How Much Can a 2022 Honda Pilot Tow?

The Honda Pilot is the largest SUV in the Honda lineup. It’s a three-row family-sized SUV made to transport multiple people or cargo while maintaining a sleek figure. It sits between midsize and full size, and it seats eight people. This is an excellent car for various activities that include family members. If you’re looking for an SUV, however, you may be wondering, “Is the Honda Pilot good for towing?” — especially if you have a camping trailer or any heavy machinery or equipment. We’ve created a guide to help you understand the towing abilities of the Honda Pilot.

What is the Honda Pilot’s towing capacity?

Image used with permission via Honda AdBuilder

The Honda Pilot tow capacity is different depending on which trim you choose and whether you select all-wheel or two-wheel drive. The standard trim is the Sport, which has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds in two-wheel drive and 5,000 pounds in all-wheel drive. The Touring, EX-L, and Special Edition trims also have this towing capacity, though they’re all higher trim levels.

In between the Special Edition and the Touring is a trim called TrailSport, designed to favor off-roading. This trim and the two luxury trims, the Elite and the Black Edition, do not have two-wheel drive as an option, so they only have the 5,000-pound towing capacity available with the all-wheel drive. This means that, for the most part, all trims can tow 5,000 pounds.

What is the Honda Pilot’s drivetrain?

All trims of the Honda Pilot have V-6 engines with 3471cc of displacement. These engines also have 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission accompanies each engine. The power of this drivetrain contributes to the impressive towing capabilities of the Honda Pilot.

Can a Honda Pilot tow a camper?

In addition to the Pilot’s high towing capability, it has a payload capacity of up to 1,625 pounds. It also has additional safety features that are convenient for those who want to tow safely or feel confident in their new car. The Pilot has Hill Start Assist, which means that when the sensors detect you are on a hill, the vehicle deploys the emergency brake. You can end the emergency brake by moving your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator.

There are some campers currently being manufactured that are too big to be pulled by any SUV currently on the market. However, smaller campers or pop-ups are becoming popular and more easily available. With the Honda Pilot’s towing capacity, you can most likely tow some campers with your vehicle, provided that you have the right towing hook-up and the camper isn’t too big. As long as your trailer is below 5,000 pounds, you can tow it with the Honda Pilot. Here are some examples of trailers a Honda Pilot can tow:

• Teardrop trailer: A teardrop camper is designed for one or two people. They usually have a rounded back edge that gives them a teardrop-like shape.
• Standup camper: A standup camper is very compact, but you can usually stand up in them, and many of them include full amenities like bathrooms.
• Pop-ups: A pop-up or a tent camper is made of canvas or lightweight material. These can be big enough for a full family, and they typically collapse into a compact shape that doesn’t create wind resistance.

Does the Honda Pilot have a good towing package?

The Honda Pilot does have a towing package that you can include in your initial purchase to ensure your Pilot is prepared for a long day of towing. The Honda Pilot Towing package includes additional accessories that you can use to tow a camper or any other items you may need to tow. The towing package includes accessories for a trailer hitch, including a ball mount receiver that you attach to the back of your Pilot and the retaining pin and clip that you attach to the camper.

It also comes with a trailer hitch harness with a seven-pin round style connector and a trailer hitch locking pin for additional security. The final accessory is a trailer hitch ball about 1-7/8 to two inches. These accessories ensure that you can hitch your camper or small RV camper to the back of your Honda Pilot without trouble. You won’t have to worry about it sliding off in transit.

Additional benefits of the Honda Pilot

In addition to the Honda Pilot’s towing ability, the vehicle also has a lot of qualities that make it a great car for families and extended trips. The size of the SUV is a great example of how helpful it can be for large families; it’s spacious in the back, and the back row of seats can fold down to create additional storage. When you’re traveling with your family, you can count on the Pilot to have space for everyone’s bags while still preserving room for your family to sit comfortably.

The Honda Pilot also has strong off-roading capabilities with its powerful engine and even suspension. This means that you can take your Pilot camping and not worry about whether you’re parking in a parking lot or exploring new places. The TrailSport trim is especially decked out to support an off-roading trip.

Additionally, the infotainment system on a Honda pilot is perfect for a long journey. You can easily find the dashboard screen, which is an 8-inch high-resolution touch screen. The size and color of the screen make it easier for a driver to identify the apps they need to access. However, an advanced rear entertainment system is also available with a 10.2-inch high-resolution screen and Blu-ray. This addition means that the kids in the back can stay entertained while you’re driving the car.

Honda is a manufacturer with a reputation to uphold, so you can trust that the towing capabilities of the Honda Pilot are strong. If you want to see for yourself how well the 2022 Pilot can tow for yourself, you can test drive one with us. You can check out our new Honda Pilot and used vehicle inventory or even look into leasing a model you like.