Why Isn’t Anyone Buying the 2022 Honda Pilot?
The 2022 Honda Pilot is one of the most popular midsize SUVs available. However, statistics show that Pilot sales are declining rapidly in 2022. What could be the reason people aren’t buying such a prominent midsize SUV? Why isn’t anyone buying the 2022 Honda Pilot?
2022 Honda Pilot is losing sales
According to GoodCarBadCar, 2022 Honda Pilot sales are declining year over year. From January through May 2021, customers purchased 31,451 Honda Pilot models. However, for 2022 during the same period, Honda only sold 23,989 units. That’s a big difference in sales compared to last year. Additionally, it’s a very popular midsize SUV, so it doesn’t seem normal for it to drop off so much.
Furthermore, that’s a 34.20% decrease in sales overall. Surprisingly, that’s by far the highest drop-off by percentage of any midsize SUV model. In second place is the Kia Sorento, which lost 24.44% of its sales compared to last year. Additionally, the change is even more drastic based on May 2022. In May 2021, 16,480 Pilots were sold, while only 8,713 units were sold in May 2022. That’s a 47.13% decrease in sales for the most recent month.
The Pilot has a much higher starting price
According to Car and Driver, the 2022 Honda Pilot has a much higher starting price than it did in 2021. As a result, fewer people are willing to spend extra for the midsize SUV. Honda dropped the LX and EX trim levels from the lineup, making the EX-L trim the most affordable option. In short, the $41,605 starting price of the EX-L trim is roughly $7,000 more than the base LX trim from the previous model year.
Is the new Pilot worth the extra cost? New for 2022 are full LED headlights, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. In the 2022 base model, EX-L, owners get 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, heated mirrors, a power liftgate, remote start, and proximity keyless entry with push-button ignition. Do you think that’s worth the extra $7,000? As it turns out, it doesn’t seem like most customers do.
Off-road Honda Pilot TrailSport is underwhelming
What Honda, and some people, may have thought would be a selling point isn’t living up to expectations. Adding an off-road trim level to every SUV is common these days. As with many Honda models, the Pilot gained a TrailSport off-road-focused version for 2022. However, it’s pretty underwhelming for off-roading, which doesn’t help Pilot sales very much.
Starting at $44,785, the Pilot TrailSport has a lifted suspension, 18-inch wheels, and different tires. As a result, it has an extra 0.6-inches of ground clearance. Additionally, there is black plastic cladding around the wheel wells, a TrailSport badge on the tailgate, and badges embroidered on the seats. Overall it’s a lot more money for some extra ground clearance and a few appearance tweaks. As a result, most people don’t find enough value to purchase the Honda Pilot Trailsport.
Why isn’t anyone buying the 2022 Honda Pilot?
In conclusion, 2022 Honda Pilot sales are dropping because it has a higher starting price and the off-road TrailSport trim is underwhelming. The new off-road model is a highlight for the new model year but doesn’t do enough to conquer the Passport TrailSport or other better off-road SUVs. Additionally, other three-row SUVs start much cheaper and provide similar value. Could making a few changes increase sales for this once best-selling model?
