2022 Honda Passport TrailSport AWD: A Close Look
A full-week test drive with the 2022 Honda Passport TrailSport AWD!
VEHICLE FRONT
The Passport is a smaller version of the more expensive (and of course bigger) Honda Pilot. Instead of three-row seating for an advertised eight passengers, the Passport gets by with five. But it is issued with the same engine and transmission. Our test vehicle is the TrailSport version, which has a slight advantage for going off the pavement.
Text and photos by Chad Haire an American Honda Motor Co.
ENGINE
Under the hood is a proven 3.5-liter engine rated at 280 horsepower. It is hooked to a modern 9-speed gearbox. The fuel economy is listed at 20/25 mpg in two-wheel drive, or 19/24 with all-wheel drive, which is what we had. This press vehicle clocked over 1,600 miles to get the real numbers, as we shall show here.
FUEL ECONOMY
In city commuting, we got 17 mpg. But in 1,670 miles of accumulated press fleet use with several drivers, the average was 22.1, slightly better than what the EPA numbers claim. Not a bad outcome for a vehicle carrying 2.5 tons of mass.
GEARBOX
The passport has a push-button gear selector. This has been the subject of many unfounded complaints, with the main gripe being the driver has to take their eyes off the road to operate. This is nonsense. The entire control system was designed to have a finger-touch feel by giving each gear selector a different shape. So even a blindfolded person can make contact with any control, and know what gear they are selecting without looking. It is nearly impossible to choose the wrong gear. On the other hand, it is with a traditional stick shifter or rotary knob you have to directly look, and can still find the wrong gear.
And it gets even better! Regardless of what gear the Passport is in, once the engine is turned off, the transmission automatically goes into park. Compare this to a stick control that requires the driver to manually put the tranny in park, and if they don't get it right, the car can end up rolling down a hill or worse.
What about shifting a car manually? Yes, it is easy with the traditional stick selector, but this passport has paddle shifters on the steering wheel for doing that, and more efficiently too.
Overall, the push button gear selector is superior to any stick or knob, and this design is starting to be used on other brands of car makers. It is such a good design, more vehicles should have it.
WHEELS
The TrailSport comes with these 18-inch wheels mated to 245/60 R18 all-season tires. In standard two-wheel drive, the ground clearance is 7.5 inches, with AWD as issued here; it is listed at 8.1 providing better height to clear rocks in the dirt. The rest of the TrailSport package is cosmetic, with different floor mats, seats, and various garnishes.
SPARE TIRE
Yes, we do get a spare tire, and this compact is better than nothing.
CONSOLE
Most console storage compartments have a conventional lid that rises up or down, and can often be clumsy to use. Honda gives us a sliding cover instead. On the positive side, it is very convenient to operate. On the negative side, it is very close to the cup holder, and if a spilled drink should land on top of the lid when closed, that liquid will seep into the covers slots and cracks, and will be near impossible to get out. So if any filled beverage is placed in the cup holder, we suggest it is secured with a solid lid!
POV OFF ROAD
While most of the TrailSport package is cosmetic, the end product does have the ability to go off-road. But with no low-range gearing, these trips are for light-duty use, not hardcore trails.
PRICE
All Passports have a base price of about $38K, so this total tab of $44,600 is not much more. There are no options aside from the $395 extra for metallic paint.
SIDE VIEW
The Passport is not inexpensive to purchase, but when compared to other brands in this class, isn't much more. Plus we get Honda engineering and reliability, which is worth a few extra bucks.
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