Shoppers in the market to buy a Honda Pilot may find themselves doing a double-take when looking at the SUV's latest sticker prices. That's because Honda has discontinued the LX and EX trims, resulting in a $6,510 increase in base price.
According to Honda, the 2022 Pilot will start at $40,285 including destination. For reference, the 2021 Pilot has a base MSRP of just $33,775. Fortunately, there's a pretty good reason — albeit an unusual one — for the price hike.
While Honda says the LX and EX are "no longer available," it also says the three-row SUV will get a new base model this fall. Other Pilots are on sale now, but the range temporarily starts with the EX-L. This could create a problem for buyers.
If you were planning on buying a well-equipped Pilot, this may not be that big of a deal. However, those in the market to buy now may find themselves wondering whether or not it's worth waiting for the cheaper Pilot to be unveiled.
Though it's largely a carryover from the previous year, Honda's largest SUV comes with a bigger 8-inch infotainment screen and LED headlamps for 2022. It's also worth noting that the EX-L is just $400 more expensive than before.
If you aren't keen on spending more than $40,000 on a Pilot, you may want to buy a 2021 model now. You can lease a 2021 Pilot EX from just $299 for 36 months with $2,699 at signing, equating to an effective cost of $374/month.
That's a significantly better deal than a Honda CR-V LX ($340). Despite being almost $9,900 costlier on paper, better lease incentives make the Pilot just $34 more expensive to lease. As a result, it could be a surprisingly good upgrade.
Current Honda offers end on September 7.
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