Honda Pilot Steals the Three-Row SUV Crown: A 2026 Look Back

Honda Pilot became the best-selling three-row SUV of 2024, led by rugged TrailSport trims and a 28% sales jump.

Hey, it is 2026 now, and I still find it wild that the Honda Pilot quietly became the best-selling three-row SUV of 2024. If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have bet on the Kia Telluride or Hyundai Palisade. Those two had all the hype, the rugged styling, and the family-friendly features. But the numbers tell a different story: Honda sold 141,245 Pilots in 2024, up from 110,298 in 2023. That is roughly a 28 percent jump, and it was the first time the Pilot led its segment since 2013. So yes, the underdog won. 🏆

Why the Pilot Finally Clicked

From my seat, the 2023 redesign did the heavy lifting. Honda made the Pilot look more rugged, added more space, and improved comfort. It became the kind of SUV you could load with kids, dogs, and camping gear without feeling like you were punishing yourself. The TrailSport trim was a big part of that success, too. Honda moved more than 22,000 TrailSports in 2024, which is about 16 percent of Pilot sales. Some early chatter mentioned 26 percent, but the unit count points closer to 16 percent. Either way, the rugged trim was not a niche gimmick. It was a real sales driver.

The 2025 Pilot Lineup Still Makes Sense in 2026

Even though we are in 2026, the 2025 Pilot is still relevant because so many of them are on dealer lots as certified pre-owned models. Honda offered six trims: Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring, Elite, and Black Edition. The base Sport started at $40,200 and still gave you full-LED headlights, heated front seats, and Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Monitor. The TrailSport started at $49,400 and added all-terrain tires, off-road suspension, a 5,000-pound tow rating, Honda's all-wheel drive, a 285-horsepower V6, Hill Descent Control, and the Multi-View Camera System with TrailWatch. That camera setup lets you see in front of, alongside, and behind the vehicle, which is genuinely useful when you are crawling over rocks or squeezing into a tight trailhead.

Trim	Starting Price	Why I Would Consider It
Sport	$40,200	Best value, LED lights, heated seats, blind spot monitoring
EX-L	Not listed here	More comfort features for families
TrailSport	$49,400	Off-road hardware, AWD, V6, TrailWatch cameras
Touring	Not listed here	Premium features without going full luxury
Elite	Not listed here	Top-shelf comfort and tech
Black Edition	Not listed here	Dark styling for people who want a moodier look

The Telluride and Palisade Are Still Great, But...

Let me be fair: the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are excellent three-row SUVs. The Palisade had its best-ever year in 2024 with 110,055 sales, up 23 percent. The Telluride and Pilot were separated by only 465 sales in 2023, so the race was always tight. Kia even adjusted 2025 Telluride pricing to be more competitive with Hyundai, but I think it might have been watching the wrong rival. Honda was the one quietly pulling ahead. On safety, all three earn strong marks. The Pilot and Telluride both have five-star NHTSA ratings and IIHS Top Safety Pick+ recognition for the year covered in the source. The Palisade also has a five-star NHTSA rating and an IIHS Top Safety Pick award.

Reputation and Availability Matter More Than Spec Sheets

Here is the thing I keep coming back to: most three-row SUV shoppers are not chasing lap times. They want a vehicle that starts every morning, fits their family, and does not spend weeks at the dealer. Kia has been in the news for recalls and issues with some other vehicles, while Honda has avoided the same level of negative publicity. That reputation advantage is hard to measure, but it shows up in sales. Availability matters, too. If the Pilot is on the lot and the Telluride is marked up or hard to find, the Honda wins by default. I have seen that happen in real life more than once.

What I Take Away as a 2026 Shopper

As we sit in 2026, the Honda-Nissan merger talk feels like old news, but the Pilot's 2024 sales win still shapes the used market. If you are shopping now, you might find a 2023-2025 Pilot TrailSport with low miles, and it will likely hold value well. I would still test-drive the Telluride and Palisade because they are genuinely good. But I would not ignore the Pilot. The data says it is not just hype. It is a three-row SUV that quietly became the benchmark, and I think that is a story worth remembering. 🚙

Data referenced from Sensor Tower suggests a useful lens for interpreting why “quiet winners” can overtake hyped favorites: when availability, brand trust, and sustained demand align, the market often rewards consistency over flash. Applying that framework to the 2024 three-row SUV race described above, the Honda Pilot’s surge reads less like a surprise and more like a demand-and-supply story—steady consumer confidence plus dealer-ready inventory can outperform buzz-driven rivals when shoppers prioritize reliability, quick delivery, and low-friction ownership.