Used 2020 Honda Passport

#7 in Best Midsize SUVs for 2020

In the Honda pecking order, the 2020 Passport 5-passenger SUV slots comfortably between the compact CR-V and 3-row Pilot. In a way, the Passport incorporates the best of both, offering a manageable size and roomy interior with a powerful V6 engine and 5,000-pound tow rating.

Offered with front- or all-wheel drive (FWD, AWD), the Passport makes a great year-round family vehicle. Its standard Honda Sensing suite of driver assists furthers its family-friendly image, as does a set of excellent crash-test scores. Move to an AWD model, and you’ll find a very capable weekend warrior that loves to tackle off-road trails, mud, sand and snow. You’ll also get an excellent torque-vectoring system complete with four different traction modes.

This spacious, reinforced unibody SUV comes with only one powertrain, a direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 that makes 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. On the road, unlike those knobby-tired off-road beasts, the 2020 Honda Passport offers a quiet ride. The 9-speed automatic transmission is judicious and offers a pleasing and smooth ride. Shifts are well portioned, and power delivery is steady. The steering is a bit sportier than on the Pilot, precise and attentive. The cabin is quiet, and overall the driving experience of the Passport doesn’t offend in anyway.

Thanks to a pretty sophisticated torque-vectoring AWD system with 4-mode Intelligent Traction Management, the Honda Passport has some robust off-road chops. This i-VTM4 system also comes on the Pilot, but with the Passport’s increased ride height and improved approach and departure angles it makes more sense and works harder on the smaller Passport. On unpaved roads and in rougher conditions like sand, mud or snow, the traction kicks in nicely and gets through a lot of tough terrain.

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Call the Passport’s interior storage space both creative and plentiful, up to 77.9 cubic feet of cargo space, more than competitors Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe and Nissan Murano. In the rear under the cargo floor are optional plastic bins. It’s a perfect spot to stash valuables and gear, and the bins are removable so you can wash out all the funk and gain better access to the spare tire.

The cockpit looks like a direct lift of the Pilot’s. It’s a well-designed cabin with a good balance of touch-screen and physical buttons for key functions such as volume and heat and air-conditioning controls, although there’s not much originality or color in the mix.

The base Sport trim on the 2020 Honda Passport comes standard with a 5-inch display monitor but on the higher EX-L, Touring and Elite trims that monitor is upgraded to an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.

While both the exterior and interior on the Honda’s Passport for 2020 look similar to the Pilot, the Passport is six inches shorter with the same wheelbase, about an inch wider and rides almost an inch higher. Other major differences? A steeper back-window angle gives the rear a sportier look, and all the exterior sheet metal is different. It comes standard with 20-inch wheels and a sportier-looking face. It definitely looks more rugged and much better proportioned than a Pilot.

EXTERIOR
There’s a very un-Honda-like ruggedness to the Passport we find quite appealing. Although based on the Pilot platform, the Passport’s smaller dimensions work better with the shape. The Passport is six inches shorter than the Pilot, but it is also wider and taller, giving it a more substantial look.

I-VTM4 ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM
Unlike simple part-time AWD systems, the 2020 Honda Passport’s system features active torque vectoring for improved traction at each wheel. The system includes a traction setting for Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand.

The base Sport model includes the Honda Sensing suite of driver assists (automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and land-keep assist plus adaptive cruise control), smart entry with push-button start, auto high-beam headlights, 20-inch wheels, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, tri-zone automatic climate controls, 5-inch LCD display and 7-speaker audio.

Moving to the EX-L brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a blind-spot monitor, heated side mirrors, a power moonroof, a power rear liftgate, leather seating surfaces, 10-way-power driver’s seat with power lumbar, 4-way-power passenger seat, heated front seats and an 8-inch infotainment screen.

To gain more options, you’ll have to move up the trim ladder as Honda bundles options only by trim. The Touring adds full LED headlights, hands-free power liftgate, heated rear seats, 10-speaker/550-watt audio, navigation, 115-volt outlet and HondaLink subscription services. The top-line Elite adds wireless phone charging, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers. All-wheel drive is optional across all trims save the Elite on which it comes standard.

Powering every 2020 Honda Passport is the same engine used on the larger Honda Pilot and Ridgeline pickup truck: a 3.5-liter V6. For improved fuel economy, this direct-injection engine also features variable-cylinder management, Eco Assist and idle stop/start. A 9-speed automatic transmission controls power flow to either the front wheels or, in the case of the AWD models, all four wheels. This setup is preferable to the CVT transmissions on some competitors, providing better towing and off-roading abilities, not to mention quieter operation at full throttle.

3.5-liter V6
280 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
262 lb-ft of torque @ 4,700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/25 mpg (FWD), 19/24 mpg (AWD)