Say hello to The Drive’s long-term 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport. From now until March of next year, I’ll be driving this big pumpkin every time I leave my house. That’s a lot of driving. School runs, grocery runs, road trips, towing, camping, off-roading, and even pet grooming appointments (my least favorite appointment). Summer heat, rain, snow, you name it—I’m going to tackle it in this thing.
There has never been more information about any given car since the birth of the automobile than there is right now. Or, right now. Wait, now there’s more! You get the point. If you’re looking for advice because you’re shopping for a ride or simply because you’re curious, you are spoiled for choice. Written reviews, video reviews, owner forums, magazines, social media, you name it, it’s out there. As a result, it can be difficult to offer something fresh that’s worth your time.
The majority of reviews on the internet, including here at The Drive, are based on short impressions. Sometimes we have as little as a few minutes to an hour of seat time on a car, and sometimes we have as much as seven days. Very rarely do most journalists get to experience a new car longer than that, and I believe that many small but important details that impact the ownership experience are usually ignored because of this. So we’re looking to try something different here.
Why Should You Care?
How is a long-term review more relevant than a short-term one? Well, it’s not exactly about one being less important than the other, but more about a longer test allowing me to cover a wider variety of topics, most of which aren’t usually talked about. Have you ever bought a new car and three months later discovered that annoying squeak in the suspension, or maybe that the dashboard panels creak when you drive over a bump or take a turn? Or that your three-month-old SUV really kinda sucks at towing?
Perhaps more importantly, what about all the tech that comes packed into most new cars nowadays? From ADAS to smartphone mirroring, to subscription apps that control important functions like remote start, remote locking/unlocking, parental controls, etc. This is the kind of stuff I’ll be closely monitoring and diving into over the course of my test.
My goal is to provide you with a full picture of what owning a new-generation Honda Passport is like; honest, unfiltered, and sometimes with too much information about my daily life. You’re welcome.
About the 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport
All-new for 2026, the Honda Passport boasts a muscular, boxy appearance that’s further enhanced by the rugged Trailsport trim. Under the hood, there’s a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 that makes 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission and a full-time all-wheel-drive system that, while it has no dedicated low-range or lockers, utilizes Honda’s Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4), which I’ve used in the Pilot Trailsport and was left impressed. Paired with knobby 31-inch General Grabber tires, this family five-seater should more than hold its own on the trail.
My tester is technically the Trailsport Elite trim, which means it’s at the top of the Trailsport range, which also makes it the second-most expensive Passport you can buy. I’ll be diving more into its standard and optional equipment in a subsequent blog, but in case you’re wondering, this one costs $54,335, including a $1,450 destination charge. Not cheap.
Also, did I mention that it’s dressed in the shouty (but cool) Sunset Orange and is rockin’ a brown perforated leather interior? All I have to say is, you won’t miss it going down the road, and you surely won’t misplace it in a parking lot.
If you have any specific questions or story ideas, make sure to drop a line in the comments or email me at [email protected]
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