The verdict: The basic design of Honda’s Passport mid-size SUV is getting a bit long in the tooth, but some subtle yet effective updates for 2024 — including off-road-focused enhancements to the adventure-ready TrailSport trim — help keep it a viable choice in its class.
Versus the competition: If you’re looking for a spacious mid-size SUV but don’t need three-row seating, the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Edge, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport are alternatives. The Passport (particularly the TrailSport) offers better rough-terrain chops than the average mid-size crossover, but if you want more robust off-road capability, check out the Grand Cherokee or soon-to-be-redesigned Toyota 4Runner.
Before the current-generation Honda Passport came along, there was a significant gap in Honda’s SUV lineup. The company had nothing to offer shoppers who needed more cabin space than the compact CR-V offered but didn’t want to step all the way up in size and price to the three-row Pilot. In creating the new Passport that debuted for the 2019 model year, Honda chose a quick, pragmatic path: It simply took the Pilot, lopped off about 6 inches in overall length, dusted off the name it last used in 2002 on a rebadged Isuzu SUV and filled that gap with a new two-row SUV that could snag customers who would have otherwise bought, say, a Hyundai Santa Fe or Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Related: 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport and Black Edition: Outdoorsy and Indoorsy
Since all of the Pilot’s extra length was excised from behind the rear wheels, the Passport ended up with a short rear overhang that improves its departure angle in off-road driving. Honda also raised the ride height a bit compared to the Pilot (to 8.1 inches of ground clearance on all-wheel-drive models) and pitched the Passport as a more off-road-capable alternative to the typical mid-size two-row SUV. For its 2022 refresh, Honda stepped up the off-roader aspirations, giving the front end a beefier, more trucklike look and adding a TrailSport trim level with outdoorsy-looking trim touches, standard AWD, a slightly wider track and 18-inch wheels instead of 20-inchers.
For 2024, the Passport gets another round of subtle but welcome updates, and the TrailSport gets some trim-specific updates aimed at enhancing its off-road capabilities. We recently tested a 2024 Passport TrailSport, and while we were unable to take it off-roading, we were able to sample the Passport’s other updates and see how the TrailSport’s tweaks affect its on-road manners. For a full cataloging of the Passport’s 2024 updates, including the new Black Edition that replaces the line-topping Elite trim, check out our overview article.
TrailSport Enhancements
The TrailSport’s updates are centered on new all-terrain rubber: General Grabber A/T Sport tires are mounted on unique 18-inch wheels with a Pewter Gray finish. Honda says the new tires improve traction in a wide variety of off-road driving conditions but remain quiet and comfortable in on-road driving. The TrailSport-specific off-road suspension has been retuned to take advantage of the new tires: It gets revised spring rates, enhanced damper valve tuning and optimized stabilizer bars, which Honda says increase articulation and improve off-road ride quality.
We weren’t able to take the Passport TrailSport off-road to test those claims, but the alterations don’t noticeably upset its on-road driving manners or composure. The General tires are indeed perfectly quiet in around-town driving, and if they increase road noise on the highway, it’s by a very small amount. Even though the tread pattern on the tires’ contact patch isn’t overly aggressive, the sidewalls have a rugged-looking serrated pattern that make them look a lot brawnier. Fashion’s fashion, you know.
If you want to beef up your Passport TrailSport’s looks some more, Honda will happily sell you a $2,800 HPD+ Package (from its Honda Performance Development division) that includes a unique grille treatment, matte-black fender flares, taillight accents and 18-inch alloy wheels with black lug nuts. Our test vehicle wasn’t so equipped, but it did have a bolt-on underbody guard (an official Honda accessory that costs $300 plus dealer installation costs) that protects the oil pan from damage on off-road trails. And since we’re talking about options: If you fancy the Passport TrailSport’s features but prefer a pickup truck over an SUV, you’re in luck. The Honda Ridgeline gets essentially the same updates as its Passport sibling for 2024 and gains its own TrailSport trim that mirrors the Passport version’s content.
Interior Updates Fix Footling Flaws
All 2024 Passports get a redesigned center console that fixes some minor ergonomic annoyances. In place of the odd rollback-cover console bin and slim seat-mounted armrests of previous Passports is a larger bin beneath a traditional hinged cover that’s also a padded armrest. That bin is now big enough to accommodate a full-size tablet, according to Honda, and the console’s dual cupholders have been enlarged, too; most plus-sized Nalgene bottles and such now easily fit. Honda’s push-button gear selector (which some drivers find awkward to use) remains, but the storage tray forward of the shifter has been widened so two large smartphones can fit side by side. The tray also includes a standard Qi wireless charger on the driver’s side.
As before, the TrailSport’s interior gets specific trim touches including orange contrast stitching, amber ambient lighting, a black-chrome gauge surround, and TrailSport logos on the head restraints and all-weather floormats. The basic Passport cabin layout continues to impress, and driver visibility is commendable thanks to the large windows (particularly the back window) and relatively thin windshield pillars. Passenger space is also excellent: The backseat is roomy in terms of both head- and legroom, and it has an airy feel thanks to the tall roofline and those generously sized windows.
Though the cargo area’s load floor is a little high for loading items, the overall space is generous and the rear seatbacks fold to create a smooth, level surface. There are handy bins behind the rear wheel wells for smaller items (the driver-side bin is sized just right for a gallon milk jug), along with ample “hidden” storage space under the cargo floor, complete with a removable, washable plastic bin.
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Powertrain Stays the Same
The Passport’s 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission are unchanged for 2024. It’s a smooth, pleasant engine that delivers enough power for confident merging and passing on the highway, and the transmission is responsive, too. Kickdowns for more power are timely, and I never caught the transmission stumbling or searching for a gear. It’s worth noting that the TrailSport’s off-road upgrades don’t affect its EPA fuel-economy estimates; it has the same 19/24/21 mpg city/highway/combined rating as other Passports. Those numbers are 1 mpg better across the board than the Pilot TrailSport three-row SUV, but they’re not outstanding for a two-row mid-size SUV. And unlike some class rivals, neither the Passport nor the Pilot offer a more economical four-cylinder engine or hybrid powertrain of any sort.
We’ll also note that the Passport and Pilot are now less closely related than they were previously. The Pilot was fully redesigned for the 2023 model year, while the Passport carries on with the same basic platform and powertrain it’s had since its 2019 launch. This means that the Passport isn’t as up to date in some respects as the Pilot or its newer-design class competitors — especially in the realm of available technology features and infotainment touchscreen size. The Pilot TrailSport gets a TrailWatch forward-facing camera that’s not offered on the Passport, for example, and the Passport’s 8-inch touchscreen seems especially small after you’ve used the 10-inch (or larger) screens that some rivals offer.
Pricing and On-Sale Date
The 2024 Passport is arriving at Honda dealers now. As before, the model lineup is short and sweet: The entry-level but nicely equipped EX-L ($43,275, including a $1,375 destination fee), TrailSport ($45,875) and Black Edition ($49,345). Though none of these qualify as bargains, they’re in step with similarly equipped competitors, and they’re significantly less expensive than comparable Pilot models; the 2024 Pilot TrailSport, for example, starts at $50,175 — $4,300 more than its Passport sibling.
It’s likely the Passport will be redesigned on the new-generation Pilot’s platform in the near future, but for now, it’s still an attractive option if you need a spacious two-row SUV and you have a yen for slightly-off-the-beaten-path adventures.
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