So, you're looking at a Honda Pilot, huh?

So, we've had a Honda Pilot for over ten years. We bought a 2009 model in 2011 and have very much enjoyed it. It was the right size for us, with two teenagers, and we enjoyed the extra trim features, leather seats, and so on. So much so, that in January 2022 we decided, somewhat on a whim, to get another one.

This time, we went with a brand new model - a top-of-the-line, "Black Edition" 2022 Honda Pilot.

Now, there's a lot that goes into choosing a car, as you know: brand reputation, reliability, personal experience, gadgets/trim, etc. But, for us, our Pilot experience has been good enough to make this an easy decision.

Let's get to the specifics: we've never bought a new car before, so this was a new experience for us. With used cars being at a premium and holding their value, it was a fairly easy decision. You can imagine, when we got into our Honda Pilot with all the trimmings for the first time, and only 5 miles on the odometer, we were thrilled.

And, to be fair, we still are. It's a super car.

But it's 2022. And that means that the difference is at the edge.  In 2022 most cars now have an app that connects to Alexa and allows you to perform all kinds of things remotely. A Tesla will even come and pick you up.

So you can imagine our disappointment when we tried to set up the HondaLink App for our new Pilot. Despite all of the marketing materials and the total conviction of the dealer, the HondaLink App DOES NOT SUPPORT REMOTE START for the Pilot. Nor for several other vehicles, including the Ridgeline.

What can you do with HondaLink?

Well, it tells you whether the car is locked or unlocked.

It tells you how much fuel is in the car and estimated range.

It tells you the tire pressure on each wheel, the odometer reading, and the oil life.

The most amazing feature (sarcasm) is that you can book a service appointment from the app.

But let's talk about the Remote features. After all, what is the ONE thing you need a remote app to do? Yep, start the fucking car. Especially if you live in a colder climate. And that's not just my opinion - it's ratified by the focus on this feature shown in the various email promotions I've been receiving from Honda, that all emphasize this feature as the reason to renew the $110/year subscription. Except, it doesn't.

That's right. Despite what the dealer will tell you, that the marketing alludes to, and what common sense would lead you to believe after a $60K+ investment, HondaLink app DOES NOT REMOTE START A PILOT.

So ignore the promotional materials. Ignore the emails. Ignore the dealer. They're all (at best) ignorant and at worst, lying.

The HondaLink App does NOT provide remote start for a Honda Pilot. Which means you can't integrate it with Alexa either, so your dream of telling Alexa to start your car on a cold winter morning, or while you're in the mall before you get out to the parking lot, is not going to happen.

It does for an Odessey minivan. Heck, it will even remote start your $25K 2018 Accord. But your top of the line, every gadget under the sun Pilot? Nope.

When you contact Honda, the general response is "you should read the small print". In fact, to ascertain the app features on Honda's website, you actually have to have the vehicle's VIN, something most of us don't have until we've bought it. And, as I've shown here, Honda's marketing department also seems pretty convinced that this works too. Or they're in on it.

So this is my plea to you: buyer beware. And in the unlikely event that anyone at Honda reads this and cares to solve it, please make the app do what any sane person would reasonably expect it to do, and that is to remote start my new Pilot.