My Friend Drives a 2019 Honda Pilot and Doesn't Want a Big 3-Row SUV Anymore. This is What...

Inquiring Minds Want to Know


When you’re an automotive journalist, invariably people find out and ask you what you recommend. It’s unavoidable, but it’s one of the most enjoyable aspects of my work. It’s not what you think. It’s not about spilling my automotive knowledge. Rather, I always see it as an opportunity to find out what makes the car buying public tick.



Honda


A recent interaction involved my son’s best friend’s dad, who has been driving a 2019 Honda Pilot for the past several years and wants to make a change. He’s not much of a car guy, but he knows that he doesn’t want to drive a large SUV anymore. I took the time to ask Andrew some important questions to find out his budget, needs, and wants.

Old Priorities No Longer Matter



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Andrew has a wife and two boys. He’s a busy father and husband with kids in numerous extracurricular activities. He drives his boys around a lot, but he no longer wants to drive something as big as the Pilot. He thought he needed three rows, but now he realizes it’s excessive, and he wants to downsize. Andrew drives into the city, as well, and he would appreciate a smaller footprint and better manueverability. It’s also taller than he prefers. The Pilot is just too large inside and out.



Honda


He was also not a fan of the Pilot’s gas mileage. Its V6 engine is on the thirsty side. The 23.5-liter V6 engine is good for 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, but the downside is the estimated 22 mpg combined. That’s not a great number, and Andrew would prefer to have a hybrid. His wife drives a Tesla Model Y, and Andrew has no interest in getitng another EV. He wants the flexibility of gas without the wallet drain of a V6. He still wants all-wheel drive for Chicago winters. He also prefers to keep the price around $50k.



Honda


Finally, he wants solid reliability and good physical controls. The Pilot has been very good to him with minimal repairs, and he wants the same level of vehicle dependability or better. He also prefers not to have heavy on-screen controls like his Tesla. He prefers to keep things minimally distracting with his boys in the car and a lot of city driving. Good physical controls are the order of the day.

My Recommendation: 2026 Toyota Crown Signia



Toyota


The Crown Signia debuted in 2024 as a 2025 model, and it’s the wagon-ified version of the Crown sedan, built on the same TNGA-K Architecture. The base XLE starts around $45k, and the top trim Limited’s price barely crests $49k, so the price point works for Andrew. The electrified powertrain is borrowed from the Crown sedan, with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and three electric motors for a combined 240 horsepower. While that’s less than the 280 horses in the 2019 Pilot, the Crown Signia will do about the same 0-60 sprint at the 7-second mark.



There’s no question that the hybrid-only Crown Signia is more efficient than a naturally-aspirated V6 three-row SUV. Andrew was surprised to find out just how much better the Crown Signia is compared to the 2019 Pilot. Efficiency is stellar with an EPA estimated 41 mpg in combined driving. That’s almost twice as good as the 2019 Pilot’s 22 mpg.



Toyota


The Crown Signia’s dimensions are more manageable than the Pilot. It stands at 64.2 inches high, about half a foot lower than the Pilot, and it measures about two inches shorter and half an inch narrower. It doesn’t scrimp on second row space in the process. With 38.9 inches of second-row legroom, it has half an inch more than the 2019 Pilot. That should be plenty of space for his two boys. Six footers can sit behind tall front occupants with no issue.



Toyota


The Crown Signia also has great physical controls and isn’t overly dependent on the touchscreen, which is properly sized at 12.3″ and mated to the same sized digital instrument cluster. Both are easy to read, and the infotainment system is intuitive. Andrew’s preference for easy switchgear is covered here. The climate controls are in clean rows, and the thermostat displays are simple, situated between the buttons for heated and ventilated seats.



Toyota


Andrew mentioned that he wants a quiet and composed ride, versus something that’s quick and has taut handling. That’s another area where the Crown Signia excels. It’s a cushy and insulated ride that’s a champion of quiet highway cruising. In terms of reliability, Toyota outranks almost every other brand, including Honda. The Crown Signia checks that box, too. Finally, it goes without saying that the car should be safe, and the Crown Signia nails that aspect, too. It nabbed an IIHS Top Safety Pick.

Final Thoughts


Sometimes you have to look at a completely different segment when your priorties change, and that’s where Andrew find himself today. He doesn’t care about brand image but rather practical aspects like fuel-efficiency, good controls, and solid reliability. The Crown Signia is one of those crossovers that travels under the radar while providing Lexus-like comfort and materials, welcomed surprises along with the model’s practicality and fuel efficiency. It’s also a car I would buy for my own family, which makes it even easier to recommend.

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