Introduced as a new model this year, the Honda Passport is a slightly smaller version of the very popular Pilot crossover. The Passport is a two-row, five-seat SUV that sits between the smaller CR-V and the three-row Pilot. It’s a midsize offering that’s made to fit just right with people who don’t need a big three-row and who aren’t enamored with compact crossovers.
The 2019 Passport is a very well-done vehicle that’s competing against some strong contenders like the new Chevrolet Blazer and the well-established Ford Edge. The Passport has four trim levels and has the same strong V6 as its larger Pilot sibling. Notably, we found the Passport to be very good in inclement weather and bigger inside than its size might indicate.
As an all-new model, there is a lot of weight put on style for a vehicle like the Passport. Honda went the contemporary route with this one, looking to keep it mainstream and uncontroversial. That goal was definitely met, though not without leaving a little boredom as a result.
The 2019 Passport has a lot of Pilot in its looks, with the squared nose and hard body line under its belt. The large greenhouse fits the Passport’s big interior, though, and we like the aggressive amounts of ground clearance and wheel clearance inside the wells. For onlookers, these elements give the Passport a muscular, ready-to-go appeal.
As with most Honda models in the crossover realm, the 2019 Passport combines some sports motif with its rough and tumble to find a middle ground of just above average looks.
In the past, Honda was not generally known for upscale or comfort-oriented interior design. That’s changed in recent years, with competitors definitely forcing Honda’s hand in that regard. The Passport shows what Honda designers can accomplish when really set to it, though, and that pays off for those riding in this new crossover.
The Passport features comfortable seating, good driver ergonomics for daily driving, and a lot of cargo space for the crossover’s size. The large door openings allow for easy entry to this Honda and match the tall roof. Three adults in the back seat are not impossible or much of a squash, really, making it one of the few truly three-across seating benches we’ve seen in this segment.
Our chief beef with the Honda Passport, really, is the odd shifting buttons on the console and the lack of adjustment range for the steering wheel. On that latter point, telescoping is limited and results in taller or shorter drivers having fewer options for finding a comfortable spot.
Parents will be glad to know that the LATCH and overhead seat belt anchors for child safety seats are easy to access. The cargo area has useful things like quick releases to drop the split-fold back seats for more convenient cargo use. Cargo space is 41.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 77.9 with the second row folded. A high load height means getting bulkier items into the Passport is easier.
As an everyday drive, the 2019 Passport is very nicely done. The roomy (and adjustable) back seat makes kid hauling and family wrangling much easier while the large cargo space is useful on several levels.
In the snow and ice, when we were able to thoroughly test during an event in Colorado this winter, the Passport does remarkably well. The combination of the strong V6 and excellent all-wheel drive meant that the Passport was stable and easy to control in even the worst driving conditions.
As a family vehicle in the five-seat crossover segment, the 2019 Honda Passport is an excellent choice. We like the well-done infotainment, the roomy seating, and the big cargo space it provides. We’d recommend looking to the EX-L model as a good mixture of advanced safety equipment, upgraded infotainment, and cost-effectiveness for all of that.
