Payne: Get the Griswolds a Honda Pilot road-warrior
Posted by Talbot Payne on January 29, 2026
San Diego — Honda makes sensational hot hatches for gearheads with the ferocious, corner-carving Civic Type R at the front of the parade
The Honda Pilot is not that car.
The three-row SUV is Honda’s band leader for a different hatchback parade: ergonomically brilliant hatchback for families. If the driver-centric Civic Type R is built for adrenaline-pumping short sprints, Pilot is made for the long haul — a rolling living room for 4-7 passengers.

The 2026 Honda Pilot has gained a more rugged, truck-like look to conform with market fashion. But it’s still a relative wallflower on a San Diego beach compared to, say, a Hyundai Santa Fe or Chevy Traverse.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News


