I'm the endurance development engineer responsible for the Alabama and Canada factories where these things are built. If you do go with the Pilot, make sure that it was made in Canada
. Big difference in quality. I'm obviously a homer and definitely suggest the Pilot. Basically the same underpinnings as the minivan, but doesn't come with the minivan tag. These things are bigger inside than are the MDX, Cherokee, Jimmy, etc and hold their resale value incase you reconsider. It does have a 3rd row seating are but no kid seat anchor back there. The 2wd version gets a couple of mpg better than does the 4wd, but I like the way the suspension in the 4wd is tuned better. If you go crazy one day and fill it full of premium, the motor will perform the same as the MDX. Adds a few hp. The next full redesign isn't for a couple years so you won't be driving an outdated vehicle for a while. Check out the most recent crash test data from both NITSA and the insurance institute. You'll see the Honda's leading the field in about every category. PM me for any questions that you may have about the engineering. Good luck.