2019 Honda Passport test drive review

"KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time" (kngt) 03/17/2019 at 18:07 • Filed to: 2019 honda passport, 2019 passport, honda passport, honda, passport, honda pilot, test drive, oppo review, Test Drives

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This was the top of the line Elite trim with a bunch of dealer accessories stickered at $45K plus. 3.5L V6 280 hp @ 6000 rpm,262 ft-lbs. @ 4700 rpm,, i-VTM4 AWD, 19/24mpg, tows 5000 Lbs if equipped accordingly

Exterior: This is one chunky crossover. Looks jacked up and stout but then again this is but a lifted cut off pilot. The dark blue paint was excellent and one of my favorite Honda colors, I like the brown color on these as well. It is 190.5 inches long. That’s 10 inches longer than a CR-V and 6 inches shorter than the midsize Pilot.

Interior: From the driver’s seat is almost exactly a pilot. That’s it. Some gloss plastic here and there but materials quality and fit was excellent although wish some materials finish was better. Well that’s what Acura is for I guess. Seats are excellent, a little more firm at the bottom than the back. Love the adjustable arm rest like the ones you’d find in a minivan/truck.

Infotainment is solid. One screen only, Fast, easy to use, volume knob, finally! Good job Honda! This one was loaded so it had heated seats/ventilated seats/heated steering wheel all worked fast but the vented seats were loud in the highest setting. Mazda’s vented seats work better to compare a similar brand. As for safety tech it basically has EVERYTHING and I mean everything. I turned off the lane keep assist as it meandered between lines and aggressively vibrated the steering wheel a lot when I strayed beyond the lanes. This has the push button “shifter” and it’s weird a first but since the buttons are shaped and sized differently you get used to it. I went to pull back the shifter several times. 2 weeks tops to get normalized, the salesguy said. The gauges are kinda meh. Central display is very useful but design-wise could have gone full digital or full round and the 2 side gauges look cheap.

But beyond all that, what the Passport does best is practicality and Space, Space and more Space. That’s the advantage of building down from a 3 row. It’s got one of the biggest cargo spaces in the class, 41.2 CuFt and the seats fall flat down and it’s YUGE! Back seats are also comfortable and they recline. I had a lot of leg room at 5'11" and TONS of head space without all the coupe profile bullshit.

SO much room for activities!

Driving Impressions: Drives like any other big crossover. It sits tall, but doesn’t feel too big lengthwise, but does feel wide. Visibility is actually very good because of the big windows, I liked that the side mirrors were also big. Overall very manageable.

On to the performance. The pedal is a little sensitive, and the engine has good response but you must bury your foot into it to get the best out of the V6, it revs smooth and strong. Car & Driver tested this at 5.8 seconds but I would say with Sport mode on and flooring it you’d do around 6ish which is very good. The 9 speed is excellent, unobtrusive and smooth and when you want it, it readily downshifts.

Handling is what it is, with body roll and all that weight, but I tell you what, the iVTM4 AWD system is excellent. I purposefully floored it from a stop into a turn and it performs beautifully moving torque controls understeer and wheelspin. I had the AWD display on all the time and I could see it do its thing in real time and feel it too. It handles well for the size but actual feel is absent but understand this is basically a Pilot, same wheelbase. Brakes pedal feels mushy but brakes work well. The steering is a let down, artificial and numb but it’s fine no one’s taking this on a canyon road even though I’m sure it will handle it. It’s quiet on the highway and the suspension is well balanced, not harsh nor sporty. Soaks up bumps well. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! well but let’s stop kidding ourselves. All those offroad drive modes are for Snow and the occasional dirt trail up to a cabin/campground.

The biggest hit against this is the price. I think it’s overpriced and several reviewers said it as well. People might just opt for “more car for the money” and take a one level lower Pilot vs a higher trim level Passport. They better start putting some discounts on these things. However I may be wrong and this might be the perfect 2 row that people had been waiting for, for those who want a bigger V6 Forester perhaps? With the loss of the XT? The competition is Ford Edge, Santa Fe, Blazer (Another extremely overpriced 2 row, even more than this), Murano and Jeep Grand Cherokee (in Honda’s words, LOL) perhaps an Outback.

This is not my type of vehicle even as a dadmobile, but if I were in this market I would still choose the Passport for the V6+ AWD system and space, but the EX-L trim at around $38K. It’s got most of the stuff you need.

Overall, everything was “Nice”, “Good” but nothing blew me away but that’s exactly what a lot of people want I guess. This is a solidly built, practical, good performing, potentially very reliable, spacious crossover with the tech and safety and nice V6 power with the excellent torque vectoring i-VTM4 from a trusted brand in a world of turbo 4, CVT, FWD till it slips AWD 2 row crossovers. I’d recommend it to anyone who can afford it.

https://www.edmunds.com/honda/passport/

Nibby > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 18:12

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good writeup... hopefully they improved their lousy infotainment system that is used in my sister’c 2016 civic and mom’s 2018 clarity.

d i d y o u g e t a c h a n c e t o g i v e i t t h e m a s s g r a v e o f f r o a d t e s t ?

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Nibby 03/17/2019 at 18:14

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Thanks! The infotainment is excellent, no complaints. Same thing in the Pilot, New Accord.

There are no mass graves near by, so first I have to make one, then ask for an “extended test drive”. But I’d probably switch out those 20" wheels to 17s or something for better “offroad” performance.

Ssfancyfresh > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 18:17

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For even money, I don’t think I choose this over a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Ssfancyfresh 03/17/2019 at 18:23

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No way. If you’re someone who wants a Jeep Grand Cherokee I am very doubtful you’d consider a passport. Now the Jeep Cherokee customer might be a different case when considering the not so offroad oriented competition .

lone_liberal > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 18:24

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My next DD will probably be one of these or an Edge. I don’t have any use for a third row of seats but I want something comfortable for commuting and that has  room to carry bags of garden soil, etc. Since my off-roading consists of driving logging roads to pick huckleberries I don’t need real off-road chops just the ability to handle the crap roads around here in winter.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > lone_liberal 03/17/2019 at 18:31

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Makes sense. It keeps people within the brand. Honda said they were losing 35000 people a year without a 2 row midsize offering

https://www.autonews.com/sales/new-passport-no-brainer-honda

Cash Rewards > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 18:33

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We have the pilot, and I’m constantly curious how that v6 would do in a small car. It really is great

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Cash Rewards 03/17/2019 at 18:35

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It’s quick but doesn’t feel like it be cause it’s big and isolated. I’d say 6.5 seconds 0-60 on driven by an everyday joe and not brake-torqued like the auto journalists to get the 5.8.

Cash Rewards > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 18:42

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I believe it. The engine revs nice and sounds good. It'd be great with less weight to haul around.

E92M3 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 18:55

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Nice review! I need to drive one. One our local dealers has a couple Elite trims marked down $4k already. All the other dealers are still asking MSRP or have $1,000 off MSRP. I will probably get one of these to replace my 2009 MDX (or a Ridgeline), but I want to get a couple more years out of it. If the Ri dgeline’s version of Honda Sensing was better and it offered  ventilated seats like the Candian models, I would already have one.

lone_liberal > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 19:13

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The only thing that gives me pause, other than torque, is the width. We actually park 3 cars in our 3 car garage so when you add in a  workbench and storage it’s a little tight so narrower is better.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > E92M3 03/17/2019 at 19:14

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Thanks! Good to know they’re getting marked down at least somewhere . Honda dealers are notorious for knowing what they have.

Nibby > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 20:37

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Glad to hear. Thanks for the update. Are you going to replace your rolls Royce ghost with one of these?

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 20:40

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I’m not a crossover person by any means. I have no intention of producing offspring. I have no practical purpose for something this big and I’m not even drawn to big cars in general (a Honda accord even seems a bit long to me), instead  preferring cars that are small, agile and slightly overpowered.

All that being said... I’m drawn to the Passport, and I don’t understand why.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back 03/17/2019 at 21:21

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Oh dear their marketing is working ;)

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Nibby 03/17/2019 at 21:22

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Ah, I have a contract with Lexus till my next movie comes out.

Nibby > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 21:26

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In that contract it is required to give me a free 2019 LS460

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 22:00

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L I F E S T Y L E A E S T H E T I C

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 23:04

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45k does feel steep. You can get a moderately equipped full size truck for that kind of money. Does the base model seem like a good buy or is this best value when moderately equipped?

E92M3 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/17/2019 at 23:16

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IKR, usually they’ll act like you’re lucky getting $250 off on a new model or generation during the first 6 months. 

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > camarov6rs 03/18/2019 at 07:21

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Speaking of trucks , this has more equipment vs. a comparable trim   ridgeline.

I wouldn’t say the base “ Sport” at $ 31 to $ 34K   is a good value. Ex-L is better at $ 36-$ 38K. Touring and Elite   above that feels overpriced to me.

HammerheadFistpunch > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 12:05

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got a chance to read this all the way through finally. good stuff. I still can’t figure out the appeal of this, but I suppose Im not their target. Its too big for not being big enough in my opinion. if I’ m getting something wider and nearly as long as a land Cruiser 200 it better have the option of carrying more people in a pinch, tow something heavy or have at least one speciality trick up its sleeve. This just feels like a 1 gallon jar of C ostco pickles.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > HammerheadFistpunch 03/18/2019 at 12:08

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IMO The biggest competition this thing has, sits in the same lot at the same dealership. We’ll see how it does because price conscious buyers will go to the competition . Or p erhaps the marketing will work on the masses and might just end up being a best-seller.

victor > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 12:09

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Confirming, the ivtm still isn’t the same as sh-awd  , right? You mentioned sh-awd in the review and it confused me

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > victor 03/18/2019 at 12:11

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From what I’ve read it’s the same. Will edit that anyway.

https://www.passportforums.com/threads/i-vtm4-vs-sh-awd.101/

Shift24 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 12:18

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I was able to sit in one of these and a Kia Telluride over the weekend at the autoshow. They had the stickers of what each cost.

I was way more impressed with the Kia which was optioned at $ 40k then the Passport at $ 43k. Both had AWD optioned as well. The interior overall laid out better and had more quality materials.

P erformance wise they should be close and would be interesting in a comparison. 5.8 sec 0-60 is impressive.

The color options are also way better with the Kia as well

Future Heap Owner > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 12:21

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That 0-60 time is nuts. What a crazy world this is. Do you know the curb weight?

412GTI > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 12:23

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Nice review! I wasn’t a fan when this first debuted because I thought it was a lazy effort from Honda. However, it seems since the Pilot is a good vehicle, this makes a good five seater. People question who this is for and I believe there is a market for those who don’t need three rows of seats even in a family vehicle. Many families get b y without needing the extra space of a Pilot/Highlander/etc.

It will be interesting to see how it sells. 

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Shift24 03/18/2019 at 12:24

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The Telluride is the value option obviously and that interior is luxury car level once in the upper trims. Can’t beat Kiyundai on car per $ in most mainstream segments.

This is an EX trim AWD Telluride and it has features of the Touring or above trim of the Passport but priced little above a mid-level EX-L passport. Plus you’re more likely to get several $$$$s off from Kia more than Honda

Telluride will be slower I think. The 9 speed and the AWD helps a lot for the Passport. 5.8 was as tested by Car and Driver but wth a normal person driving on the street I’d say 6.5.

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a26069996/2019-honda-passport-drive/  

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Future Heap Owner 03/18/2019 at 12:25

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“at 4265 pounds for the Elite model we tested, is only 35 pounds lighter than a similarly equipped Pilot. The Passport requires just 5.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, which is 0.2 second quicker than its larger sibling and half a second ahead of the all-new and more powerful Chevrolet Blazer RS.”

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a26069996/2019-honda-passport-drive/

But I’d say in normal driving and not “testing” for 0-60 you’d do 6.5 . felt like it for sure.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > 412GTI 03/18/2019 at 12:27

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Thanks!

But the competition is fierce in this segment and you can get competing 7 seaters and even a Pilot if they offer big enough discounts. It definitely suffers from the Honda tax and dealers knowing what hey have.

We’ll see, as the price and the availability of the Pilot is the biggest ding against this vehicle.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 12:37

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Thanks for the review!  Was hoping for some more off-road chops like what Jeep does with the “Trailhawk” models and even Toyota is trying to jump on that train with the new RAV4.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 03/18/2019 at 12:43

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No problem. There are reviews online of it being taken “Off road” but this is no Honda’s 4runner or even Jeep Cherokee trailhawk , especially with those 20" wheels and ok ground clearance. But I assume people out there will start modding it and we might see an aftermarket offroad version soon.

someoneatacura > victor 03/18/2019 at 14:13

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Same hardware, different programming. The SH-AWD has the ability to let the back end out, whereas the Ii-VTM4 jsut keeps things in line.

DuckHunter71 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 14:16

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We’d been holding out for the P assport, but when my wife found out that they were only available with blacked out grills and wheels and whatn ot, she was out. We got the Pilot Touring AWD and love it. The 3rd row has proven more handy than we expected and we don’t even have kids [yet]. We wanted a SUV that we wouldn’t outgrow for the duration that we own it (til the wheels fall off) that could also tow. We quickly got over the family-truckster stigma because of how much we like it. And the salesman was right - it took us about 2 weeks to get used to the push button shifter!

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 14:58

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Is it just me, or did anyone else wonder when Subaru started painting Foresters that color blue, and making them 10% larger.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 03/18/2019 at 15:02

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Nah, in some photos it does look like a beefier blacked out Forester

Shift24 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 15:07

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I agree kia can beat just about anyone on price but I was very suprised how well the interior was put to gether. Materials , Layout, and I nfotainment  

And e ven so anything in the 6 second range for these size SUVs is impressive in my book.

The one thing that does concern me is that 9 speed. Honda hasn’t had good relationships with transmissions and the ZF 9 speed in the TLX is not good. And i doubt its ZF that has the problem.

DuckHunter71 > Future Heap Owner 03/18/2019 at 15:12

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Yeah our 19  Pilot is surprisingly quick. Passing is a blast and it sounds amazing too.

punkgoose17 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 03/18/2019 at 15:23

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Good write up. I optioned a Sport and an EX to what I would want and they came out to $36k and $40k respective ly, too much.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > punkgoose17 03/18/2019 at 15:28

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Thanks! If you find a dealer who can take $3K off then it’s worth it. Well you could always buy used.

PS9 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 05/05/2019 at 02:08

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$45k? Man, this car market is headed for a collapse. There’s no way 100 month loans on almost $50k Hondas can be in anyway sustainable. 

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > PS9 05/05/2019 at 07:09

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Some dealers have up to $2K off but yeah due to lack of exposure and the fact the bigger Pilot exists in a similar price range , this is doing about 2k in sales a month while pilot does 13 to 15K a month (granted it is an established product)