With The 2015 Honda Pilot Pushing $50,000 - Is It No Longer Accessible To The Masses?

In *MY* mind, Honda means a practical, reliable, reasonably priced, solid value for the dollar, ACCESSIBLE car. At close to $50K, it's not feeling Honda enough for my mind.

Mind you, if Honda chooses to redefine themselves and go more up-market, who's to say they're wrong?

If you've paid attention to vehicle prices & brand marketing/placement in the last decade, a $45k-$50k Honda Pilot almost doesn't make sense - even it the "base price" is near $30k. Really, who wants the cheapest stripped-down trim? Only looking at how everything else is "priced" today, do you see that the current prices have only increased to keep up with brand/model perceptions. There was a time when the mainstream automakers past down their savings to their customers - that's long gone. And considering that amount of profit that's made from each large SUV...the loaded top trim models don't necessary have to be priced so high. But since people are buying these larger vehicles however overpriced they are, they'll be priced as high as long as they continue to sell.

What a stupid title...it starts under 30k. Approaching 50 is with every option checked off. It's plenty accessible at 30 for someone who needs that much car, we're not talking about a corolla here, this is a BIG car.

People who order every option are not the type that are worried about whether a car is accessible to them. That said, we just bought a Highlander limited with a lot of options (not including platinum package) for 44ish MSRP, so Honda is hardly out line with their pricing.

I agree...it would be like saying "Is the BMW 3-series no-longer accessible to near-luxury buyers because it's approaching $70,000".....referring to a price for an M3 being in the upper 60s.

Maybe the masses can eat/procreate a bit less and fit in a perfectly respectable $19k HR-V or a $23k CR-V. ;)

Not everyone is 5ft 6in tall. Just because you are a skinny pale hipster doesn't mean the rest of the world should live the way you do. Also, this isn't communist China so your perceived "respectable" ways of life are merely your opinion. Give it a rest. Your lifestyle works for you and for that, I congratulate you but it sounds miserable to me. Lonely... Slow... Made for the masses... overseas profits... No thanks. Starting to feel grateful people with your mentality aren't procreating as much.

Actually, I am a fat slob and fit perfectly fine in a prev. gen. CR-V, but thanks for the compliments. Since we're in the advise giving mode you should also learn not to take things on the Internet, and especially on this site quite so seriously.

Not sure how you read my comment and ended up at me taking you seriously but anyway... You seem to always have advice for others and lifestyle recommendations on all topics EV/hybrid so dont get butthurt when someone throws your garbage back at ya.

Doesn't this like cut into too much MDX territory?

You can rest assured Honda will sell every single one of those Pilots at the $47k range...just as well as those at the lower price range.

50k ? sign me up for a volvo xc90

Wow, just wow....have to give Agent009 credit for placing a misleading title out there to draw some hits. As others have said, the MRSP for the base model starts BELOW $30,000. There is very little price variance between the prior Pilot outside of the Elite trim which is in the upper 40K range.

All I have to say is that the Explorer, Pathfinder, and Highlander better watch out as this thing is going to take over the midsize SUV market just as the CRV owns is space in the smaller CUV market.

Most mid size SUVs with any decent options are out of reach of the masses now. I would think that $50k is a top line model which 99% of the people don't buy anyway.

Hmmm, Honda or BMW? Let me think. I know, I might as well go buy a Luxury Korean crapcan since its in that price range too.

I shopped the Pilot vs MDX last time and would find it hard to believe that anyone prepared to drop 50 big ones would NOT opt for the Acura.