Apparently Scouting families are not for want and prefer American, as the cheapest in the pack starts around $28k and there's one foreign-badged car in the crowd. Should you be a scouting parent and interested in their recommendations, below, in no particular order, are the 2009 Scouting Magazine picks for hauling your troop to a secluded camp far from the prying eyes of the general public:

• Chevy Tahoe Hybrid/GMC Yukon Hybrid — Base price: around $51,500
• 2009 Dodge Ram Crew Cab — Base price: around $32,500
• Chevy Traverse — Base price: around $29,000
• Honda Pilot — Base price: around $28,000
• Ford Flex — Base price: around $29,000

You can check out the full cover, of which Ford is proud to have snagged, HERE and head over to Scouting Magazine to read through their reasoning for each choice but beware, one of the categories is "Coolest Optional Equipment." [Scouting Magazine]

Lincoln is also getting some new product to make up for Odyssey/Pilot decreases, as Honda Ridgeline pickup production will be consolidated there from Alliston, Ontario. The Ontario plant will then concentrate on cranking out more Civics.

Jalopnik Snap Judgement: Honda has one thing going for them the U.S. automakers don't have — a lineup that includes a wider variety of small, fuel-efficient vehicles. Boosting Civic production is the right move at the right time. But, how far over the "comfort line" is Honda with Odyssey/Pilot supply? Automotive News claims, as of July 1, they have a 78-day supply of Odysseys and a 99-day supply of Pilots. The company wants between a 45- and 60-day supply. In contrast, the F-150, one of the vehicles hit hardest by the truck slowdown, had about a 104-day supply. In other words, Honda screwed up its production forecasts almost as much as Ford. USA! USA! [Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

Herr Merkel sounds awfully familiar: "Tall, handsome German man meets with Cora Neel and the other board members about buying Hamilton Motors." And, as if you need more than a drama about the car biz based in the D, apparently Andie MacDowell is already on board. Poor Yorick: We thought that was your head we saw rolling down Jefferson.

THE PRINCE OF MOTOR CITY To be an auto tycoon... or not to be? That's the problem plaguing philosophy lecturer Billy Hamilton.

His father, the legendary William Hamilton III of Hamilton Motor Works, was just killed in a mysterious accident. And when Billy returns home for the funeral, he's shocked to discover that his father left him... everything. The factory. The assets. Detroit's fourth-biggest auto plant. All the power and wealth he can imagine. But Billy's not sure if he wants it. Because the situation back home has gotten strange indeed.

Company CFO and family friend Paul Riley is outraged that he wasn't given the keys to the kingdom. Billy's unfinished romance with Riley's spunky daughter Meg is heating up again. And Billy's mom and his Uncle Charlie seem to be consoling one another in much too cozy a fashion—do they know more about William's death than they're letting on?

But all this pales in comparison to the eerie goings-on around the plant. Billy's being haunted by a song... a moody Elvis song that was his father's favorite. He's getting mysterious, meaningful messages from complete strangers. At a dinner party, he chats with an empty seat next to him—which chats back. Finally, a ghost that could only be his father tells Billy in a croaking voice: "I want revenge."

An epic, Gothic, family melodrama with overtones of Hamlet, The Prince of Motor City injects corporate and familial intrigue with supernatural suspense. Produced by actor Hamish Linklater of The New Adventures of Old Christine, this riveting drama tells the story of a modern-day monarch with method in his madness... and vengeance in his heart.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: Yes
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: Yes
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes

Also Consider:
• Toyota Highlander
• Toyota 4runner
• Ford Explorer
• GMC Acadia
• Hyundai Veracruz
• Mazda CX-9
• A vasectomy

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Honda
• Model tested: Pilot EX 4WD
• Model year: 2009
• Base Price: N/A
• Price as Tested: N/A
• Engine type: 3.5-liter SOHC 24-valve i-VTEC V6
• Horsepower: 250 @ 5,700 RPM
• Torque: 253@ 4,800 RPM
• Red line: 6,300 RPM
• Transmission: five-speed automatic
• Curb Weight: 4,498 lbs
• LxWxH: 190.9" x 78.5" x 72.7"
• Wheelbase: 109.2"
• Tires: 245/65/R17
• Drive type: 4WD
• 0 - 60 mph: 7.5 seconds (est)
• 1/4-mile: n/a
• Top speed: N/A
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 16/22 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: n/a

Also see:

• 2008 Honda Pilot, Part One

• 2008 Honda Pilot, Part Two

You see, with up to six or seven beefy bloggers, plus the occasional girly man (I'm raising my hand here) to haul around, most of the sexy sports cars we dream about are ruthlessly inefficient. Requiring Ray — we let him drive, it makes him feel powerful — to make an equivalent number of journeys to the number of people being moved just isn't the best way to start off sixteen hours of live auto show coverage. Aside from the fact that none of us enjoy being there, Ray's full blown borderline OCD has him biting our heads off at the best of times. Throwing cramped quarters into the equation would probably bring about the end of Jalopnik as we know it.

A minivan would probably be best suited to our needs. Designed with nothing but road-going people capacity in mind, they're exactly what we need. The problem is, our vanity (once again, my hand way up in the air) gets in the way. Hence the constant stream of SUVs, they provide the utility without making us look like we're on the way to a sci-fi convention, Hardigree excepted. We know we're not kidding anyone — the closest we usually get to off-roading is when we get lost in downtown Detroit — but in the unbelievably egotistical world of automotive journalism (we won't call it an industry as that would suggest something productive is, on the whole, achieved by those involved) trucks allow us to cling to whatever shred of cred we still have. At least until we get drunk and pick fights with Angus MacKenzie that is.

Those trucks usually take the form of some variant of the Suburban/Yukon/Escalade platform. An inefficient use of space if we ever saw one. Not only do they only offer cramped accommodation for seven, but they're also larger outside than Ray's apartment. We like them mostly because GM will hand them over at the merest hint of a phone call. And because we think they lend our badly dressed, overweight asses some sort of class. Something that's lost the second Travis exposes his crack attempting to climb into the way back seats.

Not only are these trucks ruthlessly non-reformed of us, but they're also a stupid choice, never delivering on their promised utility. This is where the Pilot comes in. Possibly the most unassuming car we've ever come across, and by that we mean it looks so bland we actually have no opinion on its design, it is nevertheless ridiculously practical. Here, in the footprint of a Highlander, you have eight seats, enough interior capacity to carry a stack of plywood sheets, enough cup holders to hold a week's worth of spilled coffee and skittles, and fuel economy that manages to creep above 20mpg, depending of course on none of us actually being allowed to drive it that is

The new Pilot manages to make all other crossovers, and certainly every SUV ever look ridiculous by somehow actually delivering on the utility they've always promised but never delivered. It's safe, it tows, it carries eight, you could move house in it, and it drives well. It's even good off road. Imagine that. This is great news to tens of thousands of American families with the good sense to buy one, but bad for us. Not just because Gawker's too cheap to ever actually shell out for a car, but because, caught up in our own fantasies of performance and image, we'll never be smart enough to buy one ourselves. We'll be missing out. Honest.

As you can tell, there's not a huge difference between this an the concept, other than a revised headlight and a bit more curve in the hatch area. The interior for this particular model is interesting as well.

Specifically, grab us some interior shots along with some great exterior shots of the new 2009 Pilot and if you've got the best pics and you get them in first, we'll pay you some cold hard cash. Just e-mail us at tips-at-jalopnik-dot-com once you've got them and we'll talk you through how you can send them to us. Now hop to it — the deadline's tomorrow night at midnight. Also, standard contest rules apply. [via Car & Driver]

Overall, the sketch was significantly more aggressive looking than anything we'd expected from Honda. Thus, we were not surprised when the final version showed up as a rather milquetoast version of what was hinted at.

1. Ginormous Wheels &ndash Though the wheels and fenders are larger than sketched, the real difference is the aggressive looking five spokes get swapped for very urban looking six spokes.

2. Ride Height &ndash The Pilot does carry some stature into the production model: it is disappointingly not two feet off the ground.

3. Bumper/Grille/Hood &ndash The sketch promised a refined Grand Cherokee from the front, with sharply raked headlights and grille. What we ended up with is less macho off-roader and more doughy eyed, bucktooth kid from the end of the block who isn't quite right.

4. Short Greenhouse &ndash We knew this was too good to be true. A short, sporty greenhouse on a Honda SUV? The high, slightly angling beltline that was so compelling in the sketch becomes too Duplo block on the production version.

5. Mirrors &ndash We were hoping that Honda would be bold enough to build a truck without mirrors. No luck.

6. Curves &ndash The rear is the most misleading portion. Taking into account that, yes, the car has taillights, there's basically nothing about the curvy rear quarter of the sketch that makes it into the actual production model.

7. Door handles &ndash Once again Honda gives into the pressure we've put on automakers to provide door handles. Wimps.

While we're mostly having a little fun at Honda's expense over a practice that all automakers engage in, this particular example is particularly hilarious given that they released the sketch in December and have been testing this version since at least August according to Honda Pilot spy photos from earlier in the year.

01/13/2008 - DETROIT -

A prototype of the next-generation Honda Pilot is being unveiled at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The prototype conveys design features of the more boldly-styled 2009 Pilot, set to debut in spring 2008, which emphasizes authentic SUV styling, clever and more accommodating interior packaging and advanced technologies for safety, fuel efficiency and convenience.

"The Pilot's pioneering formula improves for 2009 by enhancing its combination of refinement and efficiency with even more traditional SUV strengths," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. "A powerful exterior design communicates strength and allows for more space inside."

Functional eight-passenger seating, a hallmark of the Pilot, becomes even easier to access in the third row as key dimensions for legroom, cargo and occupant space increase in all seating positions. A redesigned platform allows even more refined handling and ride comfort to exist seamlessly with all-weather and medium-duty off-road capabilities.

To further enhance safety, the Pilot will feature the Honda-exclusive Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE®) body structure and the most extensive use of high-strength steel in any Honda product to date.

The ACE body structure enhances frontal collision compatibility with vehicles of different sizes and bumper heights. A pedestrian injury mitigation design in the front of the vehicle is designed to help absorb energy in the event of a collision.

A crossover SUV platform underpins the Pilot to provide the best of the car and truck worlds by integrating the refined traits and packaging advantages of a unit body car design with the utility and capability of an SUV design. A V-6 engine introduces the latest generation of Honda fuel-saving Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology that operates in 6-cylinder mode for power and 4- and 3-cylinder modes for efficiency, an improvement compared to the existing Pilot's available VCM system that works exclusively in 6- and 3-cylinder modes.

Three rows of seats provide a high degree of adaptability for people and large cargo loads. The first row provides a commanding view of the road from two captains' chairs. A wide center stack and center console form the styling anchor for the interior with a design that emphasizes spaciousness and power, while allowing for convenient access to navigation, entertainment and climate-control systems.

The 60/40 split second row, now more spacious, slides further forward for increased ease of access to the third row. The 60/40 split third row, now supplies enough knee room for an above-average-sized adult male to fit comfortably, making the Pilot's third row among the most practical in the industry. Each side of the second and third row independently folds down for cargo. A flat floor is created when the second and third rows are folded down.

The Pilot originally debuted as a 2003 model in July of 2002. Design and development of the 2003 Pilot and the 2009 Pilot were carried out at Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, Ohio, and Torrance, California. The Pilot is assembled* at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln.

Among its numerous accolades, the Honda Pilot has earned Car and Driver Magazine's prestigious "5Best Truck" award on six consecutive occasions (2002-2007). The current-generation 2008 Pilot is also among an elite group of vehicles to receive both a "Top Safety Pick 2008" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a 5-star crash safety rating for frontal and side collisions from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)**.

* Honda products are produced using domestic and globally-sourced parts.
** Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov. Model tested with standard side-impact airbags.)

Honda's CEO, Takeo "The First Person to Call Me Dr. F Loses an Eye" Fukui says the company is working up a clean diesel V6 that will likely power the Honda Pilot and Acura MDX, AutoWeek reports. The prospective V6 is the second of Honda's new diesel engines to come to light, the first being a 2.2-liter four set to arrive in 2009, potentially in the Civic and CRV. In the same interview Fukui also said the company's recent move to turbocharge its new RDX may trickle down to Honda brand products, which may finally vindicate the kids with boost gauges sprouting from their Civics' A-pillars like weird, analog fruit. – Mike Spinelli

Honda developing diesel V6 [AutoWeek]

Related:
Honda's Oil Burner Is Nigh: Clean Diesel Coming by 2009 [internal]

Hot tip: Run now and buy stock in the Brenda Priddy empire (or when such stock hits the street). Her latest shots — of what could be the next Honda Pilot SUV — have surfaced courtesy of AutoSpies. From the looks of it, it'll gain some new parity with its Acura MDX cousin, along with some pretty serious towing capacity. Word is the 2008 model will also get cylinder deactivation — on a new V8, perhaps?

Spies first to break photos of the 2008 Honda Pilot [AutoSpies]

Related:
Honda to New Build Plant for High-End Engines; Spy Photos: 2007 Honda Pilot [internal]

Honda's Pilot SUV still looks pretty fresh — notwithstanding that Land Rover has since redesigned the last-generation Range Rover that influenced its elegant high-box comportment. But the Pilot will still get a new face this fall, as seen in these photos, which were taken during test runs in Nevada. According to the photog who caught the prototype without its disguise, the interior and rear designs remain unchanged, while a new nose and split-headlight design, accentuated with black eyeliner, gives the package a more high-tech look in middle age.

Spy Shots: 06 Honda Pilot [The Car Connection]

Related:
Spy Photos: Acura RD-X, Honda Pilot [internal]