Tested: 2022 Passport TrailSport Breaks Trail for Honda
UPDATE 4/14/22: This review has been updated with test results.
You can’t kick a rock these days without hitting some type of off-road-oriented SUV—maybe a reborn Hummer or a Ford Bronco, maybe just a Subaru Forester with a factory lift kit. It might even land on a Honda, even if Japan’s big H is better known for on-road precision than dirt-slinging shenanigans, at least when it comes to passenger vehicles. Honda wants to change that thinking, and it’s tiptoeing onto the scene as it ramps up a crop of rigs under the new TrailSport banner, the first of which is the 2022 Passport.
The TrailSport is pretty self-explanatory. It slots in as the new midgrade trim level within the updated Passport lineup, a $43,695 proposition that sits above the now base EX-L model and below the top-spec Elite. (Honda’s larger three-row Pilot gains a similar TrailSport variant for the new model year.) Save for a few minor equipment upgrades, this is still much the same Passport we put 40,000 pleasant miles on not long ago. However, a new hood, revised front and rear bumpers, and a blockier grille do help address one of our main complaints from that long-term test: somewhat innocuous styling that makes it a little too easy to lose the Passport in a Costco parking lot.
Michael SimariCar and Driver
HIGHS: More distinctive styling, solid overall performance and drivability, spacious interior.
The Passport’s TrailSport treatment is mostly theater, encompassing a gloss black grille and badging, plus orange-accented TrailSport emblems. The orange theme extends to the inside, with contrast stitching and embroidered headrests sprucing up the sensible, cubby-laden cabin, which doesn’t quite match the level of finery in the latest Accord and Civic. Model-specific bumpers with faux skid-plate inserts also are included, as are 18-inch wheels with a greater offset that widen the Passport’s track by 0.4 inch (other models wear 20-inch rollers). Wrapping those wheels are 245/60R-18 Firestone Destination LE 2 all-season tires with more aggressive shoulder tread that provide a bit more bite on loose terrain. There’s no suspension lift, unlike the TrailSport version of the Pilot, although that model has a slightly lower baseline ride height. The all-wheel-drive Passport has 8.1 inches of ground clearance, still enough to clear many smaller obstacles, and it can tow up to 5000 pounds. In terms of efficiency, the TrailSport gets the same EPA fuel-economy estimates as other Passports, which remain 19 mpg city and 24 highway for all-wheel-drive models. We averaged only 17 mpg over a couple of weeks with the TrailSport, and it came up 1 mpg short of its federal rating on our 75-mph highway test, at 23 mpg.
Michael SimariCar and Driver
This off-road showmanship is not for Honda’s lack of experience in getting dirty, though. Honda’s legendary off-road background with dirt bikes and other powersports machines needs little introduction. The company has supported a desert-racing Ridgeline pickup for several years now, and Honda engineers currently campaign an essentially stock Passport in North American rally competition. In addition to driving the TrailSport both on- and off-road, we recently rode in that rally version and came away impressed with how well it makes use of the production mechanicals. The Passport’s standard 3.5-liter V-6 continues to deliver a strong 280 horsepower and a satisfying induction honk, and it plays well with the smooth-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission, particularly if you toggle the Sport mode on the still-clunky array of shift buttons. Weighing 4229 pounds, our test car got to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds flat and covered the quarter-mile in 14.6 seconds at 94 mph—ample thrust for dispatching dawdling Winnebagos on country roads. That pace also puts the Passport toward the sharp end of the two-row mid-size SUV segment, slightly edging out the similarly powerful Chevy Blazer RS and Kia Sorento SX, though it does give up a few tenths to the more powerful (and performance-oriented) Ford Edge ST.
LOWS: Changes are mostly cosmetic, no suspension lift or skid plates limit its off-road capability.
Michael SimariCar and Driver
Opposite to how the Passport’s spacious interior feels more expansive than its dimensions suggest, this mid-size crossover seemingly shrinks in size on the road with a sense of well-oiled responsiveness. Along with a chassis setup that nicely balances ride comfort and cornering forces, much of its wieldiness stems from the flexibility of its variable all-wheel-drive system and torque-vectoring rear axle, both of which are standard on all but the starter EX-L model, which is front-wheel drive. Depending on conditions, the system can funnel up to 70 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear end and route up to 100 percent of that grunt to either rear wheel. The TrailSport’s tires only marginally impact its grip measurement versus our long-termer’s, dropping its skidpad figure from 0.80 to 0.77 g, yet they did help shave five feet from its stopping distance from 70 mph, at 184 feet. Still, cranking this Honda’s steering wheel off center brings a welcome buildup in effort and some feel. Among workaday SUVs, the ease with which the Passport rotates around mountain switchbacks can even approach entertaining. Just as welcome, the more aggressive rubber doesn’t bring additional road noise, with our test car pinging our sound meter with a reasonable 78 decibels at full throttle and 67 decibels at 70 mph.
Michael SimariCar and Driver
Steer off into the hinterlands and the all-wheel-drive system helps provide good traction over rough ground, aided by four terrain-management selections (Normal, Snow, Sand, and Mud) for the myriad chassis and drivetrain systems. With low-hanging bumpers and no exterior trail cameras or additional underbody protection, you’ll want to be careful around larger boulders and deep ruts. Yet navigating light mud, modestly steep inclines, and rocky trails that occasionally tilted the Passport up on three wheels was surprisingly uneventful. Adroit compression and rebound tuning for the passive dampers manifests in impressive composure over mildly uneven terrain—and at speeds that we wouldn’t have expected were it not for our stint in the rally racer. While that vehicle’s lack of ABS or any sort of traction-management tech allows it to slide around with abandon, the regular model shares much of its nimbleness and capability, highlighting the Passport’s potential should Honda decide to upgrade it further.
We got a glimpse of such a Passport from the company’s recent Rugged Roads Project vehicle, which features a modest aftermarket lift kit, larger tires, a rear-mounted spare, and a host of other overlanding-themed modifications. For now, factory upgrades are limited to plastic fender flares, rocker panel moldings, and new 18- or 20-inch Honda Performance Development (HPD) wheels painted either black or a snazzy bronze. But Honda is adamant that grander TrailSport happenings will drop later this year, potentially including both new models and parts that could bring enhanced suspensions, upgraded all-wheel-drive systems, and beefier off-road hardware. The current TrailSport, then, marks the beginning of the journey, and it will be interesting to see how far off-road Honda goes.
Specifications
Specifications
2022 Honda Passport TrailSport
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4- wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $43,695/$44,090
Options: Sonic Grey Pearl paint, $395
ENGINE
SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 in3, 3471 cm3
Power: 280 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.6-in vented disc/13.0-in disc
Tires: Firestone Destination LE2
245/60R-18 105H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 110.9 in
Length: 189.1 in
Width: 78.6 in
Height: 72.2 in
Passenger Volume: 115 ft3
Cargo Volume: 41 ft3
Curb Weight: 4229 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.0 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.6 sec @ 94 mph
100 mph: 16.8 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.2 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.6 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 111 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 184 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.77 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 17 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 23 mpg
Highway Range: 440 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 21/19/24 mpg
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