Talking Cars with Consumer Reports #70 - Mazda MX-5 and CX-3; Honda Pilot _ Consumer Reports

**The Honda Pilot: A Compelling Alternative to the Toyota Highlander**

Bill Steen shocked us with his review of the pilot, stating that it still has some work to do on its Body Rolls, but overall, it's an impressive vehicle. The Pilot is a minivan for people who won't buy an Odyssey, which is a lot of people. It's a great option for those looking for a practical and comfortable ride.

One of the most notable features of the Pilot is its interior space. Steen felt that it had more headroom than his own MDX, which is a high-end SUV. He also appreciated the good cow height and visibility while driving. The Pilot promises to be better in terms of safety performance, particularly in small overlap tests.

Honda's latest offering comes with a raft of safety gear as an option, including Forward Collision warning, Lane Departure warning, and standard Blind Spot Monitoring and Rearview Camera. This puts Honda at an advantage over the Toyota Highlander, which forces buyers to opt for Limited trim or Hybrid model to access these features.

The pricing structure will be interesting to watch, particularly if Toyota drops prices to compete with the Pilot's starting point of $39,000. However, the Highlander does have some advantages, such as its powerful V6 engine and more aggressive exterior design. Steen noted that the Pilot's infotainment system and ability control are notable features, but it will be interesting to see what the next big upgrade is.

As with any new vehicle, it's difficult to predict exactly how it will perform in real-world testing. However, the Pilot has certainly made a compelling argument for itself as an alternative to the Highlander. With its spacious interior, impressive safety features, and affordable starting point, it's definitely worth considering for those looking for a practical and comfortable ride.

**Comparison to Other Models**

The Traverse is another model that will be worth watching in this segment. Steen noted that it looks old and may become outdated soon. On the other hand, the Santa Fe is a nice car that has been updated and refreshed recently. It's clear that Honda has made some great strides with their latest offering, but it remains to be seen how it stacks up against its competitors.

**Conclusion**

The Honda Pilot is an impressive vehicle that offers a lot of value for those looking for a practical and comfortable ride. With its spacious interior, impressive safety features, and affordable starting point, it's definitely worth considering as an alternative to the Toyota Highlander. As with any new vehicle, there are always variables to consider, but the Pilot has made a compelling argument for itself as a top contender in this segment.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enon this episode we talk about two brand new Mazdas the MX5 Miata and the cx3 small SUV we also talk about something more practical the Honda Pilot next on talking cars hi everybody and welcome to talking cars with Consumer Reports I'm Tom muchler I'm Jake Fisher and I'm John linov got three very interesting cars to talk about on this show but first looks like it's the beard episode episode I like it it brings more power to the podcast I got called up from Triple A this morning so I forgot the jeans didn't shave well it's 85 degrees so you're you're the smarter one actually uh first car uh big big news the new Mazda MX5 a car they should call Miata but they're too stupid to do so what do you think I mean this is this is a big deal this car it's it's been almost 10 years since the last redesign yes the Miata the Miata is the new Miata um well we work on saying Miata a lot um yeah it's it's it's great the miata's always been great I mean it came out in what 1990 it's kind of tra stayed completely true to its roots um they kind of tweaked it every kind of Dimension so it's a little bit smaller on the outside a little bit bigger on the inside it drives like a miat it's lighter now it's actually down back to the the weight it was prior to this last generation but um yeah actually back to the weight it was around 19 1994 with with the 1.8 lit which is really impressive it it's it's a very impressive car I mean the big thing for me is bigger inside I could fit in the Miata it's really I mean I mean it makes a big difference leg room lot of leg room there's a leg room and and more importantly like the previous uh Mias not only are you hitting your am I hitting my head I'm about six foot tall and hitting my head on the I'm not doing that anymore but also like there's room to actually get the pedals now so like before You' go and You' hit the clutch and you'd actually hit the brake pedal at the same time as the clutch and you'd have to you know have the driving shoes on that's kind of all gone MH yeah nice dead pedal for uh in there it got rid of this you know like the previous generation had the door panel stucking in and the pockets and then the earlier version of that with the cup holders at your exactly you know yeah roomier a little bit of rub on the right knee but I tend to sit in a little bit and spay leg aside from that yeah really really for a small small car roomy driving position let's look let's talk about how it drives you know the the let's not get all we'll go back to how comfortable it is but I mean that's the wussy stuff I wanted to talk about the cup holders and the the cup holders are horrible but anyway and the truck space stop it active safety system stop it we are Enthusiast how does the car drive but it has a nav system how does the car it has blind spot M no how does the car drive it still has that I'm doing 40 m per hour on a road and I feel like I'm flying along whereas in an SUV at 50 I feel poam and driving it's really you know it gives you that visceral feel it's it's got for me a little little very sharp steering at first and then it a little numb little dead throughout you know you kind of like where's it going not not in a dangerous sense but just like okay I'm turning I'm turning but there's not much feel but plenty of power um love rowing the gear boox I mean that is a great stick shift um easy clutch um just it's fun very fun Jake it's a blast yeah absolutely um but even though we have been very positive about mazas I'm going to flip it around and say who's going to buy this and let me just throw that out and I say that because mean what I mean by this why are you being a bad person I know I know I know people are tuning out already this this is my favorite car the ma de Miata is my favorite car so Tom's buying one so not that no actually I I see Jake's trap and I'll let him build the Trap all right I would build the Trap I mean the car is great yes all these things are absolutely true it's fun and and yes it's one of these cars that you don't have to be going a million miles an hour and still enjoy yourself which is why I want to before I'm going to delay your trap because I before we move on from that that's why I love the Miata so much because you know I'll drive any of the high powerered stuff we have kicking around here you know the Corvettes or the Mustangs or you know it I have to be going fast in order to be really enjoying that stuff this I'm not going to go into the trees I'm not going to go to jail that's a plus but you were able to get that on every Miata they've ever built this is exactly the point so you yes so if you are looking for this car I mean let's quite honestly you're not buying this car because you're going to be putting you know 15,000 mil a year on it and carrying your family around or commuting really for long distances it it's a kind of a weekend car it's kind of out for fun you go out and drive and it's true with a used Miata and you know any of the previous ones so the thing is with Miatas is there's a nice population of them out there and they all kind of go around people buy them they keep them for a couple years it's it's a social network it's like Zip Miata right zip you don't everyone doesn't need to buy a brand new one they just need to kind of enjoy it and pass around they need people to buy new ones so that the older one could then be either modified for track or go off into the great the great arm of the sky or they could just be shared amongst zip Miata so no you need people to buy the new one so that this population keeps on going maybe or maybe not they're really reliable they last a long time for 10 grand I could go out and buy a really nice Miata that will do 95% of what this car will do but it'll have more body roll and it won't get as good fuel econ and it won't be as save keep that $115,000 and I could go get some starts and springs which everyone does I could get some nice wheels for it and or actually you could go buy used golf that you could actually drive as a comfortable daily driver used golf now you're getting crazy but for Fusion maybe I used Fusion but that's what happens right you first get the mied then you move up to the GTI and then it's all good and then someone else gets the miat in follows that through so so the question is is there enough population of Z Miatas out there that everyone just kind of no you know what I I think you know I mean spending a ton of time on the fors I mean I shop for a Miata every six months before I get my sanity back actually before you talk me out of it it's like you know don't you don't need a to buy a car that just sits and rots in your driveway and you pay for insurance on uh I think there's enough people who you know they're Miata Fanatics they'll they'll want to buy the ND they'll they'll go out and buy the new car they they'll upgrade from the NC ND and they'll they'll get the new car uh and it will be enough to repopulate Reg germinate I hope so the it's true the the population the B colonies the Miata colon is collapsing I think we needed it you know I mean there are there are some great advantages to this car I mean you know again you're getting it's a joy to drive uh it has plenty of power the the gear ratios are lovely the engine is very tractable it is going to be the safest Miata you could ever buy Blind Spot monitor it sounds stupid blind spot monitoring is really nice to have in this when the tops up navigation is nice I mean there's a lot of cre Comfort aspect of it there's a lot of great things about this car that may or may not be worth an extra $155,000 to that used $10,000 Miata that is pretty nice and it's reliable I was going to call you a joy kill but that you know really a 2010 used Miata for 13 Grand is plenty of Joy it's a really nice car I think a lot more people will be buying the other car behind us the Mazda the cx3 which is the Miata if I may the Miata of small small SUVs I thought I thought at one point there would be no none of these subcompact SUVs that I would like because every one of them was worse than going to the dentist every one of them was just just looking mortality in the face and going oh life is sad yeah even into luxury category too yeah they were just those are disappointing for the cost and what you got and then the small ones with the space and unfinished feeling no every one of them you're crammed into uh the Chevy tracks feels cheap kind of like this the renegade's cute but isn't a great car The Encore is an more expensive track it's a more expensive track at least it rides better and it's quieter uh the HRV is a bit drab and a little little OD controls and yeah a little over overreaching I think with some of the efforts it's almost like the the manufacturers were like well we're going to sell this for a cheaper price so people have different expectations you know they less they put up with that they understand they're paying not so much put up with that 24 instead of 27 what do they want for 24 they put up with that and then but they expect this and that you know particularly evident in the HRV press car that we saw was like the leather and the you know swas and the lot of uplevel materials for what is an econom a subc compact Economy Car you know barebones basic car but let's let's talk about happiness so so Miata thought that and said forget it we're actually making something that's fun Maz this thing is really a blast to drive and you're exactly right this is a Miata of SUVs I mean you get into it but you shouldn't buy an old one you want to buy un Miata you want to buy the new one right you're going to buy a Maz Navajo or something no not not not the same but but it's like you don't have that choice and this is a practical car I can put my family into the thing it gets good fuel economy and it is so much fun to drive it is nicely done it's amazing I mean just feels effortless you know I mean just that I mean there's not a ton of power here it's a 2 L it's around around 155 it's all about the tuning it's not about the horsepower it's not about the 0 to 60 it's the way that you could just kind of like touch that gas pedal the thing goes it feels energetic it doesn't feel like you're pushing it it's like you know you get some of these cars even if they're fast you know they're gr they're groaning this thing is just like let's go quack faster go and it's just it it's the steering is spot on um I I wish you could get it with a stick shift but you know even though I say that I know no one would actually buy it with a stick shift um but it's it's just so well tuned it's not really noisy like we say most mazas are but but they're they're getting they're figuring that out um but I mean that that's that's the thing about that car that is so oppressed about the cx3 it's so awesome is that it is a fully realized product and it is highly desirable it feels upscale you know it's something that I would want to buy because it is sporty I mean the Press car we have is a Grand Touring you know it's got you know padded stuff along the sides of the cons piping on the seats the contrasting piping and suede accents and you know it it it's it's a blast to drive it's relatively quiet um despite it's fairly narrow but it doesn't feel narrow you know there's other cars where you know you're you're you're just like that it's not like that yeah even without having a center armrest well they'll put that that's in the production thing or whatever'll put in right it's still you know it's it's still roomy um I found the the armrest was a little short that was the biggest thing for me you know my seating position so yeah everything falls oh I know your seating position yes cuz you like it as similarly um even the little armrest for the for the knob like that's a nice little touch so you're not just kind of hanging your hand out there for the control knob for the the infotainment REM me I want to go back to that on the Miata you know there's that um visibility is great you know you you could sit up high but you don't feel like you're going I don't feel like I'm going into the header um you know good visibility out front I know where the front is I was able to park it in my garage without hitting the snowblower that's thank we appreciate that well my snowblower appreciates it too trust me um I think it's a great car if if these people have the money for a new car the Dual income with maybe a baby you know a little kid one little kid maybe two little kids because once they get big the VAC seats just not going to work right now it would be perfect for my wife and I well but but but even beyond that I mean look I mean yes we live in America here where we all have to have big midsize sedans but I mean most of the world a small car is a family car big yes of course we I remind you but I don't know I mean my kids fit in the back of it and they'll be okay they can't cross their legs but who cares no I actually I had the car for a weekend and I like if once again it's the hypothetical if I got fired from here today and had to buy a yeah that car is fabulous I would buy that I'd buy a Grand Touring CX you get all the stuff you get all the safety gear it's so easy to park downtown it is so much fun to drive it's comfortable on the highway really Nim uh you're getting it loaded for around 26 you know with everything the only I wish it had power seats for some reason none of them have power seats none of them have lumbar adjustment that's like the only piece of equipment that car is missing Miata too with its seats but we won't go there that was well we could go there could go there and the armrest Yeah well yeah I mean that as great as those seats were even without the power and and adjustability those seats with their mesh support system supposed to be super lightweight with just they they they saved like a half a pound on it that's great that's right and and it's sprung weight so who cares right we all know it's unsprung weight matter sprung the seat has a spring for you I saw you're going um awful awful seats I'm not a big guy and I sat on the the rails of the of the seat back and my my lower back just sunk into the mass of void that I'm filling and there needs to be something better and then you hear oh well it's got the bill scene package so you can't get the leather seats like that's stupid Please put in decent seats with the high performance package nobody cares about the extra two lbs of the seats like well I mean let let's let's take the pieces apart I mean as much as I love the Miata it is not a long trip car unless you are I am driving my Miata on a weekend road trip you know I want the experience it is it is a motorcycle that is safer you know if you're there cool as a commu comfortable quiet commuter car Long Highway car no it's noisy inside despite added noise insulation at the top the seats aren't great Mazda's knob system you know the Mazda connect system all the knobs in a horrible place you you hit it with your you hit it with with your forearm when when you shift and your elbow goes in the cup holders it's just it's not well if you got fired you'd have plenty of time to learn the system and what the star means and how you program it and all that because it takes a long time I just want not to be broken record here but when you bought that $10,000 Miata you could get some raros or you could get some racing seats that you no those seats those seats have a height adjustment no no you he's replacing them I've already passed that um you're going to get an aftermarket stereo that has car par no you can get a you can get a clug that would plug into the back of the current radio and make it work with the USB customize it you make it your own this is part of the Miata experience along with some you know vul t37s that you throw on to the thing so you're not worried about the so it for that person it's no longer an issue that that club model uh is the only one that comes with the Bill Steen at the Grand Touring top trim you can't get this the suspension package anymore yep so it's I will say our last Miata I drove from Yonkers up to here one day on a glorious like early summer day top down on the Merit no one's on the road and it was great and I got out it's a little loud but I didn't have the same back issues as 25 minutes in that where I just sank into the back that's a problem I this I'm going to sound like a jerk but it's I I play one on TV um and in the office and uh lunch time you were six years younger my friend probably you know I was I was it was one bik one bike Faller but still like it it just was you know for that weekend you drive up you know in Vermont and stuff like I couldn't do it in the cars well no I could do it more in the other car there was just more support like those are lack and that's a problem and maybe getting the optional leather seats would help with support and maybe ma will let you get the billen and the optional Leathers maybe maybe um so while we're whining about practical stuff in a Miata let's let's let's go to and talk about one of the most practical Vehicles made the redesigned 2016 Honda Pilot the pilot needed to have some redesigning done to it though didn't it well it it was again a little bit old and the competition is kind of getting a bit better so I mean we've got a bunch of cars that were redesigned in the time span and it was time yeah and they did a they did a pretty nice job actually with this I was impressed first all they didn't force the two screen system in that like thank goodness no one screen was hor was bad enough but it was better than two um you know it went away from the Playmobile giant two box look you know the real plasticy interior of course again the Press car was a very nicely uploaded yeah it was a top trim elite elite so 47 grand but still accessible controls you know from the driver seat you know and again I where where I'm sit I could reach everything without a problem easy for the kids to get in and out of the back seat comfortable on the road quiet ER again this one had some sound deadening that the elites get the top levels get you know you you told me about that um but still quieter much quieter yeah you know this these these cars we're talking about today sort of point to the exciting world of driving press cars because um you know Miata has the Bill Steen shocks and it still has a bit Body Rolls improved but it still has a bit of it don't know what a Grand Touring is going to be like it might be you know that one's really nice inside yeah we'll we'll see what a more basic cx3 is like when we buy it and likewise the pilot we tested in Elite it has thicker glass more I believe more noise insulation in the doors that that's not going to be on the EXL that we buy the $39,000 EXL we get um it it it makes a compell argument for not going with an acur MDX I think um just just the the room I felt a lot more head room and I own an MDX and then we have a new MDX you're fancy I know um it's an 11 too uh that we own and you know this this had it didn't feel cavernous like the last pilot you know a big huge box you know but this one you know it has room you know and you could see over the hood nicely and and good good cow height and such but um it was a pleasant vehicle for you know using you know faint praise damate with faint praise you know well but I mean it's a minivan for people who won't buy an odyssey which is a lot of people yeah yeah as wrong as those people are because more people should buy minivans well my brother and sister in law just up an odyssey excellent good uh there are some good things about this I mean the the previous pilot was horrible in the IHS uh small overlap test this one promises to be better we'll find out when it actually gets tested uh another thing is Honda is offering a a raft load of safety gear as an option stuff like forward Collision warning Lane dep parture warning um you can I can give her take Lane watch acurus Lane Honda's Lane watch but standard blind standard backup camera now yeah all all Hondas mhm but when you compare it to a Highlander that forces you to get a um I think it forces you to get limited before you get any of the safety gear Honda's going to have an advantage there true true um the the pricing structure will be interesting to see what what uh if if Toyota drops anything you know because just like the hybrid you know you got to really up to a limited to get any you know get the hybrid you know they're really forcing people onto expensive Vehicles there right um but the Highlander does have some advantages well I mean look they in in terms of the safety gear I mean this is just time as a passes you know at the more the newer the cars it comes out they're going to take all those safety gears they're going to put down the line you know it's interesting because you go there was there was almost this this this time where it was like ah the cars really aren't getting any better you know but it's like there was always something new that they're going to be adding to these cars that that may get a compelling reason to get something new right it's the safety gear it's the infotainment systems it was theability control for for a while there and now all these things are are really standard going across what's the next thing so once everything has for in collision and it does well in the side crash we'll be here five years and five years later and saying yes but it doesn't have air vent airbags we don't know we don't know what the x is maybe it's carplay Android auto I mean it's certainly not cvts I'm not excited to tell everyone out to go out and buy a new car cbts yeah or whatever crazy gear boxes yeah yeah which which the pilot gets a funny push button shifter when it gets the nine speeded right but most of them will be six speed it's it's going to sell it's a com very compelling alternative to the Highlander um it actually kind of I think smokes looks the the larger but the Traverse trip Woods well Traverse is feeling old it will get really old and um it is you know and and it looked pretty roomy with the third row there so yeah it's it was a long time coming um I don't know how many people probably turned away from the pilot and went to Toyota or well they might have gone to Hyundai with the Santa Fe H Sant Fe exactly the reason Santa Fe is a really nice car they they needed that especially having updated and then updated again the MDX that that was that was interesting interesting choice yep so uh when we buy one we'll see how it tests and we'll see if it outscores the Highlander cuz I'm sure plenty of people are interested in that so that's going to wrap it up for this episode of talking cars as always thank you for listening and we'll see you next timeon this episode we talk about two brand new Mazdas the MX5 Miata and the cx3 small SUV we also talk about something more practical the Honda Pilot next on talking cars hi everybody and welcome to talking cars with Consumer Reports I'm Tom muchler I'm Jake Fisher and I'm John linov got three very interesting cars to talk about on this show but first looks like it's the beard episode episode I like it it brings more power to the podcast I got called up from Triple A this morning so I forgot the jeans didn't shave well it's 85 degrees so you're you're the smarter one actually uh first car uh big big news the new Mazda MX5 a car they should call Miata but they're too stupid to do so what do you think I mean this is this is a big deal this car it's it's been almost 10 years since the last redesign yes the Miata the Miata is the new Miata um well we work on saying Miata a lot um yeah it's it's it's great the miata's always been great I mean it came out in what 1990 it's kind of tra stayed completely true to its roots um they kind of tweaked it every kind of Dimension so it's a little bit smaller on the outside a little bit bigger on the inside it drives like a miat it's lighter now it's actually down back to the the weight it was prior to this last generation but um yeah actually back to the weight it was around 19 1994 with with the 1.8 lit which is really impressive it it's it's a very impressive car I mean the big thing for me is bigger inside I could fit in the Miata it's really I mean I mean it makes a big difference leg room lot of leg room there's a leg room and and more importantly like the previous uh Mias not only are you hitting your am I hitting my head I'm about six foot tall and hitting my head on the I'm not doing that anymore but also like there's room to actually get the pedals now so like before You' go and You' hit the clutch and you'd actually hit the brake pedal at the same time as the clutch and you'd have to you know have the driving shoes on that's kind of all gone MH yeah nice dead pedal for uh in there it got rid of this you know like the previous generation had the door panel stucking in and the pockets and then the earlier version of that with the cup holders at your exactly you know yeah roomier a little bit of rub on the right knee but I tend to sit in a little bit and spay leg aside from that yeah really really for a small small car roomy driving position let's look let's talk about how it drives you know the the let's not get all we'll go back to how comfortable it is but I mean that's the wussy stuff I wanted to talk about the cup holders and the the cup holders are horrible but anyway and the truck space stop it active safety system stop it we are Enthusiast how does the car drive but it has a nav system how does the car it has blind spot M no how does the car drive it still has that I'm doing 40 m per hour on a road and I feel like I'm flying along whereas in an SUV at 50 I feel poam and driving it's really you know it gives you that visceral feel it's it's got for me a little little very sharp steering at first and then it a little numb little dead throughout you know you kind of like where's it going not not in a dangerous sense but just like okay I'm turning I'm turning but there's not much feel but plenty of power um love rowing the gear boox I mean that is a great stick shift um easy clutch um just it's fun very fun Jake it's a blast yeah absolutely um but even though we have been very positive about mazas I'm going to flip it around and say who's going to buy this and let me just throw that out and I say that because mean what I mean by this why are you being a bad person I know I know I know people are tuning out already this this is my favorite car the ma de Miata is my favorite car so Tom's buying one so not that no actually I I see Jake's trap and I'll let him build the Trap all right I would build the Trap I mean the car is great yes all these things are absolutely true it's fun and and yes it's one of these cars that you don't have to be going a million miles an hour and still enjoy yourself which is why I want to before I'm going to delay your trap because I before we move on from that that's why I love the Miata so much because you know I'll drive any of the high powerered stuff we have kicking around here you know the Corvettes or the Mustangs or you know it I have to be going fast in order to be really enjoying that stuff this I'm not going to go into the trees I'm not going to go to jail that's a plus but you were able to get that on every Miata they've ever built this is exactly the point so you yes so if you are looking for this car I mean let's quite honestly you're not buying this car because you're going to be putting you know 15,000 mil a year on it and carrying your family around or commuting really for long distances it it's a kind of a weekend car it's kind of out for fun you go out and drive and it's true with a used Miata and you know any of the previous ones so the thing is with Miatas is there's a nice population of them out there and they all kind of go around people buy them they keep them for a couple years it's it's a social network it's like Zip Miata right zip you don't everyone doesn't need to buy a brand new one they just need to kind of enjoy it and pass around they need people to buy new ones so that the older one could then be either modified for track or go off into the great the great arm of the sky or they could just be shared amongst zip Miata so no you need people to buy the new one so that this population keeps on going maybe or maybe not they're really reliable they last a long time for 10 grand I could go out and buy a really nice Miata that will do 95% of what this car will do but it'll have more body roll and it won't get as good fuel econ and it won't be as save keep that $115,000 and I could go get some starts and springs which everyone does I could get some nice wheels for it and or actually you could go buy used golf that you could actually drive as a comfortable daily driver used golf now you're getting crazy but for Fusion maybe I used Fusion but that's what happens right you first get the mied then you move up to the GTI and then it's all good and then someone else gets the miat in follows that through so so the question is is there enough population of Z Miatas out there that everyone just kind of no you know what I I think you know I mean spending a ton of time on the fors I mean I shop for a Miata every six months before I get my sanity back actually before you talk me out of it it's like you know don't you don't need a to buy a car that just sits and rots in your driveway and you pay for insurance on uh I think there's enough people who you know they're Miata Fanatics they'll they'll want to buy the ND they'll they'll go out and buy the new car they they'll upgrade from the NC ND and they'll they'll get the new car uh and it will be enough to repopulate Reg germinate I hope so the it's true the the population the B colonies the Miata colon is collapsing I think we needed it you know I mean there are there are some great advantages to this car I mean you know again you're getting it's a joy to drive uh it has plenty of power the the gear ratios are lovely the engine is very tractable it is going to be the safest Miata you could ever buy Blind Spot monitor it sounds stupid blind spot monitoring is really nice to have in this when the tops up navigation is nice I mean there's a lot of cre Comfort aspect of it there's a lot of great things about this car that may or may not be worth an extra $155,000 to that used $10,000 Miata that is pretty nice and it's reliable I was going to call you a joy kill but that you know really a 2010 used Miata for 13 Grand is plenty of Joy it's a really nice car I think a lot more people will be buying the other car behind us the Mazda the cx3 which is the Miata if I may the Miata of small small SUVs I thought I thought at one point there would be no none of these subcompact SUVs that I would like because every one of them was worse than going to the dentist every one of them was just just looking mortality in the face and going oh life is sad yeah even into luxury category too yeah they were just those are disappointing for the cost and what you got and then the small ones with the space and unfinished feeling no every one of them you're crammed into uh the Chevy tracks feels cheap kind of like this the renegade's cute but isn't a great car The Encore is an more expensive track it's a more expensive track at least it rides better and it's quieter uh the HRV is a bit drab and a little little OD controls and yeah a little over overreaching I think with some of the efforts it's almost like the the manufacturers were like well we're going to sell this for a cheaper price so people have different expectations you know they less they put up with that they understand they're paying not so much put up with that 24 instead of 27 what do they want for 24 they put up with that and then but they expect this and that you know particularly evident in the HRV press car that we saw was like the leather and the you know swas and the lot of uplevel materials for what is an econom a subc compact Economy Car you know barebones basic car but let's let's talk about happiness so so Miata thought that and said forget it we're actually making something that's fun Maz this thing is really a blast to drive and you're exactly right this is a Miata of SUVs I mean you get into it but you shouldn't buy an old one you want to buy un Miata you want to buy the new one right you're going to buy a Maz Navajo or something no not not not the same but but it's like you don't have that choice and this is a practical car I can put my family into the thing it gets good fuel economy and it is so much fun to drive it is nicely done it's amazing I mean just feels effortless you know I mean just that I mean there's not a ton of power here it's a 2 L it's around around 155 it's all about the tuning it's not about the horsepower it's not about the 0 to 60 it's the way that you could just kind of like touch that gas pedal the thing goes it feels energetic it doesn't feel like you're pushing it it's like you know you get some of these cars even if they're fast you know they're gr they're groaning this thing is just like let's go quack faster go and it's just it it's the steering is spot on um I I wish you could get it with a stick shift but you know even though I say that I know no one would actually buy it with a stick shift um but it's it's just so well tuned it's not really noisy like we say most mazas are but but they're they're getting they're figuring that out um but I mean that that's that's the thing about that car that is so oppressed about the cx3 it's so awesome is that it is a fully realized product and it is highly desirable it feels upscale you know it's something that I would want to buy because it is sporty I mean the Press car we have is a Grand Touring you know it's got you know padded stuff along the sides of the cons piping on the seats the contrasting piping and suede accents and you know it it it's it's a blast to drive it's relatively quiet um despite it's fairly narrow but it doesn't feel narrow you know there's other cars where you know you're you're you're just like that it's not like that yeah even without having a center armrest well they'll put that that's in the production thing or whatever'll put in right it's still you know it's it's still roomy um I found the the armrest was a little short that was the biggest thing for me you know my seating position so yeah everything falls oh I know your seating position yes cuz you like it as similarly um even the little armrest for the for the knob like that's a nice little touch so you're not just kind of hanging your hand out there for the control knob for the the infotainment REM me I want to go back to that on the Miata you know there's that um visibility is great you know you you could sit up high but you don't feel like you're going I don't feel like I'm going into the header um you know good visibility out front I know where the front is I was able to park it in my garage without hitting the snowblower that's thank we appreciate that well my snowblower appreciates it too trust me um I think it's a great car if if these people have the money for a new car the Dual income with maybe a baby you know a little kid one little kid maybe two little kids because once they get big the VAC seats just not going to work right now it would be perfect for my wife and I well but but but even beyond that I mean look I mean yes we live in America here where we all have to have big midsize sedans but I mean most of the world a small car is a family car big yes of course we I remind you but I don't know I mean my kids fit in the back of it and they'll be okay they can't cross their legs but who cares no I actually I had the car for a weekend and I like if once again it's the hypothetical if I got fired from here today and had to buy a yeah that car is fabulous I would buy that I'd buy a Grand Touring CX you get all the stuff you get all the safety gear it's so easy to park downtown it is so much fun to drive it's comfortable on the highway really Nim uh you're getting it loaded for around 26 you know with everything the only I wish it had power seats for some reason none of them have power seats none of them have lumbar adjustment that's like the only piece of equipment that car is missing Miata too with its seats but we won't go there that was well we could go there could go there and the armrest Yeah well yeah I mean that as great as those seats were even without the power and and adjustability those seats with their mesh support system supposed to be super lightweight with just they they they saved like a half a pound on it that's great that's right and and it's sprung weight so who cares right we all know it's unsprung weight matter sprung the seat has a spring for you I saw you're going um awful awful seats I'm not a big guy and I sat on the the rails of the of the seat back and my my lower back just sunk into the mass of void that I'm filling and there needs to be something better and then you hear oh well it's got the bill scene package so you can't get the leather seats like that's stupid Please put in decent seats with the high performance package nobody cares about the extra two lbs of the seats like well I mean let let's let's take the pieces apart I mean as much as I love the Miata it is not a long trip car unless you are I am driving my Miata on a weekend road trip you know I want the experience it is it is a motorcycle that is safer you know if you're there cool as a commu comfortable quiet commuter car Long Highway car no it's noisy inside despite added noise insulation at the top the seats aren't great Mazda's knob system you know the Mazda connect system all the knobs in a horrible place you you hit it with your you hit it with with your forearm when when you shift and your elbow goes in the cup holders it's just it's not well if you got fired you'd have plenty of time to learn the system and what the star means and how you program it and all that because it takes a long time I just want not to be broken record here but when you bought that $10,000 Miata you could get some raros or you could get some racing seats that you no those seats those seats have a height adjustment no no you he's replacing them I've already passed that um you're going to get an aftermarket stereo that has car par no you can get a you can get a clug that would plug into the back of the current radio and make it work with the USB customize it you make it your own this is part of the Miata experience along with some you know vul t37s that you throw on to the thing so you're not worried about the so it for that person it's no longer an issue that that club model uh is the only one that comes with the Bill Steen at the Grand Touring top trim you can't get this the suspension package anymore yep so it's I will say our last Miata I drove from Yonkers up to here one day on a glorious like early summer day top down on the Merit no one's on the road and it was great and I got out it's a little loud but I didn't have the same back issues as 25 minutes in that where I just sank into the back that's a problem I this I'm going to sound like a jerk but it's I I play one on TV um and in the office and uh lunch time you were six years younger my friend probably you know I was I was it was one bik one bike Faller but still like it it just was you know for that weekend you drive up you know in Vermont and stuff like I couldn't do it in the cars well no I could do it more in the other car there was just more support like those are lack and that's a problem and maybe getting the optional leather seats would help with support and maybe ma will let you get the billen and the optional Leathers maybe maybe um so while we're whining about practical stuff in a Miata let's let's let's go to and talk about one of the most practical Vehicles made the redesigned 2016 Honda Pilot the pilot needed to have some redesigning done to it though didn't it well it it was again a little bit old and the competition is kind of getting a bit better so I mean we've got a bunch of cars that were redesigned in the time span and it was time yeah and they did a they did a pretty nice job actually with this I was impressed first all they didn't force the two screen system in that like thank goodness no one screen was hor was bad enough but it was better than two um you know it went away from the Playmobile giant two box look you know the real plasticy interior of course again the Press car was a very nicely uploaded yeah it was a top trim elite elite so 47 grand but still accessible controls you know from the driver seat you know and again I where where I'm sit I could reach everything without a problem easy for the kids to get in and out of the back seat comfortable on the road quiet ER again this one had some sound deadening that the elites get the top levels get you know you you told me about that um but still quieter much quieter yeah you know this these these cars we're talking about today sort of point to the exciting world of driving press cars because um you know Miata has the Bill Steen shocks and it still has a bit Body Rolls improved but it still has a bit of it don't know what a Grand Touring is going to be like it might be you know that one's really nice inside yeah we'll we'll see what a more basic cx3 is like when we buy it and likewise the pilot we tested in Elite it has thicker glass more I believe more noise insulation in the doors that that's not going to be on the EXL that we buy the $39,000 EXL we get um it it it makes a compell argument for not going with an acur MDX I think um just just the the room I felt a lot more head room and I own an MDX and then we have a new MDX you're fancy I know um it's an 11 too uh that we own and you know this this had it didn't feel cavernous like the last pilot you know a big huge box you know but this one you know it has room you know and you could see over the hood nicely and and good good cow height and such but um it was a pleasant vehicle for you know using you know faint praise damate with faint praise you know well but I mean it's a minivan for people who won't buy an odyssey which is a lot of people yeah yeah as wrong as those people are because more people should buy minivans well my brother and sister in law just up an odyssey excellent good uh there are some good things about this I mean the the previous pilot was horrible in the IHS uh small overlap test this one promises to be better we'll find out when it actually gets tested uh another thing is Honda is offering a a raft load of safety gear as an option stuff like forward Collision warning Lane dep parture warning um you can I can give her take Lane watch acurus Lane Honda's Lane watch but standard blind standard backup camera now yeah all all Hondas mhm but when you compare it to a Highlander that forces you to get a um I think it forces you to get limited before you get any of the safety gear Honda's going to have an advantage there true true um the the pricing structure will be interesting to see what what uh if if Toyota drops anything you know because just like the hybrid you know you got to really up to a limited to get any you know get the hybrid you know they're really forcing people onto expensive Vehicles there right um but the Highlander does have some advantages well I mean look they in in terms of the safety gear I mean this is just time as a passes you know at the more the newer the cars it comes out they're going to take all those safety gears they're going to put down the line you know it's interesting because you go there was there was almost this this this time where it was like ah the cars really aren't getting any better you know but it's like there was always something new that they're going to be adding to these cars that that may get a compelling reason to get something new right it's the safety gear it's the infotainment systems it was theability control for for a while there and now all these things are are really standard going across what's the next thing so once everything has for in collision and it does well in the side crash we'll be here five years and five years later and saying yes but it doesn't have air vent airbags we don't know we don't know what the x is maybe it's carplay Android auto I mean it's certainly not cvts I'm not excited to tell everyone out to go out and buy a new car cbts yeah or whatever crazy gear boxes yeah yeah which which the pilot gets a funny push button shifter when it gets the nine speeded right but most of them will be six speed it's it's going to sell it's a com very compelling alternative to the Highlander um it actually kind of I think smokes looks the the larger but the Traverse trip Woods well Traverse is feeling old it will get really old and um it is you know and and it looked pretty roomy with the third row there so yeah it's it was a long time coming um I don't know how many people probably turned away from the pilot and went to Toyota or well they might have gone to Hyundai with the Santa Fe H Sant Fe exactly the reason Santa Fe is a really nice car they they needed that especially having updated and then updated again the MDX that that was that was interesting interesting choice yep so uh when we buy one we'll see how it tests and we'll see if it outscores the Highlander cuz I'm sure plenty of people are interested in that so that's going to wrap it up for this episode of talking cars as always thank you for listening and we'll see you next time\n"