If you're looking for a reasonable dose of technology in a rock-solid midsize SUV, Honda Pilot may be the vehicle for you. Think of it as buying a previous-generation Acura MDX at a $10,000 savings. Even in the final year of life for this design, Pilot remains one of the best—more for its all-round goodness than the wealth of its cockpit tech offerings, which is where Pilot comes up somewhat short.

Pilot shares some common engineering technology with the Honda Odyssey minivan and Accord sedan, as well as with the upscale Acura MDX. It looks small (it isn't) and unassuming (it is), but really the Pilot measures 188 inches long and a chunky 78 inches wide, just one inch narrower than a Cadillac Escalade, the difference probably being the thickness of the chrome plating on the Caddy's side mirrors.

The Pilot came to life in 2003 and made several car magazine best-of lists in its first few years. It got a facelift in 2006 while its flashier cousin, the Acura MDX, was completely redesigned in 2007 (and made our 2007 Digital Drive list. The Pilot is likely to be completely revamped in 2009. If the 2009/2010 Pilot features list reads like the 2007 MDX and the price stays in the mid-thirties, it will be a sensation. Meanwhile, the current Pilot is more than adequate.

Between its multitalented engine and the navigation system, the Pilot offers a reasonable level of technology offerings. But you'll sense the vehicle has been around. If it's a facelift the Pilot got in 2006, the plastic surgeon moved on to other patients rather too quickly.

Also, you have to pick and choose your tech options carefully. Only the front-drive models come standard with active noise cancellation in the cockpit. Well, obviously inside the cockpit, since we haven't yet progressed to noise-canceling outside the vehicle: Although that's actually coming, in the form of exterior loudspeakers that work out-of-phase with the engine and will replace the muffler.

The front-drive models also feature variable engine displacement: One bank of three cylinders in the 240-hp V6 engine shuts down when the Pilot isn't under load. Honda calls this VCM or variable cylinder management, although it has also used the term i-VTEC, or intelligent Variable Valve Timing and lift Electronic Control. (On other Hondas, i-VTEC refers not to VCM but to more fully variable valve timing than on VTEC Hondas, so be careful if you're cross-shopping.) The upshot: a front-drive Pilot is rated at 16 mpg city, 22 mph highway, and 18 combined, while an all-wheel-drive Pilot without VCM and hauling around an extra 141 to 189 pounds (model-dependent) is good for 15/20/17. Note these are 2008 EPA mileage calculations that check in 1 to 2 mpg lower than pre-2008 numbers.

Active noise cancellation and variable cylinder management are linked because Honda sensed some buyers might notice a touch of harshness or noise in the VCM models in three-cylinder mode, which ACM helps mask.

The Pilot uses an Alpine-based navigation system with voice input that is effective and, as nav systems go, relatively easy to use. Except on one model (EX), XM Satellite Radio comes standard. But you won't see a line-in jack for audio, or an iPod adapter; some models won't play MP3 CDs, and Bluetooth is unavailable.

DVD rear-seat entertainment is available on the top-of-the-line EX-L, but you must choose either that or the navigation system. Go for the navigation because it works well and includes a backup camera, and you can easily add built-in rear seat entertainment later. Navigation-equipped Hondas, not just the Pilot, have "off-road tracking," meaning when you go off the mapped highway system, the system creates a breadcrumb trail onscreen so you can find your way back out of the woods (as long as the creek doesn't rise).

The center stack, where the entertainment, navigation, and climate controls reside, continues the Honda and Acura tradition of giving you three places to look for information (plus the instrument cluster). The Pilot lacks the cockpit control knob of its upscale relative, the MDX, yet oddly the center stack is less cluttered. Honda, like most automakers, needs to rethink information presentation in the center stack. It will probably be stirred to action by several recent reviews knocking the Acura center stack complexity. Just remember that with cars and SUVs, change comes in three to seven years.

The Pilot is a midsize, medium-duty SUV. It's built with unibody construction, as are virtually all passenger cars, which makes for fewer rattles and squeaks and less weight than a vehicle body laid atop a heavy metal frame. That said, I noticed a bit more road noise when driving the Pilot than I had with the Pilot's newer cousin, the MDX, or GM's revamped big SUVs (the Cadillac, Suburban, and Tahoe). The cockpit, even the higher-end leather-upholstery EX-L I drove, seemed equal parts utilitarian and luxurious. There's plenty of stowage, three or four (depends on model) 12-volt outlets, and some models have a 120-volt outlet.

The Pilot can tow 3,500 pounds of boat or trailer, which is adequate but not awesome in the SUV arena. With three rows of seats you can accommodate up to eight passengers. The third row is cramped but it's adequate for kids on long trips and, in a pinch, adults around town.

Safety tech is first-rate. Even the cheapest Pilot has stability control, front and side airbags, side air curtains going all the way back to the third row, tire-pressure monitors, and, most important, stability control. If an SUV lacks stability control (Honda calls it VSA, or vehicle stability assist), you probably should shop elsewhere.

Honda's Web site is mostly easy to browse, and vehicles are quick to configure since the only options are dealer-installed. Rather than options, you choose a model trim level, and as you ascend from VP (value package) to EX to SE to EX-L, you get more stuff standard, leaving you only to choose a paint color and all-wheel-drive or front-drive, which Honda refers to online as "two-wheel-drive," most likely because front-drive SUVs seem wimpy.

Only at the top end of the line is navigation available, and then you have to choose between navigation and rear seat entertainment. My advice: Take the navigation model, since any electronics store can outfit you with back-seat DVD and buying elsewhere will cost you half the $1,872 to $1,996 (plus installation) Honda dealers charge for an add-on.

One other quirk of the Honda site: Once you start to configure a model, you can't easily backtrack to see model specifications or compare trim levels. If you try to back up, you must cancel your configuration, and then you're bumped to a choose-a-Honda-to-configure page. Also, some Honda-specific terminology isn't readily defined without hunting, such as i-VES and off-road tracking.

The Pilot remains one of the best deals in a midsize SUV, but the 2006 facelift wasn't major. Our 3.5 star rating reflects more capabilities than you'd expect in a mid-priced SUV and slightly fewer tech offerings than you might want. So buyers might also want to look for a 2004 or 2005 Pilot coming off lease at a reasonably attractive price, knowing that you may get, for instance, a 7-inch rear DVD display instead of the current 9-incher, and side air curtains extending two rows instead of three. If you don't have a cabin in the snowy woods, consider opting for the front-drive Pilot with the cylinder deactivation and linked active noise cancellation.

If you buy new, go for the EX-L model with navigation, add the dealer-installed backup sonar (it's not a factory option), and have a car audio shop install a DVD rear-seat entertainment system, unless the dealer offers to halve the list price. An electronics store can also add the iPod adapter and Bluetooth module you'd expect in a fully up-to-date SUV.

Play Slide Show/All Shots (12)

$28,190.00 - $38,794.00

EPA rating: 16 mpg city, 22 highway (front drive)

Like a movie star who's aging gracefully, the Honda Pilot still appeals, especially its navigation system. It's mechanically similar to the previous generation Acura MDX. Just don't expect to get 30 mpg just because the badge says Honda.

Navigation system. Fit and finish. Room for eight. Active noise cancellation, cylinder deactivation (front-drive models).

Somewhat busy center stack (not as bad as Acura). Some unavailable tech options. Quirky Web site. So-so fuel economy. Aging design.