We were already Passport fans, but the new changes are important and will elevate the vehicle.
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Honda’s Passport has always been a bit of an outlier. It’s sort of like a Pilot but with two rows of seats, not three. It’s sort of like CR-V, but bigger and stronger where it counts. When Honda gave the Passport the TrailSport treatment to make it a bit better off-pavement, we cheered. We drove it in the environment in which it was intended, and it shined. However, there were a few things we felt were missing. Here’s a list of those things. Note that this is not a complete list of the Passport TrailSport’s many great aspects, but rather the stuff we wanted you can now get starting in 2025.
Four Things To Love About the 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport New Feature - Hill Descent Control
Hill Descent Control is a feature we love and use in the real world of testing. This technology will do what you cannot when faced with a steep, slippery downhill section. Yes, we know you are an amazing driver, and you feather the brakes, downshift, yada, yada, yada, yada. We can do that too, but HDC is like magic. It is worlds better than what you or I can do. Of all the new features, this is the one that was most overdue.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport - Full-Size Spare Option
We are in the minority, but there are among us vehicle fanatics who want a full-size spare. We are happy to pay for it, just let us! Well, for the new generation, Honda lets you. All Passports will have a compact spare, but if you wish to buy a full-size one, there is a space for it inside the ginormous cargo area. This puts the Passport in a club with the Bronco Sport Badlands, Toyota Land Cruiser, and the Subaru Forester and Outback Wilderness editions, all of which come with a full-size spare.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport - Front Recovery Hooks
Listen up, automakers. If you are pretending that your new trim is “off-road-capable” but does not have fixed front recovery hooks, it is very hard for us to pretend with you. For 2026, the Passport TrailSport gets real front recovery hooks. Subaru, please take notice.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport - Steel Skidplates That Deserve the Name
Honda’s Passport sorta kinda had some underbody protection in the past (sorta). The new one gets real steel skidplates. This was way overdue. If you don't have underbody protection, what are you even doing off pavement?
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport - A Better Powertrain
I’m a bit biased here, but I generally love Honda powertrains. I owned one of the first VTEC engines in a Civic Si, and I was cool with Honda going to small turbos because they did it right. However, I really prefer a V6 (and owned two of those in Accords). For the 2026 model year, Honda gives you a V6 with even more power. You also get a new 10-speed auto and a new AWD system with more rear focus. My own Bronco Sport Badlands' single deficiency is that it is basically a front-wheel drive vehicle that can grudgingly send power to the rear. Nobody wants that off-pavement. Everybody wants more rear-bias in their AWD system. Subaru does it right, and now it looks like Honda will, too.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport - New Camera
When I bought my Bronco Sport Badlands, I didn’t think I’d use the trail camera much. In fact, I use it a lot, and not just off-pavement. I’m glad that Honda has added its new TrailWatch camera system with tire path graphics to help drivers navigate obstacles.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport - Concerns
Although I’ve listed some fantastic new features for the Passport, I am also a fan of the brand, and I want to get a couple of concerns off my chest.
- First, a longer wheelbase is not a benefit. Honda added 2.75” to the wheelbase and is listing that as a good thing. It is not good for those who actually go off pavement. It makes your breakover angle worse.
- Second, Honda is trying out new tires on the Passport. It says, “New General Grabber all-terrain tires (275/60R18), co-developed exclusively with General Tire for the new Passport TrailSport, are extremely capable in sand, mud, rocky terrain and snow, but still quiet and comfortable on the road.” I’m not hearing or seeing the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol here. That’s what I want in an all-terrain tire. There are many great ones that offer that now. The Falken WildPeak Series comes to mind. Maybe the new tire will be fantastic, but I’d rather Honda had chosen a tire already proven capable in snow.
Of all the vehicles coming to market next year, the 2026 Passport TrailSport is one vehicle I cannot wait to test. In addition to doing a full review, I may even shop for one. My 2023 Bronco Sport Badlands will turn three shortly after the 2026 Passport has been on the market. It’s nice to have choices.
Image of 2026 Passport courtesy of Honda.
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John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
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