When you plan a roadtrip across half of the US, you’re going to want to make sure you have the right ride. That’s where the 2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport AWD fit perfectly. Starting with the outside styling, the Pilot in Trailsport trim offered a more aggressive presence. With the Trailsport, you get a one-inch suspension lift in case you decide to venture off the paved roads. The all-terrain tires will also help tackle some rougher terrain you may encounter.

Inside the Pilot Trailsport, you’re greeted with synthetic leather with orange stitching. Adding the all weather mats will make things easy to keep clean. Although the seats were incredibly comfortable for the long drive, they didn’t allow for any air circulation and my back was constantly hot. I’m usually not a fan of three row SUVs since they don’t usually offer a comfortable third row, but the Pilot proved me wrong. Every row offered a great amount of leg and head room. For our trip though, my kid sat in the second row captain’s chairs and we lowered the third row for an enormous amount of cargo storage.

Driving the Pilot Trailsport for a roadtrip of over 3,000 miles, was incredibly easy. Having the naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 engine provided incredible throttle response. The 10-speed transmission was smooth with shifts and the i-VTM4 AWD system got the power down to the right wheel. I was also impressed at how well the adaptive cruise control worked in the Pilot. It was great at slowing down and speeding up to keep up with traffic.

Overall, the 2023 Honda Pilot Trailsport AWD has bumped off many SUVs that I would consider for adventures on or off road.