Used 2019 Honda Passport

The 2019 Honda Passport is a 2-row/5-passenger SUV that slots between the smaller CR-V and larger Pilot. Styled and equipped for a rugged, sportier customer, the Passport comes standard as a front-wheel-drive (FWD) crossover SUV with all-wheel drive (AWD) optional. The Passport sees many similarities with the larger, family-oriented Pilot, including Honda Sensing, Honda’s suite of safety features coming standard across all trims. Interior room is excellent, with creative storage options available. EPA estimates are competitive: front-wheel-drive models averaging 22 combined mpg and all-wheel drive, 21 mpg. A highly capable 3.5-liter V6 mated to a solid 9-speed automatic transmission powers the Passport. All-wheel-drive models feature an excellent torque-vectoring system with four traction modes that make for a highly capable crossover SUV.

This spacious, reinforced unibody SUV comes with only one powertrain, a direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 that makes 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. On the road, unlike those knobby-tired off-road beasts, the 2019 Honda Passport offers a quiet ride. The 9-speed automatic transmission is judicious and offers a pleasing and smooth ride. Shifts are well portioned, and power delivery, steady. The steering is a bit sportier than on the Pilot, precise and attentive. The cabin is quiet, and overall the driving experience of the Passport doesn’t offend in anyway.

Thanks to a pretty sophisticated torque-vectoring AWD system with 4-mode Intelligent Traction Management, the 2019 Honda Passport has some robust off-road chops. This i-VTM4 system also comes on the Pilot, but with the Passport’s increased ride height and improved approach and departure angles it makes more sense and works harder on the smaller Passport. On unpaved roads and in rougher conditions like sand, mud or snow, the traction kicks in nicely and gets through a lot of tough terrain.

Call the Passport’s interior storage space both creative and plentiful, up to 77.9 cubic feet of cargo space, more than competitors Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Murano. In the rear under the cargo floor are optional plastic bins. It’s a perfect spot to stash valuables and gear, and the bins are removable so you can wash out all the funk and gain better access to the spare tire.

The cockpit looks like a direct lift of the Pilot’s. It’s a well-designed cabin with a good balance of touch-screen and physical buttons for key functions such as volume and heat and air-conditioning controls. The base Sport trim on the 2019 Honda Passport comes standard with a 5-inch display monitor but on the higher EX-L, Touring and Elite trims that’s upgraded to an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.

While both the exterior and interior on the 2019 Honda Passport look similar to the Pilot, the Passport is six inches shorter with the same wheelbase, about an inch wider and rides almost an inch higher. Other major differences? A steeper back-window angle gives the rear a sportier look, and all the exterior sheet metal is different. It comes standard with 20-inch wheels and a sportier-looking face. It definitely looks more rugged and much better proportioned than a Pilot.

EXTERIOR
While the 2019 Honda Passport looks similar to the Pilot, the proportions of the Passport work much better. It’s six inches shorter, losing size mostly from the rear, and an inch taller and wider for a more athletic stance.

I-VTM4 ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM
This active torque-vectoring system with 4-mode traction settings really delivers over terrain unexpected for a crossover SUV.

Honda Sensing, Honda’s extensive suite of safety features, comes standard across all trims, as well as 20-inch wheels, which are normally upgrades on many models and not even optional on most base-model SUVs. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on all but the base Sport trim. 

All-wheel drive is optional across all trims save the Elite on which it comes standard. Other great additions to the 2019 Passport include interior storage bins, a towing package, a power tailgate with available hands-free operation, moonroof, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging, navigation and premium audio.

The same 3.5-liter V6 engine that powers the bigger and heavier Honda Pilot also propels the new Passport. It’s a direct-injection mill that more than adequately does the job of moving the Passport. The 9-speed automatic transmission is a relief from all the drive-excitement-killing CVTs (continuously variable automatic transmissions) offered by some competitors.

3.5-liter V6
280 horsepower @6,000 rpm
262 lb-ft torque @ 4,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/25 mpg (FWD), 19/24 mpg (AWD)