If you aren’t using AdBlock and you’ve searched for automotive clips on YouTube in the past weeks, chances are the streaming service ran a commercial for the Pilot before the start of your clip. “Cringey” is the best word to describe the ad, and Honda doesn’t seem phased by the comments.
“This commercial needs a record spinning out when the reveal happens,” is one of those reactions, along with “racing lawnmowers since 1946.” Another YouTube commenter ask about when Honda will fix the 1.5-liter VTEC Turbo, and then there’s this reaction: “What even, what?”
The 15-second commercial starts with IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe wearing racing shoes, green with black on the right and red with black on the left. Outfitted in racing overalls and surrounded by racing cars of all sorts and sizes, Hinchcliffe claims that “racing is in Honda’s DNA.”
Following the endorsement of the automaker who powers the IndyCar he’s racing, Hinchcliffe takes a computer-generated cover off the Ridgeline Baja Trophy Truck, and the Pilot shows up. As mentioned in the first paragraph, “cringey” is the word you’re looking for.
In its third generation since 2015 for the 2016 model year, the Pilot is a three-row crossover that happens to sell more examples of the breed than eight-seat competitors in the mid-size segment. A platform shared with the Ridgeline unibody pickup, 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower, and six-speed automatic transmission are the highlights, and pricing starts at $31,450 excluding destination.
There’s nothing remotely sporty about the Pilot whatsoever, let alone the Passport five-seat crossover. Priced at $31,990, the redesigned Passport is nothing more than an attempt to fool customers into thinking that off-roading is easy. If it were, then Jeep wouldn’t equip the Wrangler with Dana 44 axles, Command-Trac 4x4 system with a two-speed transfer case, a six-speed manual transmission, and tow hooks at the front and rear.
Everyone knows that Honda built its reputation on racing, but passing the Pilot as such is a petty, blatant lie.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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