The Definitive Edition already retcons that the Elites were around for the duration of the war. The book was changed to bring it more inline with more recent fiction. The Autumn information stands though and was not altered. What's more accurate in "official info" though? The first Visual Guide says the Autumn's dimensions are that of the Halo 1 version, yet the pictures show the much larger Reach version. So is the text or angled pictures more correct?

: Where does the Visual Guide get its numbers or its info on a class that is
: only in a couple of cutscenes and only as generic ships?

The model of the Autumn-class comes from a adaptation of the Reach version for use in the end of the Forward Unto Dawn live action series. The model's dimensions come from that file (plus some work by me). The ships were named and we know of at least 3. Where does the Visual Guide get its info from otherwise? From 343i. They have free reign to make up the fiction they want. :)

: I don't have any complaint with defining the Pillar of Autumn as something
: close to the Halo 1 version. If it best fits the other fiction that's
: great.