2023 Honda Passport – First Drive
More Passengers, More Hauling, More… Everything
The Honda Passport is regarded as one of Honda’s hottest models thanks to its impressive off-road performance, spacious interior and advanced Honda-Sense safety features that comes standard and well equipped across all trims.
It’s even fitted with a 280 horsepower V6 engine that can tow an impressive 5000 lbs. -that’s pretty impressive especially for a 5-passenger do-it-all cross-over.
Minimal changes are made into model year 2023 with the Honda Passport being offered in just three trims.
| EX-L | $42,450 |
| TrailSport | $45,050 |
| Elite | $47,925 |
Since the Honda Passport comes well equipped, the base EX-L trim offers great value that features leather upholstery, a sunroof, enlarged media touchscreen and all-wheel drive. Upgrading to the TrailSport adds slight enhancements features including driver’s seat position, leather-trimmed seats, wireless smartphone charging and acoustic windshield for sound dampening. The Elite trim adds a hands-free tailgate, larger 20″ wheels, ventilated front seats, and stereo system.
Powertrain
Powering the Honda Passport is a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 producing 280 horsepower. Modern tech also makes its way under the hood with a 9-speed transmission to squeeze out more performance from the engine. All trims come equipped with AWD with a towing capacity that’s pretty good for its class at 5,000 lbs.
EPA fuel ratings score in at 19 and 24 mpg on both city and highway driving. Not great in today’s fuel costs, but it’s still comparable to others in the same class such as the Mazda CX-5, Toyota Highlander and Kia Sorento. We averaged at 22 mpg on both mixed city and highway driving. Unfortunately, the V6 engine is the only option available with the Passport. We’d like to see a more fuel efficient hybrid option in the near future.
Interior, Tech and Features
While the Passport’s cabin aesthetics isn’t of anything memorable, the homogenous black cabin, and tidy layout makes for a clean and functional space for both the driver and passengers. Both front and rear seats offer plenty of padded comfort and space. The leather-trimmed seats on our Elite tester model also felt nice to the touch with an overall high-grade quality feel overall.
All Passport trims come bundled with an 8″ touchscreen display with both Android Auto and Apple Carplay support. Base EX-L and Trailsport models get a standard 7-speaker audio sound system while the Elite trim gets an upgrade to a 550W 10 speaker system for punchier music. Honda also offers HondaLink subscription service that allows users to connect and monitor the health and status of their car through their smartphone.
Test Drive and Final Thoughts
Despite its large form factor, the Honda Passport is surprisingly easy to drive with an excellent driver position and great overall visibility. The cabin space proved to be quiet and well insulated from wind shear and external road noise, which adds to the overall road comfort.
Thanks to the naturally aspirated V-6, the Passport accelerates with ease. There really isn’t anything to complain about, other than the fuel costs of course. We hope to see a hybrid engine or even a turbocharged four-cylinder engine to take advantage of its present 9-speed transmission.
Still, the Honda Passport makes for a great overall full-size Cross-over SUV with plenty of room, capability, and practicality.
Specifications
- Vehicle : 2023 Honda Passport
- Vehicle Type : Full-Size Crossover
- Seating Capacity : 2+3
- Engine : V-6
- Transmission : 9-Speed Automatic
- Price as tested: $47,925 (Elite Trim)
Pros
- Peppy V-6 Engine
- Performance-Oriented with a focus on Off-roading Capability
- Plenty of room and cargo capacity
- Decent styling, and comfortable interior
- Good towing capacity with rating of up to 5,000 lbs
Cons
- Unremarkable/boring cabin design
- Lack of more fuel-efficient engine options