2024 Honda Passport TrailSport

Owning a passport opens up a literal world of possibilities for the would-be traveler. Owning a Honda Passport may not open quite as many doors, or should we say roads? But, it can certainly be the gateway to many unforgettable adventures of a lifetime, especially if it’s this new TrailSport.

This 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport is the most off-road capable Passport ever, but that’s been the case since the TrailSport joined the Passport lineup two years ago. So, what has changed? Well, in the two years since the Passport TrailSport debuted, Honda has been putting even more effort into their off-road inspired rides and has circled back to the Passport to bring it up to speed.

That primarily means an upgraded suspension with revised spring rates, retuned dampers and optimized stabilizer bars. But perhaps our favorite update are some proper all-terrain tires, as the ’22 was still sporting all-seasons that just looked a little more rugged. Now in place are some real-deal 245/60/18 General Grabber A/T Sports on unique wheels. Those A/Ts do add some road noise, and with the suspension changes, the TrailSport now rides more like a genuine truck. While all of that is very un-Honda-like, it’s exactly what they were aiming for, as despite only being an option for two years, TrailSports have quickly become a third of all Passport sales.

Other things that make the TrailSport unique are a more rugged take for the rear bumper, wider track, different grille, lots of logos of course, and a special Diffused Sky-Blue Pearl paint option, though our tester was sporting a Sonic Gray Pearl livery available on any Passport.

All-wheel-drive is not exclusive to TrailSport. All ’24 Passports come with Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD setup, as well as the same 8.1 inches of ground clearance. Nothing new to report from under the hood where Honda’s long-running naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine resides, still cranking out 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It works with a nine-speed automatic transmission; the combo rated for 5,000-lbs towing capacity.

Inside, the latest TrailSport gets an all-weather treatment, some stitched logos, orange ambient lighting, plus unique steering wheel with orange stitching and textured leather. All Passports upgrade to a new center console for ’24 with more storage space, an integrated armrest, and better access for wireless phone charging, plus plenty of places for making physical connections.

Second row passengers have ample legroom, with the 60/40 split seatbacks one-touch folding quickly expanding the 41.2 cubic-feet of cargo space to 77.7; no third row available. For that see the Pilot. And of course, up front in the Passport, there’s great comfort, thoughtful storage, and easy to use tech.

Our Mason Dixon test track was getting a little maintenance work, so we couldn’t run full quarter miles, but there was enough track space and enough power here in the TrailSport to get us to 60 in 6.6 seconds, a couple of tenths quicker than our last track outing, despite the knobbier tires. It doesn’t have the low-end torquey feel that off-roaders may prefer, but it likes to rev and builds power quickly. Gear changing in the automatic happens very smoothly with minimal interruptions in power delivery.

The all-terrain tires were a non-issue in our handling course too, as the Passport still turns in nice and easily, and there wasn’t any noticeable lack of grip or additional tire rollover. The only thing that held us back was a significant amount of body roll, but steering was quick and precise, and there was good feedback all around making runs very predictable.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are unaffected by the A/Ts, coming in at the same 19 City, 24 Highway, and 21 Combined. We averaged a good 23.8 mpg of Regular. That’s a slightly worse than average Energy Impact Score consuming 14.2 barrels of oil annually while emitting 6.9 tons of CO2.

And to wrap up Passport news for ’24, the top trim is no longer considered Elite. They are now known as Black Editions starting at $49,365. Just below is TrailSport at $45,895, with base EX-L at $43,295.

We already know a new fourth-gen Passport is right around the corner, and judging by all the off-road testing pictures that Honda is putting out there, it looks like it will take the Passport to a whole new level of off-pavement performance. But, in the meantime, making continuous improvements along the way is how Honda continues to deliver for their customers. Capitalizing on the off-road appearance trend is a good idea. Backing it up better than before, as in the 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport, an even better idea.