2026 Honda Pilot Sport: O’Fallon Buyers Guide

Quick Answer: 2026 Pilot Sport

The 2026 Pilot Sport starts at $42,395 MSRP in front-wheel drive or $44,495 with i-VTM4 all-wheel drive, plus a $1,495 destination charge. It’s the base trim, but for 2026 that no longer means a stripped-down interior: every Sport gets the new 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster, a power tailgate with roof rails, heated front seats, and the full Honda Sensing safety suite. It rides on 20-inch Shark Gray alloy wheels and seats up to eight with a fixed second-row center seat. What it skips against the EX-L above it: leather upholstery and a stowable second-row seat.

2026 Honda Pilot 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in and Apple CarPlay
The 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in is standard on the Sport, not an upgrade you have to pay for. Photo: Honda.

The base trim that stopped feeling basic

In past model years, the entry Pilot trim was the one you upgraded away from as soon as the budget allowed. The 2026 refresh changes that math. Honda put its update spending into features that used to be reserved for the higher trims, and for 2026 the Sport gets nearly all of it: the bigger 12.3-inch screen, the larger digital cluster, and the power tailgate that used to require stepping up a trim or two. A shopper cross-shopping three-row SUVs around O’Fallon can walk into a Sport and not feel like they settled for the stripped model, because in the ways that show up every day, they didn’t.

What the Sport does trade away is mostly comfort and materials rather than usable function: black cloth seats instead of leather, a fixed rather than stowable center seat in row two, and no front or rear parking sensors. For a family that wants three rows, real cargo room, and Honda’s full driver-assist suite without paying for leather they may not care about, the Sport is a legitimately complete vehicle, not a compromise.

What’s standard on the Sport

  • 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, Wi-Fi hotspot capability
  • 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and tri-zone automatic climate control
  • 20-inch Shark Gray alloy wheels, black cloth seats, heated front seats, 10-way power driver’s seat
  • Programmable power tailgate and roof rails, newly standard on every 2026 trim
  • Remote engine start and a 245-watt, 9-speaker audio system
  • Full Honda Sensing: collision mitigation braking, adaptive cruise with low-speed follow, lane keeping with traffic jam assist, blind spot information, cross traffic monitor, road departure mitigation
  • Fixed second-row center seat for 8-passenger seating; up to 5-mode drive system (Normal/ECON/Snow/Tow/Sport on FWD, 7 modes on AWD)

FWD or the $2,100 AWD upgrade

The Sport is one of only two 2026 trims, along with the EX-L, where front-wheel drive is even an option; every trim above it comes standard with Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel drive. FWD Sport models are EPA-rated 19 city / 27 highway and tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the AWD version drops slightly to 19/25 highway but tows up to 5,000 pounds. Honda doesn’t publish a 0-60 time for either configuration, both share the same 285-hp, 3.5-liter V6 and 10-speed automatic. For most O’Fallon commuters running mostly cleared roads, FWD is a reasonable way to hold the price down; families who regularly head toward the hillier stretches west of town, or simply want the traction margin on the first icy morning, tend to find the $2,100 upgrade worth it.

What Frank Leta Honda buyers say about their Pilot

“Just purchase a Pilot. Kyler was our salesman and I couldn’t have been happier with my purchase or my interaction with Kyler. He was great and we will get our next car from him,” wrote one recent Frank Leta Honda customer. Kyler DeGaeto is a Honda Specialist on the current sales team, and his name comes up repeatedly in the dealership’s Pilot reviews, buyers describing a process where questions got answered without pressure to upgrade beyond what they actually wanted, which is exactly the kind of conversation a Sport shopper benefits from having.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pilot Sport worth buying over the EX-L?

If leather seating and a stowable second-row center seat aren’t priorities, yes, the Sport carries essentially the same technology and safety equipment as the EX-L for roughly $2,300 less. Families who want the extra comfort features, or who plan to keep the vehicle long enough that leather’s durability matters, are usually better served stepping up to the EX-L.

Does the Pilot Sport have a moonroof?

No. For 2026, the panoramic moonroof starts at the TrailSport trim and up. Neither the Sport nor the EX-L has one this year, a change from some earlier model years, so don’t assume it carries over if you’re comparing to a used Pilot.

Can I get the Pilot Sport with all-wheel drive?

Yes. AWD is a $2,100 option on the Sport (and on the EX-L), bringing i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and raising the max tow rating from 3,500 to 5,000 pounds. Every trim from TrailSport up comes with AWD standard, no option needed.

How many people fit in a Pilot Sport?

Eight, with three rows and a fixed second-row center seat. That’s one more than the TrailSport, which trades the fixed center seat for captain’s chairs and seats seven.

What’s the towing capacity of the 2026 Pilot Sport?

3,500 pounds in front-wheel drive, 5,000 pounds with the AWD upgrade. Both figures assume the vehicle is properly equipped with a compatible hitch; Frank Leta Honda’s parts department can advise on Honda Genuine Accessory hitch options for a Sport ordered without one.

All 2026 Honda Pilot guides

MSRP figures exclude the $1,495 destination charge plus tax, title, license and registration fees, options, and dealer-installed accessories; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel-economy figures are 2026 EPA ratings; your mileage will vary. Equipment and availability can change with configuration and production timing; confirm current specs and in-stock inventory with Frank Leta Honda. Customer quotes are excerpts from public Google reviews of Frank Leta Honda.