Honda renews Passport with chart-topping style

Honda once again tops the chart in the five-passenger economical midsize SUV category with the all-new 2019 Passport.

The second-generation Passport boasts similarities to the Honda Pilot, with one exception: the number of seats. Honda didn’t have to look far in its fleet when crafting the Passport, as it already had a winner in the seven- to eight-seat Pilot and the popular CR-V, now just something to compete with the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ford Edge in a price category that consumers can afford.

They simply took the Ridgeline frame and the Pilot looks, and a baby was born, one that Honda will take advantage of for great lengths in its successful line of mid-priced automobiles. The 280-horsepower, i-VTEC V-6 comes standard in all models while delivering 262 lb.-ft. of torque. City, backwoods, off-road and highway driving, are all the norm for the Passport, while delivering 23.5 mpg on our 700 miles of test driving. Passport’s acceleration delivered strong pep as well.

The Passport is available in seven model options, from the familiar base LX to

our decked-out Elite model, and fits the bill in so many categories. Pricing begins at $31,450 and escalates to just over $48,000. Honda, known for its option offerings, really delivered as it continues to provide safety, technology and comfort standard in all models. If space is your priority, from grocery-getting to family trips, the Passport supplies plenty of cargo space at just over 83 cubic feet, providing a storage unit on wheels. Although, I am not a fan of the push-button transmission and prefer the old-style center console handle-shifter, Honda and Acura seem to utilize it a lot.

In the mid-’90s, the Honda Passport was the ultimate people mover, delivering five seats and enough cargo room for everything “parent.” Soccer bags, tennis racquets and golf clubs were standard cargo as well as strollers and diaper bags. Nothing has changed here except for 26 years and a facelift. Honda, a pioneer in the resale value category, will continue to provide value, strength and style, as the Passport is certainly a headturner.

If towing capacity, space and all-wheel-drive versatility are top of your search list, look no further than the Passport, where the consumers win.

MARC GRASSO / HERALD STAFF TICKET TO ADVENTURE: The new-generation Honda Pilot midsize SUV performs well in the city, as well as highways, back roads and dirt roads.

MARC GRASSO PHOTOS / HERALD STAFF PILOT OFFSPRING: The Passport, although only a fiveseater, is a lot like the bigger Pilot inside and out, with the expected Honda attention to detail.