2019 Honda Passport

2019 Passport Photos
 Editors' Pick
Autoblog Rating
7.5

The new Passport takes everything we love about the Pilot — a comfortable ride, a strong engine and a hugely functional interior — and wraps it in a shorter, slightly sportier package. Our big knocks are tech and a someone sedate driving experience.

Industry
8.5
Honda's larger, three-row Pilot is a big crossover that's squarely aimed at families, with lots of minivan-inspired convenience features to make life with a car full of kids more livable. The two-row 2019 Honda Passport may essentially be a shortened Pilot with one less row of seats, but it also comes with an attitude adjustment. Honda is pushing the Passport as more of an adventure-ready crossover in terms of capability and looks, although it isn't ready for the sort of ultra-rugged terrain a Toyota 4Runner can handle, it largely satisfies the stated goal. Indeed, the Passport suggests a rugged, outdoorsy lifestyle with some sportier exterior accents, a slightly wider stance, and a little extra ground clearance. And it is the most rugged SUV in Honda's lineup. Let's take a closer look. What's new for 2019? In one sense, everything. This is the first year for the Honda Passport. The nameplate was last used on a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo SUV, back when Honda desperately needed an entry into the utility segment before its own original Pilot made it to market. But in another sense, this is a very familiar vehicle. It's mechanically very close to the Honda Pilot, using the same engine, transmission, all-wheel drive system, and much of the interior. The styling is clearly related to the Pilot but with a distinctly sportier nature. What's the interior and in-car tech like? If you've seen the inside of a new Honda Pilot, you'll be right at home in the Passport, as the first two rows are virtually identical. That's really not such a bad thing. Both share a common contemporary interior aesthetic, which is clean and functional, though certainly not as visually interesting as a Chevy Blazer or Hyundai Santa Fe. Materials quality is quite strong for this segment and everything is put together very well. One difference with the Pilot is that every Passport comes with Honda's controversial push-button transmission selector (rather than just top trim levels). It's confusing at first to use, and then never as intuitive to use as a traditional shifter. It's different just to be different. On the up side, storage solutions abound. There are multiple door bins, two cupholders in each rear door, two areas to store a smartphone up front, and the giant center bin is big enough to hide a purse under its flat rolling cover. Interior tech is less impressive. There is a lot of it standard, true, but the means in which it is controlled can frustrate. Much was made about Honda adding a volume knob back to its standard touchscreen, which is all well and good, but it didn't correct many other flaws: insufficient menu buttons, no tuning knob and/or direct tune function, and an excessive process for going between Honda and Apple/Android interfaces are just some of the annoyances. Many of these issues were corrected for the vastly improved system in the Accord and Odyssey, but the Passport and most other Hondas stick with this old system. If there's …
Full Review
Honda's larger, three-row Pilot is a big crossover that's squarely aimed at families, with lots of minivan-inspired convenience features to make life with a car full of kids more livable. The two-row 2019 Honda Passport may essentially be a shortened Pilot with one less row of seats, but it also comes with an attitude adjustment. Honda is pushing the Passport as more of an adventure-ready crossover in terms of capability and looks, although it isn't ready for the sort of ultra-rugged terrain a Toyota 4Runner can handle, it largely satisfies the stated goal. Indeed, the Passport suggests a rugged, outdoorsy lifestyle with some sportier exterior accents, a slightly wider stance, and a little extra ground clearance. And it is the most rugged SUV in Honda's lineup. Let's take a closer look. What's new for 2019? In one sense, everything. This is the first year for the Honda Passport. The nameplate was last used on a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo SUV, back when Honda desperately needed an entry into the utility segment before its own original Pilot made it to market. But in another sense, this is a very familiar vehicle. It's mechanically very close to the Honda Pilot, using the same engine, transmission, all-wheel drive system, and much of the interior. The styling is clearly related to the Pilot but with a distinctly sportier nature. What's the interior and in-car tech like? If you've seen the inside of a new Honda Pilot, you'll be right at home in the Passport, as the first two rows are virtually identical. That's really not such a bad thing. Both share a common contemporary interior aesthetic, which is clean and functional, though certainly not as visually interesting as a Chevy Blazer or Hyundai Santa Fe. Materials quality is quite strong for this segment and everything is put together very well. One difference with the Pilot is that every Passport comes with Honda's controversial push-button transmission selector (rather than just top trim levels). It's confusing at first to use, and then never as intuitive to use as a traditional shifter. It's different just to be different. On the up side, storage solutions abound. There are multiple door bins, two cupholders in each rear door, two areas to store a smartphone up front, and the giant center bin is big enough to hide a purse under its flat rolling cover. Interior tech is less impressive. There is a lot of it standard, true, but the means in which it is controlled can frustrate. Much was made about Honda adding a volume knob back to its standard touchscreen, which is all well and good, but it didn't correct many other flaws: insufficient menu buttons, no tuning knob and/or direct tune function, and an excessive process for going between Honda and Apple/Android interfaces are just some of the annoyances. Many of these issues were corrected for the vastly improved system in the Accord and Odyssey, but the Passport and most other Hondas stick with this old system. If there's …
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Retail Price

$31,990 - $43,680 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 3.5L V-6
MPG Up to 20 city / 25 highway
Seating 5 Passengers
Transmission 9-spd auto w/OD
Power 280 @ 6000 rpm
Drivetrain all wheel, front-wheel
Curb Weight 3,959 - 4,237 lbs
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