Reviewed by 
From the September/October issue of Car and Driver.
The mid-size SUV has deep appeal, but it's not the emotional kind. The segment is vast and popular because the vehicles are practical. The Honda Passport is every bit as practical as its competition, but it is more than simply a carryall.
It starts with the handling. Steering inputs are crisp, and while the Passport doesn't take to curves like a car—lateral grip for our TrailSport model maxes out at 0.80 g—it certainly isn't clumsy or trucklike either. The standard all-wheel-drive system includes a torque-vectoring rear differential to maximize available traction. The family-biased ride is comfortable, and Honda claims the body is stiffer—50 percent so, and more in some places. The newfound rigidity is evident even over speed bumps and in freeway cruising. The TrailSport trim is also remarkably quiet for an SUV on all-terrain tires, with a 68-decibel cabin at 70 mph.
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Those knobby tires are part of the TrailSport's off-road attitude. Increased ground clearance (now 8.3 inches), an improved approach angle, skid plates, and tow hooks give some credence to the rugged appearance.
Regarding that practicality, interior space is plentiful. The front and back seats hold five in comfort, and every corner of the cabin seems to have been mined for storage—bring everything you've squirreled away in the junk drawer. The cargo hold swallows 16 carry-on bags behind the back seat. Folding the second row in our test vehicle creates an 83-cubic-foot area (just four cubes shy of the three-row Honda Pilot's) that'll take 38 carry-on bags.
The powertrain errs on the side of practicality. The 3.5-liter V-6 added a pair of camshafts in replacing its predecessor's SOHC setup but loses the enjoyable VTEC verve. The engine climbs dutifully to its 285-hp peak at 6100 rpm, but there is only so much it can do; the new engine's additional five horses must contend with 545 pounds more Passport (4782 total). That's due in part to the long list of standard (and heavy) equipment—a panoramic sunroof, for example—on the $54,355 TrailSport Elite we tested. Flat-out, it'll hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds; the last Passport did that in 5.9.
The new six is more efficient, with better EPA ratings and real-world results. We saw 25 mpg at 75 mph, 2 mpg better than the old TrailSport.
Despite a weight gain and unimpressive acceleration, the Passport's handling, refinement, and packaging make it a standout—just not an emotional standout.
Specifications
Specifications
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $49,900/$54,355
Options: Elite trim (ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, 12-speaker Bose premium sound system, leather seat trim), $4000; Platinum White Pearl paint, $455
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 in3, 3471 cm3
Power: 285 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.0-in vented disc
Tires: General Grabber A/T Sport
275/60R-18 113T M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.6 in
Length: 191.5 in
Width: 79.4 in
Height: 73.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 58/58 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 83/44 ft3
Curb Weight: 4782 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 90 mph
100 mph: 20.0 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.3 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 110 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 181 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 39 dBA/3 sone
Full Throttle: 78 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 68 dBA/23 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 25 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 460 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/18/23 mpg
K.C. Colwell, the executive editor at Car and Driver, is a seasoned professional with a deep-rooted passion for new cars and technology. His journey into the world of automotive journalism began at an early age when his grandmother gifted him a subscription to Car and Driver for his 10th birthday. This gift sparked a lifelong love for the industry, and he read every issue between then and his first day of employment. He started his Car and Driver career as a technical assistant in the fall of 2004. In 2007, he was promoted to assistant technical editor. In addition to testing, evaluating, and writing about cars, technology, and tires, K.C. also set the production-car lap record at Virginia International Raceway for C/D's annual Lightning Lap track test and was just the sixth person to drive the Hendrick Motorsport Garage 56 Camaro. In 2017, he took over as testing director until 2022, when was promoted to executive editor and has led the brand to be one of the top automotive magazines in the country. When he’s not thinking about cars, he likes playing hockey in the winter and golf in the summer and doing his best to pass his good car sense and love of '90s German sedans to his daughter. He might be the only Car and Driver editor to own a Bobcat: the skidsteer, not the feline. Though, if you have a bobcat guy, reach out. K.C. resides in Chelsea, Michigan, with his family.
