2022 Honda Passport Review: Ruggedly Two-Row

The 2022 Honda Passport is the mid-dimensions, two-row cousin of the 3-row Pilot, with additional rugged styling that hints at its greater off-highway ability many thanks to a lifted suspension and better strategy/departure angles. It competes versus a range of two-row mid-sizing crossovers, from the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Subaru Outback, to the Toyota 4Runner. The 2022 Passport provides a new TrailSport trim that appears more rugged, but does not give any off-road upgrades. The TrailSport trim level would make the Passport look additional rugged, nevertheless it doesn’t insert any off-highway ability all of its variations are purely beauty at the moment.

The Passport gets a modest refresh for the 2022 model year that improvements up the entrance styling to make it a lot more truck-like. It has been restyled from the A-pillar ahead with a new hood and squared-off grille that make the Passport seem more like the Ridgeline than the Pilot. There’s a new rear bumper as well to make place for much larger exhaust tips (however the sound will keep on being the identical). Wheel patterns are all new and leading out at 20 inches. A Honda Efficiency Enhancement (HPD) styling package, which includes a new grille, black fender flares, wheels, and HPD graphics, is now optional.

The new TrailSport trim appears to be even additional rugged. With a meaner grille and a stubby tail, the 2022 Passport does not seem identical to the long, tapered 3-row Pilot. It is handsomely rugged, but not a ground-breaker. At about 190 inches from nose to tail, the Passport’s massive for its mission, and Honda pulls some styling tips out of its toolbox to make it look shorter and distinctive than the Pilot. The entrance close has an unpainted chin that reads like 3-working day beard expansion. From the side the Pilot relatives resemblance is unmistakable, but the Passport cuts its own define with a thick slash at the tail that connects the roof and fenders.

The TrailSport receives exclusive entrance and rear bumpers, grille, 18-inch pewter wheels, and popular badging situated the two inside and exterior the cabin. There are no tire, suspension, or powertrain updates of take note, the closest thing to a performance update is a .3-inch broader monitor front and rear. This is disappointing, but Honda says those forms of upgrades will appear on later on TrailSport styles.

The Passport has some off-road functionality, but it’s finest attributes shine by means of on the pavement. The Passport is Honda’s most off-street oriented motor vehicle, additional so than the Pilot many thanks to its extra ground clearance and shortened overhangs. That tends to make it suitable for path responsibility, but the hardcore things ought to nonetheless be remaining to the Wrangler and Bronco. AWD is optional on the EX-L, but standard on the TrailSport and Elite trims.

The Passport shares its 3.5-liter V-6 with 9-pace computerized powertrain with many Honda versions. That engine can make 280 hp and that provides the Passport much more than ample oomph for working day-to-day driving, though the 9-pace automated can sense a step guiding at occasions with delayed downshifts. Although it has off-road styling, the Passport is very best suited for freeway driving in which its tranquil cabin and clean trip make it easy to chew up miles with nominal hard work. It’ll clamber more than Moab’s purple rocks with no far too considerably agita, but it’s happier getting to the trailhead than it is choosing its way in excess of the trail.

There are a couple of different off-highway driving modes—Sand, Snow, and Mud— that transform the powertrain’s habits and traction manage configurations. The Passport does attribute 8.1 inches of ground clearance (on all-wheel-generate variations), but the absence of a transfer situation or lockable axles indicates that any form of crawling is a adjust. Towing potential tops out at 3,500 lb with FWD, and 5,000 lb with all-wheel push.

The Passport’s gasoline mileage leaves some thing to be preferred. The FWD products make the ideal EPA rankings, 20 mpg city, 25 highway, 22 mixed. With AWD, individuals quantities never go down a great deal: 19/24/21 mpg. A hybrid model of the Passport would go a very long way to alleviating some of these issues, like Toyota has done with its two-row mid-measurement crossover, the Venza.

The Passport earns excellent crash scores and arrives with strong common basic safety attributes. A potent established of regular safety attributes and great crash scores from the scores agencies give the Passport over-regular protection ratings. It gained a complete 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA, even though it only got 4 stars for its frontal crash effects overall performance. The IIHS gave it a “Good” crash exam ranking for all but the compact overlap entrance exam, exactly where it attained an “Acceptable” grade. Each individual Passport will come outfitted with computerized ahead crisis braking, adaptive cruise management, active lane manage, and blind spot screens. The only solution missing is a surround-watch digicam system.

The interior of the Passport barely modifications from that in the Pilot. It is fine: it’s a effectively-organized work area with a minimal, open up experience, and a broad and deep middle console. A great deal of dark and black trim could use some relief, nevertheless. A properly sized 8.-inch touchscreen does occur freshly conventional for 2022.

The Passport ditches a third-row for a roomy rear cargo location and capacity to match five older people with fantastic rear seats. While the Passport deletes the 3rd-row seat and is about 6 inches shorter than the Pilot on which it’s centered, inside home for each passengers and cargo are an place in which the SUV excels. The entrance seats are reasonably comfortable with a slight sportiness to them. Leather-based is standard now on all trim degrees.

Go to the backseat and points boost, the bench presents ample aid and there is 39.6 inches of rear leg place lots of house for even 3 grown ups to sit back again there devoid of far too a great deal cramming. Behind the rear seat the Passport has 41.2 cubic ft of cargo area, which expands to 77.7 cubic feet with the back again seat folded. There is also a incredibly valuable huge storage bin concealed below the ground to retail store damp or filthy equipment that you do not want to soil the carpeted parts.

The Passport has dropped the Activity and Touring trims for 2022, making the EX-L the new base product. Its value has long gone up as properly in the refresh, making it $39,095 to hop into the most economical Passport now (versus significantly less than $34,000 for a Activity a year ago). Relocating up the base trim to the EX-L adds lots of options, but at a charge. By axing the Sport trim, the base value of the Passport has long gone up appreciably but that does give it a big jump up on typical gear. It earns points for its long conventional features listing, as nicely as its large normal touchscreen (8. inches). It also attributes leather-based upholstery, a ability liftgate, heated front seats, roof rails, and a wi-fi charger.

Bear in mind that the EX-L is the only Passport to not occur with common AWD, it’s a $2,100 possibility. There’s fewer of a circumstance to be created for the new TrailSport design, until you actually want the cosmetic updates and badging. That’d be the Elite product at approximately $47,000. For that, you insert cooled front seats, heated rear seats, automated wipers, arms-totally free energy tailgate, and an upgraded audio method. All Hondas are coated by a 3-12 months/36,000-mile guarantee, with no integrated maintenance.

The 2022 Honda Passport is an remarkable two-row crossover that now has readily available rugged outdoor seems to be. The Passport’s driving manners are a person of the greatest in its course. It has home for 4, all their gear, and can haul you to nearly any remote web-site or outdoor journey you can believe of. All the although the Passport does just one factor no some others can match, it is a Honda with excellent protection, good benefit, and yrs of trustworthiness forward of it.