All-new for 2009, the 2010 Honda Pilot keeps the venerable 3.5L V6 VTEC engine for 2010. Along with fascia and interior changes, Honda rolled out this engine for the Pilot in the 2009 refresh. This new engine, designated as J35Z4, replaces and is derived from the old J35A9 engine that powered Pilots in 2005-2008 models.
Unlike in many other SUVs, 2010 Honda Pilot engine options are limited solely to this 3.5 liter V6. This engine puts out a maximum of 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque, yet returns a respectable EPA fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon on city streets and 23 miles per gallon on the highway. This is a notable improvement over the previous model, which produced 10 fewer horsepower, 11 fewer pound-feet of torque and traveled a mile less on a gallon of gasoline both in town and on the highway.
The new engine retains the single overhead cam design of it's predecessor, as well as the i-VTEC system. It adds the Variable Cylinder Management system, which shuts down unnecessary cylinders to burn less fuel during stable cruising, but reactivates them under acceleration to provide full power instantaneously. Using the system, the car can run on four or even as few as three cylinders under a light load at cruising speeds. An Active Noise Cancellation system uses speakers to cancel out unpleasant sound produced by the imbalanced cylinder load, while an Active Control Engine Mount system adjusts the engine itself to prevent potentially dangerous vibrations.
With most competitors offering powerful V6 or thirsty V8 engines in this segment, the 2010 Honda Pilot engine options strike an appropriate balance between economy and thrust.
Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at SWEngines.com. He writes about Honda Pilot Engine and other industry specific topics.
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