Honda Pilot 3rd Row Seating Review

The Honda Pilot offers plenty of space for passengers and cargo, but its third-row seats aren’t the most comfortable.
Written by Mary Alice Morris
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The Honda Pilot offers up plenty of passenger and cargo space, but its third-row may not be the most comfortable out of its lineup of competitors. Still, it’s a nice mid-size crossover SUV with a punchy powertrain to get your family and your stuff wherever you need to go in style.
If you’ve got a big family or a whole lot of friends, the Honda Pilot can haul them and all their stuff pretty easily, with an astonishing amount of cargo space and generous passenger proportions. The standard configuration seats up to eight people, but there’s a second-row captain’s chair option that will only seat seven. 
To learn a little more about the Pilot and how it stacks up with competitors in terms of third-row seating and other specifications, check out this guide from
Jerry
, the
car insurance
comparison shopping
super app
. We’ll cover space and comfort dimensions, look at where this SUV excels, where it lags behind the competition, and even show you how to save a boat-load on your
Honda Pilot car insurance costs
!
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What is the Honda Pilot’s 3rd row like? 

The Pilot’s third row is expansive and roomy, but it’s lower and not generously cushioned. While it’s suitable for getting from point A to point B, if you’re going to take a long trip, the rear is probably best reserved for kids. 
A car seat, a booster seat, or even a snuggly blanket for your bigger kid can make the ride more comfortable in the back row. Getting into the third row is pretty easy if you have the
EX-L
trim or above, thanks to the OneTouch power seats. A simple button is accessible from the front for passengers climbing into the rear, and also from the back when they want to exit. This folds the second-row seats down and out of the way, then easily positions them back into place. 

Space and comfort

Although the rear seats aren’t the cushiest, they’re comfortable and spacious enough for adults and big kids on relatively short drives. Let’s take a look at the Honda Pilot’s legroom, headroom, shoulder room, hip room, and passenger volume to get an idea of how everyone will fit:
  • Headroom: 40.1 inches in the front row; 40.2 inches in the second row; and 38.9 inches in the third row
  • Legroom: 40.9 inches in the front; 38.4 inches in the second row; and 31.9 inches in the third row
  • Shoulder room: 62 inches in the front and second rows; 57.6 inches in the third row
  • Hip room: 59.1 inches in the front; 57.3 inches in the second row; and 44.6 inches in the third row
  • Total passenger volume: 152.9 cubic feet
Although the third row seems to take a significant plunge in legroom and hip room, it’s actually more spacious than many—but not all—of its contemporaries. Competitors that exceed in third-row passenger space include the
Ford Explorer
and
Dodge Durango
.
Here’s a rundown of how the Pilot stacks up against other mid-size SUVs in terms of price, passenger volume, and third-row space:
Model
Starting price
Third-row legroom
Third-row headroom
Total passenger volume
$39,375
31.9 inches
38.9 inches
152.9 cubic feet
$35,240
32.2 inches
38.9 inches
152.7 cubic feet
$38,590
33.5 inches
37.8 inches
141 cubic feet
$38,105
29.3 inches
34.3 inches
97.3 cubic feet
$29,590
29.6 inches
36.8 inches
115.5 cubic feet
$37,070
27.7 inches
36.1 inches
141.3 cubic feet
$35,630
29.7 inches
35.4 inches
135.8 cubic feet
$34,640
28 inches
37.8 inches
149.7 cubic feet
$32,795
38.6 inches
40 inches
153.5 cubic feet
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Is the Honda Pilot good for big families and long trips?

The Honda Pilot’s third-row seating is much more generous than some of the competition, so it could be suitable for long trips depending on how cramped your ride has been in the past. It’s a good deal of space for families with kids, and its 83.9 cubic feet of cargo space means there’s plenty of room for everything that goes into traveling with children, too.
Here are some other features in favor of the Honda Pilot:
  • 5-star crash safety rating: The Honda Pilot has earned a 5-star
    safety rating from the NHTSA
    .
  • Standard driver assistance features: Every 2022 Pilot comes standard with forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
  • Optional PA system: If you spring for the available in-cabin PA system, you won’t have to yell so the kids can hear you in the back. 
The Honda Pilot is one of the roomiest cars in its class, but it’s not the most spacious—nor is it anywhere close to the least expensive. Depending on your needs for space and budgeting, you might consider other models if you’re not entirely certain that the Pilot fits your family.

How to find affordable car insurance for your Honda Pilot

Finding the perfect car often involves compromise. To get the space and seating you want, you’ll probably have to pay a little more. To save money, you might need to forego some of the features and options you’d like. 
One thing you don’t need to compromise on is your car insurance. You can find a great policy at a great price with help from
Jerry
Jerry is a licensed insurance broker and comparison app that makes finding and buying
cheap car insurance
fast and easy. Just download the app, answer some basic questions, and sit back while Jerry filters through its network of 55+ top insurance providers to get a collection of quotes tailored just for you. 
Pick the policy you want and Jerry will handle all the paperwork and legwork. Best of all, Jerry users save more than $800 a year on car insurance on average. 
“When we added a new car to our family, we were shocked at how high our current insurer was going to hike our rates. We used
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for some comparison shopping and are now saving around $1000 a year. Thank you, Jerry!” —Darius P.
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