honda pilot: 2011 lx or 2012 exl

Jackie010307 · Feb 20, 2014

Is there a compelling safety reason to go with the 2012 exl over the 2011 lx? I'm considering these in place of an 06 odyssey. The 2011 lx is 10k less with 36,300 miles. The 2012 exl has 19,000. I'm really looking at this from a safety perspective. I know the lx is cloth seats and not all the bells and whistles and I'm ok with that for 10k less! Current seats in use are a frontier 90 in booster mode (could be switched with the parkway from the other vehicle) for dd who is 7 and a backless turbo for ds who is 11 and does 5 step in the odyssey but the seat belt still fits well with the booster. Third child is 13 and in just a seat belt so no seat needed there. Anything else I should consider?

NVMBR02 · Feb 20, 2014

We have a 2012 EXL that we bought brand new. We were looking at the 2011 EXL as well. If I remember correctly, there were just minor differences between the model years. The 2012 was supposed to have slightly better gas mileage and a little less road noise but nothing else really stands out to me. For us, the 2012 ended up being a bit cheaper since financing was cheaper.

cantabdad · Feb 21, 2014

From a safety perspective, I think they are pretty close and the NHTSA scores appear to be the same, but I think the 2012 EX-L has two things going for it:

1. IIHS' summary shows the 2012 model having a significantly better score ("Good" rather than "Marginal") on the roof strength test. I'd consider roof strength an important consideration when you're talking about a larger SUV.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/honda/pilot

2. Unless I am misreading the spec sheets, the 2011 LX does not have a rearview camera. I'm increasingly convinced of the need for these cameras, especially for a vehicle like Pilot that rides high and has somewhat limited rear visibility. (Of course, with just a fraction of the $10K that you might save, you could always get an aftermarket camera system added at your local car stereo / auto electronics store.)

Jackie010307 · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks. I do like the stronger roof. Lots to think about still!

NVMBR02 · Feb 21, 2014

cantabdad said:
From a safety perspective, I think they are pretty close and the NHTSA scores appear to be the same, but I think the 2012 EX-L has two things going for it:

1. IIHS' summary shows the 2012 model having a significantly better score ("Good" rather than "Marginal") on the roof strength test. I'd consider roof strength an important consideration when you're talking about a larger SUV.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/honda/pilot

2. Unless I am misreading the spec sheets, the 2011 LX does not have a rearview camera. I'm increasingly convinced of the need for these cameras, especially for a vehicle like Pilot that rides high and has somewhat limited rear visibility. (Of course, with just a fraction of the $10K that you might save, you could always get an aftermarket camera system added at your local car stereo / auto electronics store.)

The 2011 LX does not have a camera, IIRC you had to get the exl to get the camera. I do love my backup camera and use it all the time. My sister has back up sensors on her 2006 Tahoe and those are nice too, but I really like the camera.

Jackie010307 · Feb 21, 2014

Thanks for the feedback. I haven't made a final decision on keeping the 06 odyssey or trading it towards a pilot but if I do I'll be getting a 2012 or newer. Roof strength is important to me, and I would like to have the backup camera also.

loki · Feb 21, 2014

Yeah, the roof upgrade is the most significant change. Keep in mind that you should be able to find a '12 for less than 10k more if you search around a bit more; the 1 year isn't worth that price difference.

Jackie010307 · Feb 22, 2014

The price difference is more about the trim level than the year. The 12 is comparably priced to other 12 exl's in the area. The lx trim is not popular around here and so it's priced a little lower.

honda pilot: 2011 lx or 2012 exl

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