Best Year for a Used Honda Pilot to Buy
2021 and 2022 are the ones we would shop first. They close out the third generation after the 2019 refresh made Honda Sensing standard. For the newest cabin and the TrailSport, start at 2023.
Start Here
Honda Pilot Generations at a Glance
Three generations show up in used listings today. Knowing which one you are looking at answers most of the questions a spec sheet would, because a generation change moves the platform, the cabin and the safety equipment together.
| Generation | Model years | What defines it |
|---|---|---|
| Second | 2009 to 2015 | The boxy one, 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic. A rear-view camera, an 8-inch display and Bluetooth arrive by 2013, and a power moonroof in 2014. |
| Third | 2016 to 2022 | Rounder body, more power. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from 2017. The 2019 refresh made Honda Sensing standard and added a hands-free power tailgate. |
| Fourth | 2023 to today | Full redesign. 3.5-liter V6 rated at 285 horsepower, a 10-speed automatic, and the TrailSport trim with i-VTM4 all-wheel drive and off-road hardware. |
Generation boundaries and year-by-year feature changes summarised from the CarGurus Honda Pilot buying guide. Current-model equipment read from Honda's own Pilot specifications and features page on 2026-09-08. Individual cars vary by trim and by how they were optioned, so confirm equipment on the specific vehicle rather than on the model year.
The Short List
Four Used Pilot Years Worth Shopping, and Why
Each of these is picked because something you probably want became available that year. That is the practical way to shop a used lineup, rather than chasing a single magic model year.
The one with the outside endorsement
Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Pilot a recommended rating, which is a third-party assessment rather than our opinion. By 2021 Honda had standardised the nine-speed automatic across the range and added dual-zone climate control, and the car had two years of the post-2019 refresh behind it. If you want one year to search on, search on this one.
The last of the generation, with the most equipment
The final third-generation year added standard LED headlights and made Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across the lineup. Mechanically it is the 2021 car, so a 2022 is largely a question of how many fewer miles are on it and what you have to pay for that. If both turn up on the lot, drive them back to back and let the condition decide.
The year the safety suite stopped being optional
The 2019 mid-cycle refresh made Honda Sensing standard across the range and added a hands-free power tailgate. That matters more on a used lot than it sounds: on 2016 to 2018 cars, adaptive cruise and lane keeping depend on which trim happens to be sitting there. From 2019 you get them whichever one you find.
The budget pick, if condition checks out
By 2014 the second-generation Pilot had a rear-view camera, an 8-inch display, Bluetooth and a power moonroof, and reliability ratings had climbed through that generation. It is a lot of eight-seat SUV for the money. Buy it on service history and condition rather than on the year, and have it inspected properly first.
The Newest Generation
What You Get From 2023 Onward
The fourth-generation Pilot pairs a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 285 horsepower with a 10-speed automatic, and it is the generation that introduced the TrailSport, with Honda's i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system and hardware built for surfaces that are not pavement.
It is the most capable used Pilot on this page and the most expensive. For a family in Clarksville that tows a boat to Kentucky Lake or runs the two-lane roads out toward Land Between the Lakes, the TrailSport is worth driving before you decide it is more truck than you need.
Cars this recent overlap heavily with certified pre-owned Pilots, which is usually the better way to buy one. See what is on the ground in used Pilot listings.
The Question Families Actually Ask
Seven Seats or Eight
Most used Pilots seat eight, with a bench in the second row. Some have captain's chairs instead, which drops you to seven and opens a walk-through to the third row. Neither is better. They suit different families, and the listing does not always make it obvious which one you are looking at.
- Take the bench if you are fitting three car seats across the second row, or if you want the maximum number of seat belts for a carpool to Rossview.
- Take the captain's chairs if your kids are old enough to climb through to the third row themselves, which saves you folding a seat in a parking lot in the rain.
- Check the specific car before you drive out to see it. Call us with the stock number and we will tell you which layout it has in about thirty seconds.
If you want the full current picture before shopping used, our Pilot trim comparison lays out what each trim carries, and we answered whether the Pilot comes as a hybrid separately, because it comes up constantly.
Due Diligence
What to Check on Any Used Pilot
None of this is Pilot specific. It is what we would run through on any used three-row SUV we were buying ourselves, and it catches most of what a lap of the lot will not.
Service records first
A documented history tells you more than the odometer does. Regular maintenance with a paper trail beats low miles with no story attached.
Work the third row
Fold it, raise it, sit in it. A third row that fights you in the showroom will fight you every weekend for the next five years.
Air conditioning, both rows
Three-row SUVs have rear climate controls that nobody tests. Run them hot and cold from the back seat, not just the front.
Tires and brakes
These are the costs that land in your first month. Check tread across the full width of each tire and ask when the pads were last replaced.
Look underneath
Cars that wintered north of here have seen road salt. Check the subframe, exhaust and suspension mounts before anything cosmetic.
Drive it loaded if you can
A Pilot behaves differently with people in the back. Take it on a road with a real speed limit and a grade, not a lap of the lot.
If you would rather have the inspection handled for you, that is what certification is for. Honda Certified Pre-Owned cars go through a factory inspection and carry extra warranty coverage on top of what is left of the original.
Shopping Locally
Finding a Used Pilot in Clarksville
We have been on this corner since 1946, which makes us the oldest dealership in Clarksville. Plenty of the used Hondas on our lot were sold and serviced here first, so we can usually tell you where a car has been rather than reading it off a report with you.
We are at 2655 Trenton Rd, about twenty minutes up Fort Campbell Blvd from the post, and an easy run in from Hopkinsville or off I-24. Three-row SUVs move fast in a town with this many families, so check used Pilot listings or the wider used inventory before you drive out. One-owner cars are a good place to start if the history is what you care about most.
Buying used from us still comes with the 48-Hour Love It or Leave It guarantee, and every service visit includes a complimentary car wash. Call 931-630-0055 and tell us the year range and the seating layout you want, and we will have what fits pulled up front before you arrive.
Straight Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year for a used Honda Pilot?
For most families, 2021 or 2022. Those are the last two years of the third generation, after the 2019 refresh made Honda Sensing standard and after Honda settled the transmission lineup across the range. Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Pilot a recommended rating. You get eight seats, the full safety suite and a settled car, at used money.
Which Honda Pilot generation am I looking at?
The second generation ran 2009 through 2015, the third generation 2016 through 2022, and the fourth generation from 2023 to today. Generation matters more than model year when you compare two listings, because a generation change moves the platform, the cabin and the safety equipment all at once.
When did the Honda Pilot get Honda Sensing as standard?
The 2019 model year. That mid-cycle refresh made Honda Sensing standard across the range and added a hands-free power tailgate. Before 2019 the driver-assist package depended on which trim you found, so on 2016 through 2018 cars you have to check the specific vehicle rather than assume.
What changed in 2023?
The fourth generation arrived, with a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 285 horsepower, a new 10-speed automatic and the TrailSport trim with its off-road hardware and Honda's i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system. This is the newest Pilot you can buy used, and early owner satisfaction has been strong. It also costs the most of anything on this page.
Is a 2014 Pilot still worth buying?
On a budget, it holds up as the pick of the second generation. By 2014 the Pilot had a rear-view camera, an 8-inch display, Bluetooth and a power moonroof, and reliability ratings had climbed through that generation. It is a lot of eight-seat SUV for the money, as long as you buy on condition and service history rather than on year alone.
How many people does a used Honda Pilot seat?
Eight in most configurations, or seven where the second row has captain's chairs instead of a bench. Check which one the specific car has before you drive out to see it. Families who load three car seats across the second row usually want the bench, and families with older kids often prefer the walk-through the captain's chairs give you.
What should I check before buying any used Pilot?
Service records first, because a documented history tells you more than the odometer does. Then check tires and brakes for wear that will cost you in the first month, look underneath for rust if the car wintered north of here, run the air conditioning through both rows, fold and raise the third row, cycle every door and the tailgate, and drive it on a road with a real speed limit. Ask for the vehicle history report and read all of it.
Can I look at used Pilots near Fort Campbell?
Yes. We are at 2655 Trenton Rd in Clarksville, about twenty minutes from Fort Campbell, and we have been on this corner since 1946. Three-row SUVs move quickly here, so call 931-630-0055 or check our used listings before you drive out, and we will have whatever matches your year and seating layout pulled up front.
Shop Used Pilots in Clarksville, TN
Tell us the year range and whether you want seven seats or eight. We will pull what fits, hand you the history report, and let you work the third row before you commit to anything.
Jenkins & Wynne Honda, 2655 Trenton Rd, Clarksville, TN 37040. Serving Clarksville, Fort Campbell, Hopkinsville and Nashville since 1946. Read the 48-Hour guarantee. Used vehicles pictured were photographed on our Clarksville lot in September 2026 and may no longer be available.