Cost example updated October 24, 2026
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What it costs to keep a Pilot running
About $800 a year, or $4,000 over five years. That is the maintenance number in this page's example. The table below shows where it comes from, service by service, and the schedule after it shows when the factory says each job is due.
| Service | What it typically costs |
|---|---|
| Oil change, oil and filter | $143 to $174 |
| Brake pads, one axle | $319 to $379 |
| Engine air filter | $68 to $86 |
| Cabin air filter | $77 to $100 |
| Tires, set of 4, parts only | $600 to $1,400 |
| Battery, Group 48 AGM | $445 to $513 |
| Spark plugs, set of 6 | $360 to $489 |
Prices are RepairPal estimates. The Pilot pages pool model years, and 2023 to 2025 are the same generation. No clean per-axle rotor price is published, so the table leaves it out. Schedule from the 2025 Pilot Owner's Manual. Honda does not publish a fixed-mileage schedule for the Pilot. The dash shows Maintenance Minder codes when service is due, based on driving conditions. Manual text via manua.ls. Honda distributes manuals through its owners site, so no Honda-hosted PDF link is given. Prices checked November 11, 2026.
When the factory says each job is due: the Maintenance Minder codes
| When | What is due |
|---|---|
| Code A | Engine oil, at least yearly |
| Code B | Oil and filter, brake inspection |
| Code 1 | Rotate tires |
| Code 2 | Air cleaner, dust and pollen filter |
| Code 3 | Transmission and transfer fluid |
| Code 4 | Spark plugs, timing belt |
| Code 5 | Engine coolant |
| Code 6 | Rear differential fluid |
| Code 7 | Brake fluid, every 3 years |
Start with the price you will actually pay
For a representative example, use a 2026 Honda Pilot EX-L with all-wheel drive at $48,090 including destination ($46,595 plus the $1,495 destination charge, per Honda's own launch pricing; Kelley Blue Book lists the same $48,090). The EX-L is the middle of the lineup, leather seats and the family features most buyers actually want, while the range runs from the Sport near $43,690 with destination to the Black Edition near $56,490. Replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering.
One price conflict, stated plainly: some later 2026 listings show the EX-L with all-wheel drive about $200 higher (around $48,290 with destination). This example uses Honda's launch pricing, so if your quote lands $200 higher, the five-year total below rises by roughly that same $200 plus a few dollars of tax and interest.
The down payment does not make the Pilot cheaper; it changes how much you finance. With 10% down ($4,809), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months to pay, and with the 7% sales tax ($3,366) and $900 in title and dealer fees rolled into the loan, that is, borrowed along with the car instead of paid up front, this example finances $47,547 at $964 a month, and the loan costs about $10,298 in interest over five years.
Fuel: a V6 that drinks regular gas
The 3.5-liter V6 is rated 21 mpg combined (19 city, 25 highway, per Honda and fueleconomy.gov; Edmunds lists the same 21 mpg combined for the all-wheel-drive model). At 12,000 miles a year that is about 571 gallons annually, roughly $2,373 a year, $11,866 over five years at $4.153 a gallon (the EIA national average for the week ending November 2, 2026). Front-wheel-drive Pilots do a little better at 22 mpg combined, and the off-road TrailSport a little worse at 20 mpg; the difference over five years is only a few hundred dollars either way.
There is no hybrid Pilot in this generation, so there is no high-mileage version to compare against, the V6 is the only engine on every trim. The method behind that math is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.
Depreciation is still the biggest bucket
iSeeCars' data puts the Pilot's five-year value loss at about 48.3%, it keeps roughly 51.7% of its price. Kelley Blue Book's own five-year work is a little kinder, landing near 45% lost on the base model. This example follows iSeeCars: on a $48,090 purchase, plan on roughly $24,863 after five years, about $23,227 of depreciation, roughly $387 a month. If you use KBB's kinder figure instead, the total below drops by roughly $1,600.
That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.
Insurance runs midsize-SUV money
Full-coverage averages for a Pilot cluster between about $152 and $170 a month depending on the source (MoneyGeek at the low end, Insurify and Compare.com both near $170). This example uses $170 a month, or $10,200 over five years. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles and limits before treating any average as yours.
Pilot maintenance costs: modest, with one tire set in the plan
Kelley Blue Book's five-year cost-to-own work puts Pilot maintenance near $1,886 plus about $911 in repairs over five years, roughly $560 a year combined. Edmunds' work runs higher, near $1,260 a year combined, but it assumes 15,000 miles a year instead of 12,000. This example allows $800 a year, or $4,000 all-in, which sits between the two sources and includes one set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles. Honda also includes two years or 24,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance, which helps the early years.
The full five-year example
Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2026 Honda Pilot EX-L AWD, $48,090 price including destination, 10% down ($4,809), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, tax and fees rolled into the loan, 12,000 miles per year, 21 mpg, $4.153 per gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), $170 per month insurance, $800 per year maintenance, $24,863 resale value after five years.
- Depreciation: $23,227 ($48,090 minus $24,863 resale)
- Insurance: $10,200 ($170 x 60 months)
- Fuel: $11,866 (12,000 / 21 x $4.153 x 5 years)
- Maintenance: $4,000 ($800 x 5 years)
- Tax, fees and interest: $14,564 ($3,366 sales tax, $900 fees, $10,298 loan interest)
That totals roughly $63,857, or about $1,064 a month. Notice what that says about the $964 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 91% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Formula
The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $48,090 price minus the $24,863 resale value after five years, which is $23,227. Insurance is $170 a month times 60 months, which is $10,200. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 21 miles per gallon, times $4.153 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $11,866. Maintenance is $800 a year times 5 years, which is $4,000. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $48,090, which is $3,366, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $10,298 of loan interest, which is $14,564.
Added together, $23,227 plus $10,200 plus $11,866 plus $4,000 plus $14,564 equals $63,857, or about $1,064 a month. The amount financed is the $48,090 price plus $3,366 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $4,809 down payment, which is $47,547. The tax and fees are rolled into the loan. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $47,547 is $964 a month, and the loan costs about $10,298 in interest over five years.
Why Pilot buyers should think past year five
Three-row SUVs are keepers, families run them a decade or more, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and out-of-warranty items. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.
Shopping the Pilot against other three-rows? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side, try it against the Highlander, the Telluride, or the smaller CR-V. Cross-shopping a Grand Highlander too? See what a Toyota Grand Highlander really costs over 5 years. Want two rows instead of three? See what a Honda Passport really costs over 5 years.
Enter the Pilot purchase price, insurance quote, your real annual mileage, local fuel price, tire allowance and conservative resale value in the calculator. Then change only the inputs that differ to test a front-wheel-drive Pilot, the TrailSport, or a longer ownership horizon.
Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.
Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.153 a gallon (EIA national average, week ending November 2, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.
Sources disagree on the Pilot's five-year value loss: iSeeCars puts it at 48.3% while Kelley Blue Book's work lands near 45% lost, so the 48.3% figure used here is kept as a planning assumption, not as a current reading.
Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Kelley Blue Book 2026 Pilot EX-L price, $48,090; EPA combined fuel economy, 21 mpg; MoneyGeek Pilot full-coverage average, $152 a month; Compare.com Pilot full-coverage average, $170 a month; Insurify Pilot full-coverage average, $169 a month; EIA weekly gas prices (week ending November 2, 2026).
Primary sources: Kelley Blue Book, 2026 Honda Pilot specs; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; MoneyGeek, Honda Pilot insurance cost; Compare.com, Honda Pilot car insurance; Insurify, Honda car insurance; EIA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Depreciation. The value a car loses over time. On this page, the $48,090 price minus the $24,863 resale value after five years, which is $23,227.
Resale value. What the car is worth after five years in this example, $24,863. A planning assumption, not a forecast.
APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.
Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $4,809.
Destination charge. The delivery fee added to the sticker price. It is $1,495 on the Pilot, included in the $48,090 price, which is $46,595 before destination.
Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 21 for the all-wheel-drive model, 19 in the city and 25 on the highway. Front-wheel drive does 22 mpg combined and the TrailSport does 20 mpg.
Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. Published averages cluster between about $152 and $170 a month; this example uses $170 a month.
All-wheel drive. Power goes to all four wheels. The EX-L with all-wheel drive is rated 21 mpg combined; front-wheel drive does 22 mpg and the TrailSport does 20 mpg.
Questions people actually ask
How much does a Honda Pilot cost per month?
About $1,064 a month over five years in the example above: a $48,090 EX-L with all-wheel drive, financed at 8% for 60 months, driven 12,000 miles a year. The loan payment alone is $964 a month, the rest is insurance, gas, upkeep, and the value the car loses.
Is the Honda Pilot expensive to insure?
Not for its size. Full-coverage averages run about $152 to $170 a month, and the example uses $170 a month, or $10,200 over five years. Your own quote depends on the driver, the ZIP code, and the coverage you choose.
How much value does a Honda Pilot lose in 5 years?
About 48% of its price, per iSeeCars, a $48,090 Pilot is worth roughly $24,863 after five years, a loss of about $23,227. Kelley Blue Book's figures are a little kinder, near 45% lost, so treat the resale value as a planning assumption, not a promise.
How many miles per gallon does a Honda Pilot get?
21 mpg combined for the all-wheel-drive model (19 city, 25 highway). Front-wheel drive does 22 mpg combined and the TrailSport does 20 mpg. At 12,000 miles a year and $4.153 a gallon (the EIA national average for the week ending November 2, 2026), the all-wheel-drive Pilot uses about $2,373 of gas a year.
How much does it cost to maintain a Honda Pilot?
This example allows $800 a year, or $4,000 all-in, which sits between the two sources and includes one set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles. Kelley Blue Book puts Pilot maintenance near $1,886 plus about $911 in repairs over five years, roughly $560 a year combined, while Edmunds runs higher, near $1,260 a year combined, but assumes 15,000 miles a year instead of 12,000.
Related: other three-row SUVs in the same lane: Chevrolet Traverse, about $962 a month, Dodge Durango, about $912 a month, Ford Explorer, about $1,034 a month, Hyundai Palisade, about $1,009 a month, Chevrolet Tahoe, about $1,512 a month.
Related: minivans in the same lane: Honda Odyssey, about $969 a month and Toyota Sienna, about $946 a month. deciding between them: do you really need a 3-row SUV, mid-size vs full-size 3-row SUV cost, minivan vs 3-row SUV cost, can a family car fit $400 or $600 a month, family cars under $400 a month.