Experienced by Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
Honda has a great reputation of building reliable vehicles and the Honda Passport TrailSport continues to carry the torch. The Honda Passport TrailSport is classified as a mid-size SUV and good for being used a daily driver, caravan for the family or good for an off-road adventure. The fourth-generation Passport was unveiled on November 13, 2024 and released the Passport on February 11, 2025 for the 2026 model year. I knew that I was in store for a fun week with one of the best mid-size SUV’s in the market as we set out for a mini road trip.
The Honda Passport is a sport utility vehicle that was originally a badged engineered version of the Isuzu Rodeo, a mid-size SUV sold between 1993 and 2002. It was introduced in 1993 for the 1994 model year as Honda’s first entry into the growing SUV market of the 1990s in the United States. The first and second generation Passport was manufactured by Subaru Isuzu Automotive in Lafayette, Indiana. The Passport was a part of a partnership between Isuzu and Honda.
The appearance of the Passport TrailSport easily captures your attention with standard rugged features like the steel underbody skid plates, exposed bright orange heavy-duty recovery points, 18” alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, roof rails, LED fog lamps and a power tailgate. The exterior design is based on the Born Wild concept with bold backpack design theme. The TrailSport model features LED DRL signature and distinctive amber lighting. PASSPORT is stamped on the front fascia and steel tailgate. The rear roof section has a matte black finish and the car’s antenna integrated into the passenger side rear glass.
The 2026 Passport TrailSport’s new infotainment system comes with a standard 12.3-inch color touchscreen and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. The infotainment system has Google Built-in and Alexa Built-in. Google Assistant can be used for voice commands. The infotainment system include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Qi-compatible wireless phone charger, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The standard Trail Info system displays real-time data on pitch, roll, and elevation on the instrument cluster. The TrailWatch camera system, on the TrailSport Elite trim, provides views of the tire paths to help navigate obstacles.
The interior of Passport is just as sharp as the exterior. It has a luxurious cabin with two rows of spacious seats enough for five people and a nice size cargo hold. The Passport has above-average cargo room in the two-row rivals. The Passport seats are very comfortable as the front-seat riders sit on well-cushioned bucket seats with individual folding center armrests. The model tested included a 10-way, power-operated driver’s seat with memory and a four-way power passenger’s seat, as well as front-seat heaters and leather seating surfaces.
Honda is not solely focused on wowing the consumer with cool designs and the latest gadgets, but they treat safety as high priority which consumers like myself appreciate. The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport is considered a very safe SUV, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) giving it a “Good” rating in all crash tests. It comes standard with the comprehensive Honda Sensing suite of driver-assist features, which includes systems like Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Lane Keeping Assist System.
I really enjoyed how the Passport handled. It is equipped with a 3.5-liter DOHC V6 with 285 horsepower, kicking out 262 lb-ft of torque. The V6 engine is paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. There is a second-generation i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system with enhanced torque capacity and response time. You can use multiple drive modes, including Normal, ECON, Sport, Snow, Trail, Sand, and Tow. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters afford additional driver control. Sport mode sharpens the transmission’s responses and launches you up to speed when you feel like opening it up. The ride is comfortable and confident through corners.
The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport sits in a competitive class amongst the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner, and Subaru Outback Wilderness, the Kia Sorento X-Pro and Hyundai Santa Fe XRT. The Passport that we reviewed came in competitively priced at $50,355.00. This pricing point falls in line with the competition. Honda covers the Passport TrailSport with a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. It also includes a 5-year/unlimited-mile corrosion warranty and a 3-year/36,000-mile roadside assistance plan.
As for fuel economy, the Passport is rated at 18 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway and 20 combined. The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport uses Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) as a standard fuel-efficiency feature for its V6 engine. Overall, I enjoyed the Passport TrailSport. It is an offroad, rugged yet stylish family vehicle. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
