I Towed 2,800 Pounds For 826 Miles With My 2023 Honda Pilot, It’s More Stable Than My Ram 1500, But The Brakes Got Scary Hot During One Panic Stop

The 2023 Honda Pilot isn’t a muscle car, and it won’t ever headline SEMA. It won’t outshine a Wrangler in Moab or chase GTIs on backroads. But it does something arguably more important in today’s overbuilt, oversold automotive world: it delivers. This vehicle is Honda’s Swiss Army knife, three rows, a V6, unibody construction, and towing credentials that some full-size pickups would quietly nod at. 

And if you don’t believe that, take it from one everyday driver on Reddit who decided to drag 2,800 pounds of boat and gear through the glacier-carved spine of the Midwest, and lived to write about it.

“We just got back from a fishing trip. We towed our 17' aluminum dual console the 826 (round trip) miles from Green Bay, WI to Voyageur National Park, which is part of the boundary waters in north eastern MN. About 10,000 years ago, a massive ass ice sheet ground its way to a halt in our region, creating the Great Lakes, the MN boundary waters, and a whole bunch of long rolling hills in between that had to be crossed.

The boat is about 2800lbs with a full tank of fuel + all the running equipment. The interior had 340lbs worth of passengers and about 600lbs of gear (940lbs / 425kg). Greatest mass (65qt roto cooler, packed) was immediately behind the front seats on the folded 2nd row. I took the middle seat out, and stowed a Wisconsinite's worth of beer in the available space and the rest was clothes & low density stuff.

I aired up the tires to 40psi cold and ran 91 octane from the entire time.

AC, cheek chillers & charging ports were all used liberally as comfort demanded. Weather was a mix on the way there, starting out 80F, climbing to 85F and then a bunch of rain & light cross wind. On the way back, it was a drizzly / foggy 75F to start out and mostly 80F the rest of the trip home.

We did have a solid tailwind for the last fuel stop / leg to home, which netted a solid 2mpg bump over the trip average up to that point.

And yeah, the numbers. Most of it was either 65 or 70mph highway. So I set the cruise at 68 (110kph) and just left it there. I got 16.2mpg. Which seems "not great", but our 2021 RAM got about the same. I guess it stands to reason that punching a boat-shaped hole through the air takes X amount of energy, and that means X amount of fuel (more or less).

I spent a bit of time in D, but I didn't like the way the transmission hunted around, sometimes thinking it could get away with 8th gear, so I mostly put it in S, and then manually shifted between 7th & 6th and the base or the crest of a hill. 7th put the cruise RPM at about 2500 and the climb RPM at 3100.

In a lot of ways, it tows better than the 1500. Sure, the Pilot is down 110hp and that hurts, but there's a lot less distance from the rear axle to the hitch on the Pilot, so the trailer has less leverage over the tow vehicle. It's super stable. Not once did the tail even attempt to wag the dog and backing the trailer is way easier.

I couldn't see fuck all out the back, but traffic was moderate at worst, so I never felt like I lost track of anybody out the side mirrors.

They need to re-arrange the order of the drive modes. Tow mode needs to less than 5 toggle presses away. You've got to re-enable it every engine start, and it's annoying AF, because you need it even for a simple backing up of a trailer (to disable the rear safety sensors).

The lane keep assist is SO nice. Not having to constantly worry you were drifting the trailer onto the shoulder takes so much stress off of driving a trailer. Keeping a trailer in its lane isn't difficult, but it does take a little more attention, and that makes a long drive feel longer. So hats off to Honda there.

The Honda brake calibration is soft under normal conditions, and feels not quite up to the task with this much weight. I've had a panic stop with the boat in the past (stupid deer), and those brakes smelled HOT. I may add brakes to my axle, just to provide some safety margin.

Braking concerns not withstanding, I'm not sure how I'd feel about towing the rated 5000lb with any frequency. Maybe if I was towing a car on a hauler, where things are generally pretty aerodynamic shaped and it's a one time deal. But a large, heavy, brick-shaped camper would not be enjoyable to drag around. Consider a pop-up or larger teardrop. That's more the Pilot's speed.”
- u/GeckoDeLimon, r/hondapilot

This was 826 miles of rolling hills, mixed weather, crosswinds, and drizzle, towing nearly 3,000 pounds. He aired up the tires to 40 psi, ran premium 91 octane, and held steady at 68 mph. The result? 16.2 mpg. Comparable to what his previous truck, a 2021 RAM 1500, managed in similar conditions. 

2023 Honda Pilot Towing Specifications 

• With its V6 and factory tow package, the AWD Pilot tows up to 5,000 lb; FWD models are limited to 3,500 lb 
• The Touring and Elite trims with AWD consistently offer the full 5,000 lb capability, regardless of drive configuration 
• Sufficient for sizable trailers or campers, including 24‑ft recreational trailers and dual-ATV setups, when properly equipped
• Payload capacity, combined with towing prowess, makes it a practical choice for active families needing hauling versatility 

Where this story hits a different gear is in the handling report. GeckoDeLimon writes that the Pilot actually towed better than his RAM. Why? Shorter rear overhang, less trailer leverage, tighter control. “Not once did the tail even attempt to wag the dog,” he wrote. That’s the kind of sentence that would send most pickup loyalists scrambling for the comment section. But here’s the thing, it makes sense. Physics doesn’t care what badge is on the grille. A well-designed unibody crossover with a stiff chassis and tight packaging can outperform a full-size truck when it comes to trailer stability. Backing the boat into tight spaces? Easier. Passing trucks on the highway? Predictable.

It wasn’t all flawless. The brakes got hot, really hot, during a panic stop. The kind of emergency nobody plans for but everyone eventually faces. As Gecko noted, the Pilot’s brake tuning is soft in normal driving and not quite up to the task when mass and momentum come knocking. “Those brakes smelled HOT,” he wrote bluntly. He’s now considering adding trailer brakes, not because the Pilot failed, but because smart towing is about redundancy. Honda, to their credit, recommends trailer brakes for over 1,000 pounds.

What Can It Comfortably Tow? 

Others asked whether 3,500 to 4,000 pounds might be pushing it. Gecko answered honestly: Maybe, but only if you lighten the cabin. Again, no hype, just a guy telling it straight. 

Trailer driving demands attention. Anything that reduces micro-fatigue, like helping keep the trailer centered in the lane, adds hours of mental clarity on the road. The only knock? Tow Mode was buried deep in the menu, requiring multiple toggles every ignition cycle. It’s a small UI oversight, but one that matters when you're towing and trying not to disable your rear sensors every time you back up.

2023 Honda Pilot Engine And Weight Specifications 

• Powered by a 3.5 L direct‑injection V6 generating 285 hp, paired with a 10‑speed automatic, this generation offers improved torque and power delivery 
• Measures around 200″ in length, 79″ wide and 71″ tall, with a 114″ wheelbase; curb weight approximately 4,635 lb
• No major safety recalls noted for the 2023 model, and it earned the IIHS “Top Safety Pick+” designation 
• Accelerates 0‑60 mph in roughly 6.1 seconds (AWD V6), delivering a balance of performance and family-car smoothness

So, what's the real takeaway? The Honda Pilot, a vehicle often overshadowed in the "rugged SUV" marketing wars, is more capable than anyone gives it credit for. It's not trying to be a Bronco, nor is it pretending to replace a half-ton truck. It's doing its job, quietly, confidently, and in this case, with nearly a ton and a half in tow. GeckoDeLimon didn’t just take a road trip; he turned the Midwest into a proving ground. And the 2023 Pilot passed with honor, though maybe not without a whiff of brake pad.

Vehicles like the Pilot often fade into the beige blur of sensibility. But there’s something deeply admirable about a machine that works. That starts. That tows. That carries your family, your boat, your beer, and your confidence across 826 miles of hills and weather without complaint.

Image Sources: Honda Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.