“Couldn't be more pleased with our purchase of the '21 Honda Pilot EX-L. We know our family, including 3 young children, are as safe as possible without sacrificing comfort. We are confident that our Honda Pilot will continue to be the reliable vehicle it has been, as all our Honda vehicles have been over the years. We would absolutely purchase our Honda Pilot again and again.”
2021 Honda Pilot: What's New, Specs & Features
Last updated August 4, 2026
The most important change for the 2021 Honda Pilot is that every trim gets the 9-speed automatic transmission previously limited to upper trims. Honda also adds a Special Edition model and makes a few smaller lineup and equipment changes, but this is not a redesign.
About the 2021 Honda Pilot
3rd generation (2016-2022), late-cycle year after the 2019 styling and tech update.
Honda positions the Pilot as a three-row midsize family SUV that mixes minivan-like people and cargo space with SUV styling, available AWD, and a strong V6. The core pitch is everyday usefulness: room for up to eight, easy seat-folding flexibility, standard safety tech on every trim, and enough higher-end features on upper trims to handle long family trips comfortably. Compared with rivals, Honda leans on practical packaging, easy drivability, and a broad trim spread that runs from basic family transport to near-luxury.
The 2021 Pilot remains a family-focused three-row SUV, with the LX covering the basics and the EX adding an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and heated front seats. The EX-L emphasizes leather-lined comfort, the Touring adds navigation and rear-seat entertainment, and the Elite and Black Edition bring upscale features such as a panoramic roof and heated and ventilated front seats.
What changed, by category
Powertrain
The 9-speed automatic transmission becomes standard on every trim. Paddle shifters, push-button gear controls, and an engine idle-stop system also spread across the lineup.
Styling
A new Special Edition trim slots between EX-L and Touring, distinguished by black 20-inch wheels and black roof rails.
Tech
The LX gains automatic climate control. The new Special Edition adds a hands-free power tailgate and wireless phone charger, while the separate EX-L with navigation and rear entertainment is dropped.
2021 Honda Pilot specs and features by trim
| Feature | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter | V6, i-VTEC, 3.5 Liter |
| Transmission | Automatic, 9-Spd | Automatic, 9-Spd | Automatic, 9-Spd | Automatic, 9-Spd | Automatic, 9-Spd | Automatic, 9-Spd | Automatic, 9-Spd |
| Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD | AWD |
| Fuel Type | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas | Gas |
| MPG City | 20 mpg | 20 mpg | 20 mpg | 19 mpg | 20 mpg | 19 mpg | 20 mpg |
| MPG Highway | 27 mpg | 27 mpg | 27 mpg | 26 mpg | 27 mpg | 26 mpg | 27 mpg |
| Horsepower | 280 hp | 280 hp | 280 hp | 280 hp | 280 hp | 280 hp | 280 hp |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft | 262 lb-ft | 262 lb-ft | 262 lb-ft | 262 lb-ft | 262 lb-ft | 262 lb-ft |
| Max Towing | 5000 lb | 5000 lb | 5000 lb | 5000 lb | 5000 lb | 5000 lb | 5000 lb |
| Trunk/Cargo | 83.8 cu-ft | 83.9 cu-ft | 83.8 cu-ft | 82.1 cu-ft | 83.8 cu-ft | 82.1 cu-ft | 83.8 cu-ft |
| Rear Legroom | 31.9 in | 31.9 in | 31.9 in | 31.9 in | 31.9 in | 31.9 in | 31.9 in |
| Seats | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | ||
| Doors | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | |||||||
| Alarm System | |||||||
| Automatic Emergency Braking | |||||||
| Automatic High Beams | |||||||
| Blindspot Sensors | |||||||
| Front & Rear Parking Sensors | |||||||
| Lane Departure Warning | |||||||
| Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers | |||||||
| Rear Parking Sensors | |||||||
| Alloy Wheels | |||||||
| Fog Lights | |||||||
| Heated Mirrors | |||||||
| LED Headlights | |||||||
| Memory Exterior Mirrors | |||||||
| Power Moonroof | |||||||
| Panorama Moon Roof | |||||||
| Power Close Liftgate/Trunk | |||||||
| Power Folding Exterior Mirrors | |||||||
| Power Liftgate/Trunk Release | |||||||
| Power Mirrors | |||||||
| Rear Spoiler | |||||||
| Roof Rails | |||||||
| Bluetooth | |||||||
| Navigation System | |||||||
| Premium Audio | |||||||
| Rear DVD Entertainment System | |||||||
| Satellite Radio | |||||||
| Smartphone Interface | |||||||
| 115V Power Outlet | |||||||
| Auto-Dimming Interior Mirror | |||||||
| Dual Power Front Seats | |||||||
| Heated Front Seats | |||||||
| Heated Rear Seats | |||||||
| Heated Steering Wheel | |||||||
| Integrated Garage Door Opener | |||||||
| Interior Ambient Lighting | |||||||
| Leather Seats | |||||||
| Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel | |||||||
| Memory Driver's Seat | |||||||
| Power Driver Seat | |||||||
| Proximity Keyless Entry | |||||||
| Push-Button Engine Start | |||||||
| Rear Window Shades | |||||||
| Remote Start | |||||||
| Third Row Seat | |||||||
| Ventilated Front Seats | |||||||
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Honda Pilot a redesigned model?
No, the 2021 Honda Pilot is not redesigned. It continues the third-generation design and the styling and technology updates introduced for 2019, with the 9-speed automatic becoming standard across the lineup as its main change.
Does every 2021 Honda Pilot have the 9-speed automatic transmission?
Yes, every 2021 Honda Pilot has a 9-speed automatic transmission. Lower trims also gain paddle shifters, push-button gear controls, and an engine idle-stop system.
What is new about the 2021 Honda Pilot Special Edition?
The Special Edition is a new trim for 2021 positioned between EX-L and Touring. It combines leather seats and a moonroof with black 20-inch wheels, black roof rails, a hands-free power tailgate, and a wireless phone charger.
Is the 2021 Honda Pilot meaningfully different from the 2020 model?
The biggest difference is on the lower trims, because every 2021 Pilot uses the 9-speed automatic. The 2021 lineup also adds the Special Edition, gives the LX automatic climate control, and drops the separate EX-L with navigation and rear entertainment; the V6, safety suite, body structure, and basic styling otherwise carry over.
Did the 2021 Honda Pilot receive new safety features?
No major safety changes were made for 2021. Honda’s driver-assistance safety suite remains standard on every Pilot trim.
2021 Honda Pilot Reviews
What owners are saying about the 2021 Honda Pilot.
4.2
2021 Honda Pilot
(3,070 reviews)
“the blind side indicator on the drivers side is difficult to pick up when you plan to pass.”
“Apple play only works when phone is plugged in. Other vehicle brands have this as a wireless feature. Clearly this technology is available. For what I paid for the car, seems ridiculous it's not wireless.”