The Passport Got Bigger. Did Honda Forget Who Bought It?

Honda spent years positioning the Passport as the sensible middle child: bigger than a CR-V, smaller than a Pilot, and priced to make sense for people who actually go places but don't need three rows of seats. The 2026 version stretches that formula until it starts to creak. The wheelbase grew. The price grew. The competition got sharper. And the question Honda never quite answers is whether the Passport is now too big to be nimble and too expensive to be practical.

That tension is what makes this vehicle interesting. Not the new grille. Not the updated infotainment. The fact that Honda may have improved this truck right out of its own niche.

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What This Truck Actually Is, and Who Should Probably Skip It

The Passport is a two-row, five-passenger midsize SUV with standard or available all-wheel drive. It sits on the same platform as the Pilot and shares its powertrain. Think of it as a Pilot with the third row deleted and the cargo floor leveled out, which actually makes it one of the more useful haulers in the segment if you never need to seat seven people.

It is genuinely for people who tow occasionally (up to 5,000 pounds), carry gear more often than passengers, and want something that feels substantial without tipping into full-size territory. Outdoor-leaning buyers, small families that have already ruled out minivans, and people who do one serious road trip a year alongside daily suburban driving.

It is not for city dwellers. The 2026 footprint makes urban parking a chore. It is not for buyers who need a third row even once a year. And it is not for anyone who sees the price tag and assumes they are getting luxury-truck refinement, because they are not.

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Trims, Prices, and What You Are Actually Paying For

Honda keeps the Passport lineup relatively tight. You can build your own on Honda's site to see current pricing and packages in your region.

Trim	MSRP (est.)	What You Actually Get
Sport	$40,100	AWD standard, 19-inch wheels, 9-inch touchscreen, Honda Sensing suite, cloth seating
EX-L	$43,500	Leather seating, heated front seats, power liftgate, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto
TrailSport	$46,200	All-terrain tires, raised suspension, underbody skid plates, orange interior accents
Elite	$49,800	Panoramic roof, 12-speaker Bose audio, ventilated front seats, full digital dash cluster

A few things to flag. First, AWD is standard across all trims on the 2026 model, which is a genuine improvement over past years. Second, the gap between Sport and Elite is nearly ten thousand dollars, and a lot of that money goes toward features that feel optional rather than meaningful. The TrailSport is the most interesting trim on paper, but only if you actually use it off pavement.

At $43,500 for the EX-L, you are in territory where the Toyota 4Runner, the Ford Explorer, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee are all viable alternatives. Honda needs to earn that price, and it only partially does.

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One Engine. Take It or Leave It.

Every 2026 Passport runs a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 producing 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic. No hybrid option. No four-cylinder base engine. One powertrain, full stop.

The engine is smooth and responsive. It has enough pull for highway passing and handles a loaded trailer without drama. But in an era where competitors are rolling out hybrid variants with better fuel economy and often better power, Honda's refusal to offer any electrified option here is starting to look like a deliberate delay rather than a principled choice.

EPA-estimated fuel economy sits at 21 city / 24 highway / 22 combined for AWD models, which is average for a V6 SUV and nothing to brag about when a 4Runner Hybrid is pulling comparable numbers at lower cost to fill.

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Where the Interior Works, and Where It Does Not

The cabin is where Honda earns some of its price. Material quality on the EX-L and above is genuinely good. Soft-touch surfaces in the right places, physical climate controls that do not require you to look away from the road, and a 9-inch touchscreen that responds without lag. The Google-based infotainment introduced on recent Honda models works better than most manufacturer systems, and wireless CarPlay integration is now standard on EX-L and up.

Cargo space is a legitimate strength. With the rear seats up, you get around 41 cubic feet. Fold them flat and you are at 78 cubic feet with a level load floor. That is more usable than it sounds, especially for camping gear, bikes, or anything long and awkward.

Rear passenger room is adequate but not generous. Adults over six feet will feel the headliner on longer trips. The panoramic roof on the Elite trim steals some headroom in exchange for ambiance.

The driver's seat on base trims lacks enough lumbar support for long drives. Honda's digital instrument cluster, optional on some trims, looks sharp but takes time to configure in a way that is not visually cluttered.

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What Is Missing for the Money

At forty-three to fifty thousand dollars, a few omissions are hard to excuse.

No hybrid powertrain. No plug-in option. The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe starts around the same price and offers a plug-in hybrid. Ford's Explorer Hybrid exists. Even the Kia Sorento has a hybrid variant thousands of dollars cheaper. Honda is asking near-premium money for a non-electrified powertrain in 2026, and that is a real cost difference over five years of ownership.

The TrailSport looks capable from the outside. But its off-road credentials are modest. The suspension lift is minor, the tires are all-terrain but not aggressive, and the lack of locking rear differential limits what you can actually do in deep mud or loose sand. It looks the part more than it plays it.

And the 10-speed automatic, while generally smooth, can hunt between gears on mountain grades in a way that gets annoying on long descents. It is a minor complaint, but at this price point, minor complaints add up.

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Safety: Check Back When Ratings Arrive

As of this writing, the 2026 Honda Passport has not yet received updated ratings from NHTSA or the IIHS. The outgoing model earned strong marks from both organizations, and the 2026 carries forward Honda Sensing as standard equipment across all trims. Honda Sensing includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and lane departure warning.

That is a meaningful baseline. But do not assume last year's scores carry over automatically. Check both sites before you sign anything.

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What Year One Actually Costs You

This is where TrueCarCost math matters. Using the EX-L at $43,500 as the baseline:

Depreciation: New cars lose 15 to 22 percent of their value in the first year. On a $43,500 purchase, that is $6,525 to $9,570 you will not get back. Call it $8,000 as a reasonable midpoint. Honda holds its value better than average in this segment, which nudges you toward the lower end, but the Passport historically depreciates faster than the Pilot because the pool of used buyers is smaller.

Fuel at 15,000 miles: At 22 MPG combined and a national average of $3.40 per gallon, you are spending roughly $2,318 on fuel annually. If you are comparing this to a hybrid competitor getting 30 MPG combined, you are paying about $700 more per year just on fuel.

Insurance: Midsize SUVs in this price range typically run $1,600 to $2,400 per year depending on your location, driving record, and coverage level. The Passport falls in the middle of that range historically.

First service: Honda's first recommended service on the Passport is an oil change and inspection at 5,000 to 7,500 miles, typically $80 to $120 at a Honda dealer. No major service costs in year one under normal use.

Estimated year-one total cost of ownership: $12,000 to $14,400, not including your monthly payment or financing interest. That is the number to keep in mind.

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How It Stacks Up Against the Competition

Toyota 4Runner (2026): The Passport beats the 4Runner on daily driving comfort, interior refinement, and fuel economy. The 4Runner beats it soundly on actual off-road capability and long-term reliability reputation, especially now that the 4Runner offers a hybrid variant.

Jeep Grand Cherokee: The Passport beats the Grand Cherokee on reliability history and lower long-term ownership costs. The Grand Cherokee beats it on powertrain variety, interior prestige, and available plug-in hybrid range.

Ford Explorer: The Passport beats the Explorer on cargo efficiency with two rows and overall build consistency. The Explorer beats it by offering a third-row option and a hybrid variant, which gives budget-conscious buyers more flexibility.

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The Verdict: A Good Truck That Costs Too Much to Be a Great Deal

If you need a durable, spacious, two-row SUV with a proven powertrain and genuinely good cargo utility, the 2026 Passport delivers. Honda's reliability record is real, the cabin works well for most uses, and the standard AWD across all trims removes one decision-point that used to be annoying.

Buy it if you want a no-drama daily driver that doubles as a capable road-trip and light-trail vehicle, and if you plan to keep it for seven or more years. Long ownership is where Honda reliability pays off and where that first-year depreciation becomes less painful.

Skip it if you are cross-shopping hybrids. The fuel cost difference over five years is real money, and the competitors offering electrified powertrains are no longer making compromises to get there. Skip it if you are a serious off-roader. The TrailSport trim will disappoint you the moment the trail gets technical. And skip it if you are deciding between a Passport and a slightly used Pilot, because the math almost always favors the Pilot once you price out what the third row would actually cost you to add.

Honda made the Passport better in 2026. They also made it more expensive and pointed it at a more crowded price point. Those two things are not unrelated.