The third-generation Honda Pilot SUV is like the third bowl of porridge Goldilocks sampled: just right. It's more stylish and less truck-like than the previous two Pilots, and features a full complement of Honda Sensing driver-assist technology. Some drivers might not like the glass-faced touch screen LCD used with the Honda Display Audio infotainment system, and adaptive cruise control that cuts out at 20 mph. But it's hard to argue with the car's five USB ports, Garmin navigation, 26 mpg highway economy, and torque vectoring all-wheel drive. It's the best midsize, mainstream-priced SUV we've seen this year, and it earns our Editors' Choice.

The new Pilot begins at $30,875 for the entry-level LX trim, and goes all the way up to $47,300 for the Elite trim. You should expect to spend $40,000 to begin to take advantage of the new technology on offer. The Honda Pilot Elite I tested came out to $47,300, including an $880 freight charge. That price includes LED headlamps, heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, captain's chairs, HD Radio, Honda Sensing, navigation, and rear entertainment.

For a more affordable Honda Pilot, bypass the entry LX that exists mostly so Honda can say there's a front-drive Pilot that costs less than $30,000 (freight excluded). Start with the EX, at $34,000 (with freight). It comes with Honda Sensing, and for an extra $1,600 you get all-wheel drive (AWD). The EX-L ($38,000 with AWD) lets you add navigation or rear entertainment. The Pilot Touring ($44,000) gets you premium audio, Honda Sensing, navigation, and rear entertainment. But at that point, it's only $3,500 more to go all the way to the Pilot Elite ($47,300.00 at Truecar) and travel in style.

Honda Sensing

Honda Sensing is Honda's term for a suite of technologies to assist the driver and even step in when he or she momentarily lacks full attention, like when a text comes in just before the car ahead panic-brakes. Honda Sensing includes adaptive cruise control, a collision mitigation braking system (for both cars and pedestrians), lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, road departure mitigation, and forward collision warning, all of which use a combination of radar and a front-facing video camera.

Adaptive cruise control paces the car in front, slows when that car slows, then resumes speed up to the set limit. Honda disengages ACC below 20 mph, while the Pilot's upscale cousin, the Acura MDX, goes all to way down to zero and then back up to speed. The lane/road departure systems warn if you drift over a lane marking, and optionally pulls you back from the pavement markings in a rudimentary form of self-driving. It can even forcibly tug you back onto the road surface if the car believes you've left the asphalt entirely. If the car ahead slows too quickly for ACC to cope, or if it's not engaged, collision mitigation braking kicks in to slow the car down.

The Honda Sensing features were useful on the whole, other than the 20 mph bottom limit on ACC and a beep (not intrusive) rather than a steering wheel shaker for blind spot warning. The lane keeping systems worked very well at keeping the car centered. Collision mitigation braking brought the Pilot to a dead stop from speeds of 20 mph approaching a stopped vehicle, every time.

Pilots above the entry LX trim include Honda Lane Watch, a rear-facing camera that lets the driver do his/her own blind spot detecting via the center LCD, but for the passenger side only. On the top trim line, Lane Watch gives way to a mainstream blind spot detection sonar system that also provides rear cross-traffic alerts. Incredibly, Honda Sensing adds just $1,000 to the price, which was what the most affordable ACC systems cost two years ago. It's a no-brainer choice.

Android and Garmin in the (Glass) Cockpit

Step into the new Pilot and it's a noticeable improvement over the second-generation model. The dash is sleeker, materials are higher quality, and on the top trim line, called Elite, there are captain's chairs and the Pilot's first panoramic glass roof. Sound-damping material and insulated glass make for a quiet ride, and the two top trim lines (Touring and Elite) get extra noise-blocking density in the carpet and door panels.

Honda turned to Android as the operating system behind its new Display Audio infotainment system. It works with Apple's Siri Eyes Free to redirect commands from the car's microphone to your iPhone, but not the upcoming Apple CarPlay or Android Auto systems.

The Pilot is the first Honda vehicle to switch to Garmin for navigation (Chrysler uses Garmin, too). Garmin is about as foolproof as navigation can be, starting with an on-screen prompt that asks, "Where To?" It includes 3D maps, photo-like images of buildings and landmarks, and speed limit information.

The audio system includes SiriusXM satellite radio support, and features a DVR-like 30-minute music buffer (Tune Start) in case you take a phone call and want to go back to hear a favorite song. You also get the ability to merge the music from multiple channels (for instance: '80s, '90s, The Blend) into one preset (Tune Mix), and a sports-highlight that interrupts the existing channel with key plays from your favorite sports team (Sports Flash).

The center stack display has a glass overlay that extends left from the 8-inch LCD to cover a half-dozen capacitive touch buttons next to it. There are no traditional physical controls, and certainly none of the easily grippable rubber volume and tuning knobs used by GM on its mainstream SUVs. Users may find it challenging to manipulate infotainment while moving, without any physical dials or buttons to reach for.

There are three USB jacks on mainstream trim lines (EX, EX-L), and five on the upper trim lines (Touring, Elite). Navigation ($1,000) and rear entertainment systems ($1,600) are optional on the EX-L, and standard on Touring and Elite. The rear entertainment system (RES) includes a ceiling-mounted 9-inch XGA screen with a detachable remote; a CD/DVD player in the front console, HDMI and RCA inputs, two wired-headphone jacks, a 115-volt AC outlet, and two additional USB ports at the rear of the center console. On the EX-L, rear entertainment is a $1,600 option and you'll have to choose between it, Honda Sensing, or navigation. On the Touring and Elite, the RES is part of the base price and also reads Blu-ray discs. It's the only way you can get the 115-volt outlet in the Pilot.

The driver also gets a multi-information display (a small color LCD) in the instrument cluster that shows active navigation arrows or trip computer info, even while the passenger changes the center stack display.

A Better Ride

If you step out of a 2009-2015 Pilot and drive off in the 2016 model, you'll be impressed by the acceleration, quiet, and upscale feel of the cockpit. It may take a minute to get used to Honda's console-mounted transmission buttons (Park, Reverse (pull back on the button), Neutral, and Drive/Sport), but once you do, the old Pilots feel a bit crude.

All versions of the 2016 Pilot use a new Honda V6 engine that delivers 280 horsepower, up 30 hp from the 2015 Pilot's engine. It's now mated to either a six-speed automatic or, on the Touring and Elite, a new nine-speed automatic transmission. It felt like the nine-speed took a moment to find the right gear a couple of times, but this is the kind of thing that can be tweaked with a software update. To bump up fuel economy, the Touring and Elite invoke idle stop after two seconds, though it can be disabled. The new Pilot AWD models can get 22 mpg overall, and up to 27 mpg in highway driving. It's a big step up from the 2015 Pilot's 18/25 mpg, making it the current best-in-class among conventional SUVs.

Honda added a key handling/safety feature from the Acura MDX: mechanical torque vectoring. Honda/Acura torque vectoring is a mechanical system that overdrives the outside wheels through corners, providing extra traction, especially in snow and rain. Other automakers do this electronically by braking the inside wheel, which helps, but it doesn't work quite as well as mechanical torque vectoring.

The captain's chairs on the Elite feel great. For kids heading to the third row, there's a simple, unmistakable button that folds the middle seat forward. Third-row seating comfortable, but snug. Adults in the second row will be fine.

Should You Buy It?

Sales of mainstream SUV/crossovers jumped 13 percent last year, and the Honda Pilot is one of the last of this group to lose its truck-like feel and embrace its crossover status. Its squared edges and firm ride have been traded for softened lines and improved cockpit amenities, like second-row captain's chairs better suited to two couples going out for a night on the town. But it still can tow a 3,500-pound boat by day.

Automakers often draw X-Y charts with whatever attributes work for their marketing plan, to show how they've progressed. The two axes on Honda's chart were Rugged (old Pilot) to Refined (new Pilot), and Traditional (old) to Modern (new). Honda nailed the transition.

The 2016 Honda Pilot Elite is an impressive SUV that tops the current field. The closest competitors are the Toyota Highlander, new a year ago; the Ford Explorer, due for a midlife refresh this summer; and the Nissan Pathfinder and Hyundai Santa Fe, both due for 2016 model year refreshes by the end of 2015. If you're loading up on options, one other vehicle that should be in your competitive set is the Acura MDX, especially if you don't need rear seat entertainment. But the Honda Pilot Elite is hard to beat, thanks to its comprehensive safety suite, useful navigation, a slick interior and smooth ride, and best-in-class fuel economy. If you're looking for an SUV, it's our Editors' Choice.

Artboard Created with Sketch. 2016 Honda Pilot Elite 4.5 Editors' Choice See It $47,300.00 at Truecar MSRP $47,300.00 Pros Comprehensive, affordable Honda Sensing safety suite.

Garmin navigation.

Torque vectoring.

Best-in-class fuel economy.

Smooth, quiet ride. View More Cons No physical infotainment controls.

Adaptive cruise control isn't stop-and-go. The Bottom Line Though it's still capable of towing trailers and hauling up to eight people, the 2016 Honda Pilot Elite is roomier and plusher inside, with a smooth, quiet ride and superb safety features.

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