year olds and under.
 
a4passata6 bought a 4runner.

I may have been in a Ridgeline if it weren't for the 5-speed transmission problems I had in my Acura. Honda did improve the transmission for the Ridgeline. Heck, if I did not have the problems, I'd still have the Acura. I never considered a Pilot.

I wish the 4Runner would come with leather and nav for 31k. But quality has it's price. :D
 
boston_kevin said:
If you are considering a 3rd row, remember this... a minivan has the 3rd row at the level of the bumper of most trucks (minvan bumper is low). The tailgates are large and light which makes them structurally susceptable to being pushed in. SUV 3rd rows are generally higher than minivans and the rear bumper of a 4Runner or Suburban will line up with most trucks. Keep in mind that the 3rd row on the 4Runner is only comfortable for 10 year olds and under.
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I've heard the opposite. Minivans 3rd row is farther away from the rear of the vehicle, in SUV's they are closer to the rear and people are more suseptible to be hit by or hit the rear parts of the vehicle.
 
depends on the minivan I guess... The standard length vans from Chrysler, Ford, and Toyota hve the headrests within 8 inches of the glass. 4Runner's 3rd row headrest is the same distance, but the seats are smaller. If you want the 3rd row, Suburban is the safest.
 
That Ridgeline is so ugly........

slowginjoe said:
actually the ridgeline is a real truck. with a closed-box frame and locking rear differentials..
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Uuggghhh! that Ridgeline is so ugly it would make a train jump off its tracks and take a dirt road.

That has got to be the second ugliest vehicle around. The Pontiac Aztec is the Whoopie Goldberg of cars. The Ridgeline's front end is the Tom Petty of front ends.

It's a shrunken mini-me to the Avalanche......

to call the Ridgeline a truck just because it has a closed boxed frame and locking rear diffs is like saying Roseanne Barr is just like Paris Hilton because they have the same type of female anatomy.......just the thought of that makes me want to lose my lunch......
 
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