The redesigned Honda Pilot piloted itself to the top of the crashworthiness heap for the 2016 model year. The three-row SUV received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's highest honor, Top Safety Pick Plus — courtesy of the Pilot's score of good on the stringent small overlap front test, on which it had fared poorly for several years.
Related: 2016 Honda Pilot Expert Review
That improvement, coupled with the SUV's superior rating for its newly available front crash prevention system, qualified it for Top Safety Pick Plus. The Pilot's optional prevention system includes forward collision warning and auto-braking, which prevented a collision in the institute's 12 mph test and slowed the vehicle by half in the 25 mph test, IIHS noted.
As is necessary for the designation, the Pilot also received ratings of good in IIHS' four other evaluations, including moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints; vehicles must earn either acceptable or good ratings in the small overlap front test. IIHS reported that the Pilot's driver space held up well, and the dummy's movement was controlled well, with front and side curtain airbags keeping the dummy in place and protecting its head. Risk of any significant injury was deemed low for the test.
"In contrast, when the 2014 Pilot was tested, the driver space was seriously compromised," IIHS stated. "The parking brake pedal moved nearly 17 inches inward, and the door hinge pillar moved in about 14 inches.
"The dummy's head barely contacted the front airbag before sliding off to the left, as the steering column moved to the right and toward the driver. The side curtain airbag didn't extend far enough forward to protect the head."
In other words: The Pilot's recent overhaul paid off. The SUV was completely redesigned for 2016, with a radically different exterior design, new powertrains, restyled cabin controls and upgraded interior materials. The 2016 Pilot starts at $30,875, but the front crash prevention system's availability starts on the uplevel EX trim as part of the $1,000 Entertainment and Electronics option, bringing the total to $34,310 (all prices include an $880 destination charge).
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