I can completely relate to concerns over reliability. It took me four months to decide to buy this thing. I also scoured EVERY user review I could find on the net. It seemed like most of the bugs were worked out by early Fall.
Here is my two cents on this: First, you should know I have been a confirmed "Honda guy" for many years. I have owned three consecutive generations of Honda Accord's. I loved them to death. Two years ago I took a job with a car allowance so I went to an Acura TL. Many friends purchased a Honda product on my recommendation. All of those cars were VERY reliable: only needed fluids, gas, tires, and brakes. But on all of these cars I did find that the paint chipped way to easily, the leather wore quickly, and squeaks and rattles worsened over the life of each vehicle. I care for my vehicles meticulously, and I felt like they always aged to quickly. I would classify these vehicles as reliable but not durable (just my opinion).
I am now in a position where I need a vehicle that will move customers, friends, and things with ease. I had two cars but I don't have time to maintain two (one of them was an old beater SUV). I decided to consolidate to one for a while to simplify things. I looked primarily at crossovers and SUV's (Acura RDX, Nissan Murano, Acura MDX, Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9, and the Jeep - on the recommendation of a friend). I ultimately ended up with the Jeep GC Overland. It took me four months of shopping around to narrow it to a Pilot or the Jeep. I was terrified of going from bulletproof cars I trusted to a newly re-designed Chrysler product. When I really looked at the value proposition of both cars I felt that the Jeep was hands down a better car. The only things Honda dealers were trying to sell me on were reliability and re-sale value (not features, design, and ingenuity). Incidentally, when it came time to trade in my Acura (a Honda product) they would not even give me KBB fair condition trade-in value for my car which was actually somewhere around clean/very good.
The last objection I had to overcome was my concerns over reliability. I scoured everything I could find on reliability. The thing that was clear to me is that today the difference between good reliability versus poor reliability is MUCH smaller than it was 10 years ago. Every auto manufacturer is making better cars.
Depending on how far into your buying experience you are you may not be aware of an extended warranty that is available to you. I found out about it on this forum. If you go to
www.chryslerwarrantys.com they offer discounted Factory Warranty's. Look for the MaxCare and submit your name. With a discount code that is e-mailed to you they have a LIFETIME BUMPER TO BUMPER warranty for $1983. If you are concerned with reliability it will at least help keep your repair costs in check beyond the 100K mi powertrain warranty.
I will tell you I opted to get the V8 instead of the new V6 because of the transmission gearing, the MPG's were not THAT different, and I was concerned about unknowns with a new engine. There was lots of history available on the V8 and I felt like it was a solid engine/chassis combination. So from the perspective of a former Honda owner, I am very happy with my decision (but only 300 miles on the car so far so take it with a grain of salt). I think this car is designed way better than the Pilot or CX-9. Ultimately, you have to get to a place where you feel good about the purchase on your own. If you're cautious like me, take your time.
Good luck!