Honda Passport Black Edition test drive.
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No, there is nothing wrong with your screen and nothing needs to be adjusted. This Honda Passport Black Edition is indeed red.
The Black Edition is a new top-of-the-line trim for the Honda Passport, starting at around $3500 over the Trailsport. For that extra cash, you get new 20-inch black wheels, a premium audio system, heated front and rear seats, and a few other small things. And yes, it is not only available in red, but also in grey, black, and of course, black.
The exterior is basically the same as it has been for years. And the plastic grille is as big as ever,
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Same thing inside, where the interior now dates back to the 2016 Honda Pilot, with a few updates along the way but it is still mostly the same.
Which means a little bit dated, but also of very high quality and very roomy. The updated sound system sounds great. The seats are comfortable although the steering wheel has a very thin rim for a modern car. It’s neither good nor bad, just a bit surprising.
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As usual with the Honda Passport, there is tons of cargo room behind the rear seat and even more under the floor. Actually more than in some EVs.
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The Honda Passport Black Edition is, like other trims, a pretty nice driving SUV. However, I noticed the suspension having more trouble with large bumps than usual, probably due to the larger 20-inch wheels. It was actually not as comfortable as the Honda Prologue with its larger 21-inch wheels.
The steering is just too light. It might be fine for most people, but more modern Honda products have more feel. Again, the Prologue does too.
The Passport is quite large but not huge, and yet, it does drive like a larger SUV. It’s quite soft and a little bit lumpy. Almost like a smaller Chevrolet Tahoe. I also noticed the brakes were a bit soft. You have to really push your foot down most of the time. Again, something most people will get used to, but why?
However, the wonderful Honda V6 is as smooth and refined as ever.
While it is rated at 19/24MPG, it is not possible to get 19MPG around town. The best I saw was 17. However, I had no problem averaging 27/28MPG on a long freeway trip.
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Honda just showed a teaser for the next-generation Passport a few days ago. And even though the current one is a nice SUV, I think it is time for a new one.
The interior is getting old and has been for a few years now. And mostly, these are probably super reliable and you can get plenty of used ones for a lot less than a new one since they’ve been around for so long.
No matter how nice it is, it does end up feeling like a previous-generation vehicle, which it is…
Note: colors are red, gray, *WHITE and black.
Yeah, these looked old when they finally arrived too. That was a weird time for Honda, coming out of the 2008 recession, they got hit hard in their Japanese R&D center by the quake that caused the Fukushima disaster in 2011, and they were already feeling the effects of their cynical CEO (Ito) and the rise of the Detroiters in Torrance CA who used that to take the lead in design (Accord, Passport, Pilot, Ridgeline…). All of it resulted in very Detroit-like developed cars. Its when Honda truly lost its mojo. This is where I think the push for electrification (as an industry focus) has benefitted Honda’s products, because it meant most of its work responsibility was transferred back to Japan. It feels like that move has helped Honda regain its identity.
Interesting comments, CX. Thanks.