From the September/October issue of Car and Driver.
The mid-size SUV has deep appeal, but it's not the emotional kind. The segment is vast and popular because the vehicles are practical. The Honda Passport is every bit as practical as its competition, but it is more than simply a carryall.
It starts with the handling. Steering inputs are crisp, and while the Passport doesn't take to curves like a car—lateral grip for our TrailSport model maxes out at 0.80 g—it certainly isn't clumsy or trucklike either. The standard all-wheel-drive system includes a torque-vectoring rear differential to maximize available traction. The family-biased ride is comfortable, and Honda claims the body is stiffer—50 percent so, and more in some places. The newfound rigidity is evident even over speed bumps and in freeway cruising. The TrailSport trim is also remarkably quiet for an SUV on all-terrain tires, with a 68-decibel cabin at 70 mph.
Those knobby tires are part of the TrailSport's off-road attitude. Increased ground clearance (now 8.3 inches), an improved approach angle, skid plates, and tow hooks give some credence to the rugged appearance.
Regarding that practicality, interior space is plentiful. The front and back seats hold five in comfort, and every corner of the cabin seems to have been mined for storage—bring everything you've squirreled away in the junk drawer. The cargo hold swallows 16 carry-on bags behind the back seat. Folding the second row in our test vehicle creates an 83-cubic-foot area (just four cubes shy of the three-row Honda Pilot's) that'll take 38 carry-on bags.
The powertrain errs on the side of practicality. The 3.5-liter V-6 added a pair of camshafts in replacing its predecessor's SOHC setup but loses the enjoyable VTEC verve. The engine climbs dutifully to its 285-hp peak at 6100 rpm, but there is only so much it can do; the new engine's additional five horses must contend with 545 pounds more Passport (4782 total). That's due in part to the long list of standard (and heavy) equipment—a panoramic sunroof, for example—on the $54,355 TrailSport Elite we tested. Flat-out, it'll hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds; the last Passport did that in 5.9.
The new six is more efficient, with better EPA ratings and real-world results. We saw 25 mpg at 75 mph, 2 mpg better than the old TrailSport.
Despite a weight gain and unimpressive acceleration, the Passport's handling, refinement, and packaging make it a standout—just not an emotional standout.
You Might Also Like
Comments