2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Elite Review: A Honda Home Run

What happens when an industry undergoes such drastic change that once-common offerings simply no longer exist?

With the demise of the V8 and reasonably-sized body-on-frame SUVs, buyers are flocking to outdoorsy crossovers to fill the void. The newest Honda Passport Trailsport is perhaps the ultimate realization of such, with the fourth generation of the Passport carrying macho, off-roady good looks and tried-and-true Honda underpinnings. It’s a supremely well-rounded vehicle that has already grabbed a huge fan base, and it serves as a perfect replacement for those who used to buy “real” SUVs.

What’s New For 2026:

The Passport has had a weird life.

The original Passport was a truck-based, midsize SUV sold from 1993 to 2002 as Honda’s counterpart to the Isuzu Rodeo for two generations, then the nameplate vanished for a decade-and-a-half. The Passport model finally returned for the 2019 model year as a two-row sibling of the three-row Pilot. It was well-received but short on distinctiveness. Honda debuted the fourth-generation Passport for the 2026 model year, for which it was all-new.

This fourth-generation Passport lives on Honda’s Global Light Truck Platform—so it’s still a front-wheel-drive-based chassis and powertrain—with the 3.5 L J35Y8 V6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission. The interior received a huge refresh with styling inspired by the eleventh-generation Civic and has been very well-received. The exterior design is boxy and chunky to perpetuate an off-road and outdoorsy lifestyle that buyers may seek out.

Perhaps more importantly, Honda put actual effort into the Trailsport package for the first time. It gets model-specific suspension, skid plates for the oil pan and transmission, tow hooks, P275/60R18 all-terrain tires, an integrated Class III trailer hitch, 115-volt power outlet, and LED fogs. Other niceties for the Trailsport Elite are Multi-View Camera System (MVCS) with front-camera washer, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second row seats, a 700-watt Bose stereo, a heated steering wheel, and more.

Exterior Style:

Honda’s biggest swing with the new Passport is the exterior design. And it was a successful swing for the fences: The Passport, especially in Trailsport guise, is an aesthetic home run, both aggressive and restrained simultaneously. The front end in particular is notable, with a distinctive LED treatment that makes the new Passport unique in a way that many modern vehicles aren’t.

The Passport’s design is, truly, a lot of its charm. It really looks fantastic both in pictures and in the flesh, and it’s even better that the boxy shape brings a ton of space and usability with it.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

Let’s call the Passport’s engine “adequate.” The 3.5 L J35Y8 V6 makes 285 horsepower at 6,100 RPM and 262 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 RPM and is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Depending on trim, the Passport weighs anywhere from 4,500 to 4,800 pounds. Acceleration is passable—don’t expect it to light your hair on fire—but it more than gets the job done given the vehicle’s intended purpose. It’s a good-sounding powerplant though, so hearing it work hard isn’t unpleasant.

The Passport is more at home on the highway though. The gearbox and V6 torque are perfectly suited to freeway-speed cruising. Fuel economy is mediocre for the Trailsport: 18/23/20 city/highway/combined, but going non-Trailsport can net a slight advantage for prospective buyers at 19/25/21. Range isn’t great, though, as the Passport (in all trims) has only an 18.5-gallon tank.

Handling and Drivability:

Midsize CUVs and SUVs with off-road-oriented bits tacked on rarely impress as far as driving dynamics go, but the Passport’s unibody underpinnings shine through to make it a very pleasant vehicle to drive. It’s supremely easy to drive, maneuver, and spend time in, with no real detriment to highway or long-haul stability. Visibility is good, and the steering is light but direct. Piling on the miles in the Passport is easy.

The Passport’s handling isn’t great but again, bring your expectations to the table accordingly. The Trailsport’s General Grabber A/T Sport tires give up on tarmac long before the Passport’s chassis is willing to let go, but such is the plight of gussying up a CUV to make it happier when the pavement ends.

Ride Quality and Comfort:

Honda has tuned the Passport Trailsport’s ride to lean on the side of soft and plush rather than stiff and sporty. It pays dividends anytime the road is rough, allowing the vehicle to float over rough roads and even potholes. Larger bumps—think California-style drainage culverts—can bring about some body motions as the cushy suspension and body of the vehicle itself fight in opposite directions, though those instances are few and far between in most locales.

Comfort in the Passport is high. The front seats have excellent spaciousness plus excellent heating and ventilating functions. For closing in on $60k, it would be nice to have a massaging function, though. Rear seat comfort is good as well, and thanks to the front-wheel-drive nature of the vehicle you get a flat floor with no center hump as well.

The Passport excels when used as a family vehicle. Installing car seats is a cinch thanks to plentiful room and wide door openings, and the rear doors open wide, making easy loading and unloading of children and things. The trunk, too, is remarkably space-efficient for family things; even two large strollers hardly eat into the body trunk’s 44.0 cubic feet of space.

Interior Style and Quality:

Honda’s interiors have long shown off the brand’s ability to execute packaging brilliance, and the Passport is no exception. Storage compartments are plentiful, and the front doors are an exercise in maximizing the use of allotted space while intruding minimally on occupant space. There are upper and lower pockets plus multiple cupholders in the doors, not to mention those in the center console. Speaking of, center console storage isn’t great, and the odd push-button shifter remains a question mark across the Passport and other Hondas alike, but everything just works.

Storage options continue through the second row and into the trunk, the latter of which has a near-coffin-sized storage compartment that lives under the surface. There’s also side-saddle type compartments along the side of the trunk, which are perfect for things like air compressors, umbrellas, and the like. Again, this pays huge dividends for the Passport’s ability to act as a family vehicle; you can hide things in virtually unseen nooks and crannies, and compared to other manufacturers’ storage and cargo solutions, the Honda is simply brilliant.

The shifter isn’t brilliant, however, and we have long lamented the awkward push-button setup used in the Passport and other Hondas. It’s intuitive, but it takes up a relatively enormous amount of space for what are effectively four buttons.

Styling is more subjective, but the Passport’s interior is decidedly less aggressive than that of the outside. It’s not much different inside than other Hondas, with only the Trailsport-trademark orange stripe to discern the trim. 

Technology:

Honda’s tech is good, albeit not great. The 12.3-inch infotainment screen prioritizes usability and large icons over style; think function over form here, as is evident by the placement of the screen high on the dashboard, more tacked-on iPad style than fully integrated as in some other makes. It makes for a very intuitive setup, especially with the integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and all of the controls are easy to use. That includes the physical controls for HVAC, too.

The Passport Trailsport also comes with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, but most problematic for some buyers will be that there is no native SiriusXM aboard.

The Passport is equipped with a good assortment of safety and comfort tech. It comes with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot warning, parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist, and so on. Honda added standard driver and front passenger knee airbags as well. There’s no groundbreaking technology or safety equipment here, but the Honda does come with the equipment that is expected of the segment.

Value Dollars and Sense

The base price of the 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Elite is $52,650 (the base RLT is $49,900) and our test vehicle rang in at $53,835 including Destination. The base-trim Passport RTL costs $44,950 but doesn’t get any of the Trailsport’s dirt-forward styling or equipment. Facing the competition, the Passport Trailsport’s closest competitor is the Subaru Outback Wilderness, which starts at $44,995 and costs around $50k with options comparable to those of the Passport Trailsport.

Projected reliability and further off-road capability over the Subaru are where the Honda’s value really comes in strong, and those looking for a long-term purchase are more likely to have success with the Honda than the Subaru. However, those added benefits come at a cost.

Final Thoughts:

The first three hitters using the Passport nameplate were all fine by their own marks but never really resonated enough to warrant major fanfare. Honda’s fourth Passport player to the plate is a bona fide grand slam hitter, bringing with it the full spread of good looks, a comfortable interior, a tried-and-true powertrain, and just enough capability.

Though the tech and safety equipment aren’t class-leading and the V6’s power is more 2000s than 2020s, the 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport represents perhaps the most well-rounded SUV the brand has ever made.

In fact, the new Passport Trailsport is so good that after 12 years and 316k miles on their 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8, my parents bought one. This is their first car of a foreign make since they bought an Acura Legend new in the early 1990s (and yes, we and they know the Passport is built in Alabama). So kudos to Honda for serving up something that is such a perfect fit for their lifestyle, and that of so many others.