Honda Passport TrailSport Isn't Tough Enough

The big trend right now is to take an incapable SUV and try to make it look tougher. Put on beefier tires, change the ride, give it a less clever name—and Well that's itan SUV that is “capable of going off-road”.

The 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport is no exception. It gets new badging, upgraded tires, and some suspension tweaks that make it more “capable” than the traditional Passport. However, it’s still not a vehicle you want to take off-road. Or, for that matter, something you’d want to spend nearly $50,000 on.

Aside from the bright orange TrailSport badge, most of the Passport’s upgrades are hard to spot. Eighteen-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires replace the standard all-season tires. Passive dampers offer better compression for a softer ride on dirt roads. Spring rates are down 15 percent up front and 10 percent out back. And Honda even ditched the hollow rear anti-roll bar for something more rigid. The 8.1 inches of ground clearance is also pretty good.

The result? An SUV that’s certainly more capable than the regular Passport, though that’s not by a high standard. All-terrain tires offer better grip in low-traction situations—dirt roads, gravel roads, etc.—and the softer ride means you can drive over potholes without breaking your back. A small dirt road seems to be more than enough for the Passport TrailSport.

The same 3.5-liter V-6 that powers the standard Passport is here, and it’s… good. Its 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque give Honda’s SUV a good chance of getting the most out of its engine at high speeds or on hillier roads—there’s not a ton of torque available. The nine-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly, and all-wheel drive is standard.

Jeff Perez/Motor1

Pros: Attractive Looks, Comfortable Ride, Lots of Space

Otherwise, the Passport is anything but noisy around town. The steering is light, the softer suspension makes for comfortable highway driving, and the cabin is mostly quiet. It’s only when you rev ​​the V-6 (which sounds pretty good) that you notice any noticeable noise.

The standard leather seats are really soft. Both front seats are heated and ventilated, have 10-way power adjustment, and of course, there’s orange TrailSport stitching on the headrests. The back seat is roomy, too, and since this is the only Pilot with one fewer row, there’s plenty of cargo space. The 41.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat are better than anything else in the segment. There’s even a clever underfloor storage system with up to 50.5 cubic feet of space.

Honda

Honda

The Pilot comes with safety equipment as part of the Honda Sensing suite, which is standard on all Passport models. It includes features like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision monitoring and automatic emergency braking. The big problem is that the adaptive cruise control doesn’t stop all the way; it only works at speeds of 19 mph and up. And the lane-centering technology doesn’t work as well as some other modern systems. The car ping-pongs around in the lane.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster aren’t the most modern of devices. The graphics look dated, the touch response is slow. You still need cables for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Jeff Perez/Motor1

Cons: Outdated technology, Poor fuel efficiency, Weak off-road enhancements, Expensive with many options

Perhaps the Passport’s biggest drawback is its poor fuel economy. The Passport gets just 19 miles per gallon in the city, 24 miles per gallon on the highway, and 21 miles per gallon with the now-standard all-wheel drive system. Compare that to V-6, AWD alternatives like the Chevrolet Blazer (22/27/24) and the outdated Nissan Murano (20/28/23), and the Honda is clearly the worst of the bunch.

But don’t worry, there’s a new Honda Passport on the way. While the 2024 model is a joy to drive and looks great, it’s clearly way behind its competition in a few key areas. It’s not as sophisticated or efficient as some of the alternatives, and for a “tough” SUV, the improvements are barely noticeable.

The 2024 Honda Passport isn’t a bad SUV if you pay its $43,795 base price. It’s comfortable and fun to drive. But the TrailSport will set you back at least $46,395, and options will easily push that price closer to $50,000. At that price, the Passport TrailSport isn’t a great choice. It might be worth waiting for the new model to arrive next year.

• Chevrolet Blazer
• Jeep Cherokee Grand
• Nissan Murano