2023 Honda Passport Review

The newest iteration of Honda Passport is a good family SUV, thanks to its reliable engine, spacious interior, pleasant ride quality, and the efficient yet powerful engine. You can expect a comfortable ride even when the roads are a little jittery, but don’t mistake this vehicle as a serious off-roader—it doesn’t have what it takes to be one.

Passport is powered by a powerful engine, offers not particularly remarkable but reliable performance, and the cabin is comfortable. It’s an underrated competitor in the midsize SUV segment that doesn’t attract a lot of attention because of its lack of stylish flair, but we must admit, the vehicle has very little to complain about.

Engine

2023 Honda Passport is powered by a 24-valve V6 engine which generates an output of 280 hp.

Transmission

The engine is paired with a 9-speed shiftable automatic transmission.

Suspension

It comes with front struts and multilink rear suspension. Four-wheel independent suspension is standard in this lineup, and so is the front and rear stabilizer bar.

Steering

The vehicle is equipped with electric power steering with tilt and telescopic mechanism. It has controls for transmission, audio and cruise control located on the steering wheel for easy access.

2023 Honda Passport has received a reliability rating of 85/100 from JD Power. IIHS evaluated it as overall ‘Good’, and NHTSA gave it a 5-star safety rating. There are multiple standard safety and driver-assist features available, even for the entry-level model.

Brakes

It has 12.6-inch ventilated front disc brakes and 13-inch solid rear disc brakes.

Airbags

Airbags are designed to offer protection from injury when the vehicle is in a collision. Honda Passport offers dual front side-mount airbags and head airbags for front and rear seats as part of the standard package.

Electronics

Standard electronic features are blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, stability control, 4-wheel ABS, emergency braking, anti-theft alarm, child seat anchors, child safety locks for rear doors, and tire pressure monitoring, to mention a few.

Lights

The SUV has dusk sensing headlamps, daytime running lights, and LED headlamp as part of the standard suite of features.

Traction control

This is an essential feature that prevents loss of traction or slippage and ensures a good grip when you’re driving through slippery road conditions. Traction control is available as a standard feature in this lineup.

Midsize SUVs are not as efficient as crossovers or compact SUVs, but modern-day midsize models are trying their best to catch up. Honda Passport’s fuel economy is not exactly amazing, but it’s good enough. Some form of electrification would have made the deal even sweeter.

Engine size

Honda Passport continues to have the same engine as the previous year—a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine generating 280 hp @ 6000 rpm and torque of 262 pound-feet @ 4700 rpm.

Gas per mileage consumption

The fuel economy numbers are expected to be 19 mpg/24 mpg city/highway.

Now coming to the interior, if you’re looking for something visually stunning, you are bound to be disappointed. Here Honda doesn’t prioritize design, rather focuses on practicality and comfort. With a capacity of 5, Passport is spacious, there is ample cargo space, and the interior material is premium.

Seats

The front seats are covered with leather upholstery. You get a legroom of 40.9 inches, bucket seats, 8-way power adjusted and height adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, 4-way power adjusted passenger’s seat, and multi-level heating. The rear seats are also roomy enough, with a legroom of 39.6 inches.

Design

As we were saying earlier, the design isn’t anything out of the world. It’s basic, but it’s also functional. As for the exterior, the styling seems to be outdated, more so when you look at competitors offering stylish midsize SUVs in the same price range.

Infotainment

The infotainment system isn’t as savvy as we had expected it to be—this one is average at best. You get a standard 8-inch display unit, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Features like wifi hotspot and advanced audio system are not available for the base model.

Overall height and space

This midsize SUV is 189.1 inches long, 78.6 inches wide, and has a height of 72.2 inches. The wheelbase is 111 inches, with the total interior volume being 156.1 cubic feet.

Trunk space

When all the seats are upright, Honda Passport has a cargo capacity of 41.2 cubic feet, which is spacious enough. The trunk space can be maxed out to 77.7 cubic feet, if you fold down the rear seats.

Honda has kept competitive pricing, precisely because the midsize segment is full of high-quality models that are all fighting to get the buyer’s attention. Honda doesn’t have anything extra to offer in terms of engine, performance, or comfort, so it makes the trim levels more or less within an affordable range. Considering the safety features and reliability of the vehicle, we would say it justifies the price tag, although some areas need improvement. 

The 2023 Honda Passport is available in 3 trim levels—EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite. While all of them are equipped with top-class features, if you have to pick one, you can very well be satisfied with the entry-level trim. It’s rare for automakers to include the most desirable tech features in the base trim, and since Honda is doing it for this lineup, it’s a great choice. From leather-clad seats, sunroof, to standard all-wheel drive, you get everything you expect, and more.

Trim Level	Base Price
EX-L	$42,445
TrailSport	$44,945
Elite	$47,905

AWD/FWD

All-wheel drive is available as standard across all trim levels, including the entry level one.

Warranty

Honda offers limited warranty coverage of 3 years or 36,000 miles, powertrain warranty of 5 years or 60,000 miles, rust warranty of 5 years or unlimited mileage,along with roadside assistance of 3 years or 36,000 miles. You will also get complimentary maintenance for the first 2 years of purchase or for 24,000 miles.

Extras

Passport has a massive towing capacity. When equipped properly, it can tow as much as 5000 pounds.