Another tow vehicle question

I wouldnt tow a Puma with one of those more less the new Jag. That is a subcompact truck at best and would be working its tail off to handle the Puma. The Jag is going to be a TON bigger than the Puma. You need a real full size truck to handle either and be safe to you and others around you…sorry, you asked for an opinion and I know we all have one. Judd Lasiter

Agree with Judd and Mike. Tow ratings on new vehicles are very subjective, most are rated towing on flat level ground for a short distance. Real life towing is more equitable to about 75% of the factory tow rating. The Pilots top end of the rating is 4500 lbs. I would be willing to bet once you load a Puma up with all your gear, batteries, fuel, etc that you are close to that 4500 or over. You would be working that motor to a short life, not too mention the ” tail wagging the dog ” sceanrio. Forget towing the new Jaguar. I would think the Pilot would be more suited to towing a boat package in the 3 -3500 lb. range. Honda also stipulates you need to use Premium gas when towing over 3500 lbs.

Sorry to the guys who said “no way” but I am currently towing a 2001 Jaguar with a 250XB on a tandem axle trailer with my 2009 Honda Pilot. Granted this isnt the new Jaguar (maybe BCB can define how much more weight the new one might be ballpark), but depending on what your tow needs are this rig is certainly not out of the question for 20 boats. I dont want to catch a bunch of flak and ridicule for this post, I just want to offer an honest first-hand alternative to what people are posting. Long post so stay with me……………….. I will start by saying that I would not tow my boat full-time all around the country with the Pilot, but for the places and frequency that I fish I dont need it to. I am not nieve and know that towing large amounts of weight long distances is best left to bigger rigs, but I also know that for myself & the guys I work & fish with (and this is ALOT of fisherman here in Al) who dont drive all over creation to fish – this is a viable setup. I live near Birmingham, Al so I rarely need to drive more than an hour or so to fish. My previous tow rig was a 1998 F-150 with the 5.4L V8 and before that I towed with the 4.6L V8 F150 so I do know what is a fair comparison. The Pilot has surpassed my expectations so far. The Pilot is a very solid vehicle and with the integrated hitch that is now standard the setup feels very secure with the boat behind it. Do not be concerned with stopping – my trailer (and most likely anything you look at above 19) has brakes on it and slowing down is NOT going to be an issue. With the tandem trailer I am at about 400lbs of tounge weight – the Pilot squats about a 3/4″ (less than the F150 did actually) when hitched up. As for power, there is enough to pull 20 boats (mine nears 4200lbs loaded to fish). The RPMs turn higher than a V8 would, but honestly it will surprise you. You can also lockout the higher gears if needed on hills so the tranny doesnt hunt. I dont know how to quantify it power wise other than to say that I dont have an issue with it. I would rate it about the same as the F150 with the 4.6L V8 (everyone knows this was not a real potent engine so Im not saying the Pilot is a hot rod) and a shade less than the 5.4L V8 I just sold. As a side note (here is where the ughs are gonna start I know……..), I work in Lincoln, Alabama at the Honda factory where this engine and vehicle is built. I am a manufacturing engineer in the powertrain group and have seen plenty of engine dynos and new model test runs to hopefully add some validity to what I am saying. We machine the blocks, heads, cranks, conrods, etc for this engine so I know it inside and out. This engine has an aluminum block & heads, stout main cap setup, forged crankshaft, powder metal conrods, VTEC, VCM, etc – it is a very advanced, durable engine. On a side note, it is very nearly the same engine internals that the new Acura TL-S has (which is putting out over 300hp). During the new model verifications for the new Pilot it was driven across the country several times with an at-capacity BOX trailer (way worse than a boat) to verify its towing capabilities. It was abused for thousands of miles and passed, I know this first hand. Honda will not post a tow rating that their vehicles cannot handle – their future as a company depends on minimizing warranty claims and their product liability. This is no different that BCB posting 300hp capacity ratings for their transoms – they arent going to do it unless they KNOW it will handle it (with some safety margin on top of that). Think about it, Honda doesnt want to buy you a tranny or an engine under warranty any more than you want to have to take your vehicle in to have the work done. Please dont take this post the wrong way – it is only my opinion and I am really only trying to help. I am not saying the Pilot is better than a F150, Silverado, Ram, etc – just different. If what you need is a nice work vehicle that will get good gas mileage, hold its value, haul your kids car seats, drive great for a 4 wheel drive, etc and only are a weekend fisherman that stays close to home you may find the Pilot fits what you are looking for. If you are near Bham and would like to hook up your boat and test this setup let me know – I am willing to help any BCBer out!

I also have switched from pulling my Puma with an F150 and now use a 2005 Pilot. It pulls and stops it just as good as the F150. I am going to add a second set of brakes to the trailer, which Bass Cat recommends anyway. I filled the gas tanks of the Puma, loaded it with my standard tournament load and took it to the local feed mill. It weighed 4208lbs, off the hitch. Honda recommends that you change your transmission oil once a year and also your rear end grease.