[billbill09]

My local dealership currently has only one Elite Passport in stock. The front seats are heated and vented. They are very hard. I sat in a Ridgeline with heated only seats. They were were soft and amazing. Do they have to make the seats hard to vent them? I am curious if the TrailSport or EX-L Passports have soft seats like the Ridgeline since they are not vented. Maybe the Ridgelines have better softer seats. It is a shame that the most expensive model of Passport has the most uncomfortable seats. I suppose that eventually they will get some TrailSport and EX-L models in for me to compare. Has anyone else noticed the hard seats in the Elite? Is there an easy fix? I have not bought one yet because of the crazy high prices, but I plan to get one in the future. I just don't want to end up riding on a rock during a long trip.

 

[Tadakatsu]

I have a 2021 Elite and I think the seats are fantastic, literally the most supportive and most comfortable I've had in any vehicle. It might just be that they need to be broken in a bit?

 

[JLH]

We love the seats in our Elite. They are basically the same as we had in our '16 Pilot Touring, except for the cooled option. I do wish they had a bit more bolstering on the sides, but they are very comfortable.

 

[stevenD]

Get a 1" memory foam and hide it under some sheepskin seat covers and you'll be fine...

 

[BlackCarsOnly]

When I was shopping the Passport; I also test drove the MDX. Those seats were pretty plush; and you sink right into them. For me; I don't really like that.
I like a firm support. I feel the same way about my bed mattress too. So maybe there's a relationship there.

My PP Touring (Elite in the US) hit a real sweet spot for what I prefer in seat firmness.

 

[jasonpp]

It's possible they had to add structure for the vent to work because if they are soft, the air will not flow evenly.
I know the but chillers only work in small area giving me frost bite on my butt in my Ford Mustang.

 

[8646]

2-months ago I bought a 2022 Passport Elite (I'm 6'0", 210lbs, 32 inseam) and I completely agree with you BillBill09. These are the most uncomfortable seats I have owned since my 2002 Chevy Lumina. I regret buying this vehicle and hope to rid myself of it asap. Leg room too short, seats to narrow, bolsters to aggressive, bottom to hard. Many will ask "why'd you buy it then? Quit whining! Didn't you do your research?". Well, I got a great deal and thought I could get used to the seats. I was wrong. Not mention that the passenger side has no lumbar or height adjustment for my wife and didn't find that out till I was out of the showroom. She will take her 2009 Ford Flex any day over this Passport.

To StevenD - no offense but to have to add a seat cushion to a $48k vehicle so as to get some level of comfort, which also then negates the expensive heated/cooled seats seems to be a bit bass-ackwards.

Not related to the seats, there was a tiny issue of 9 fish-eye paint flaws from the factory. It took 5 weeks to have the hood repainted and it still looks like crap. I had a loaner for more weeks than I have driven my Passport. Put on a hitch and 2 of the bolt-up holes were stripped - Back to the dealer again. Ride is stiff and noisy, (and yes I already deflated the tires to 36psi) and the infotainment is confounding and counter-intuitive. Other than that its been great!!! Sarcasm! Should have bought a Toyota Highlander and at least got much better MPG.

 

[stevenD]

To StevenD - no offense but to have to add a seat cushion to a $48k vehicle so as to get some level of comfort, which also then negates the expensive heated/cooled seats seems to be a bit bass-ackwards.

No offense taken, you do sound upset, perhaps at the issues with your Passport or not going with a Toyota, but I assure you there are WAY more people in this forum that love their vehicle than hate them (like you apparently do)..!

I am truly sorry you dislike your Passport so much, I have had mine for about 3-1/2 years still love driving it, and I drove 2 BMW's (for 16 years) before getting my Passport and don't miss them (even though they were the two most reliable and well-built vehicles I have ever owned), wife has a Lexus RX350 and it is a bit more refined, but she likes borrowing mine whenever she has the chance. She had a 4Runner for 17 years and 27k miles before her Lexus, so I suspect she does not mind the more truck-like feel of the Passport (I swapped the OEM tires/wheels for some smaller wheels and big ole A/T tires)!

Passports are in big demand, so I would venture to guess, you will not lose too much (money) transiting to a Highlander, Toyota's are very well made, them and Honda are my two favorite brands and it might be worth it to alleviate the stress and anger the Passport is causing you and your wife...

Best wishes...

 

[8646]

No offense taken, you do sound upset, perhaps at the issues with your Passport or not going with a Toyota, but I assure you there are WAY more people in this forum that love their vehicle than hate them (like you apparently do)..!

I am truly sorry you dislike your Passport so much, I have had mine for about 3-1/2 years still love driving it, and I drove 2 BMW's (for 16 years) before getting my Passport and don't miss them (even though they were the two most reliable and well-built vehicles I have ever owned), wife has a Lexus RX350 and it is a bit more refined, but she likes borrowing mine whenever she has the chance. She had a 4Runner for 17 years and 27k miles before her Lexus, so I suspect she does not mind the more truck-like feel of the Passport (I swapped the OEM tires/wheels for some smaller wheels and big ole A/T tires)!

Passports are in big demand, so I would venture to guess, you will not lose too much (money) transiting to a Highlander, Toyota's are very well made, them and Honda are my two favorite brands and it might be worth it to alleviate the stress and anger the Passport is causing you and your wife...

Best wishes...

Hi Steve, My friend for more than 55 years has a Pilot with nearly 300k on it. He loves his. My brother has 2 Pilots and loves them both. I know I am in the minority and should be lovin this Passport, but so far its been one issue after another. Maybe after I get to drive it for more than a week or 2 without any issues popping up I will learn to love it too. And maybe my butt will conform to the seat eventually. LOL Thanks!

 

[BlackCarsOnly]

Should have bought a Toyota Highlander and at least got much better MPG.

Oh I love pulling up to the traffic lights....and a Highlander pulls up next to me. hee hee hee.

(ps: I saw this article on how quality (JD Powers) dropped in 2022 models for most manufacturers; unless they were so bad they had no where to go but up).

 

[Gatorgibson]

My wife has the exl (leather seats) and mine is the sport(cloth), both 2021's. My seats are way more comfortable than the wife's leather seats. All in all we have both enjoy our pp's but understand a few out there that hate them due to some of the issues discussed in this forum.
I decided to try Honda after decades of driving Fords and the downward spiral of Fords quality over the years minus the F150.

Any forum you visit will have the same mix bag regardless of manufacturer. Had ours experienced some of the issues others have had i would be trading/selling it pronto!

 

[louierg]

My local dealership currently has only one Elite Passport in stock. The front seats are heated and vented. They are very hard. I sat in a Ridgeline with heated only seats. They were were soft and amazing. Do they have to make the seats hard to vent them? I am curious if the TrailSport or EX-L Passports have soft seats like the Ridgeline since they are not vented. Maybe the Ridgelines have better softer seats. It is a shame that the most expensive model of Passport has the most uncomfortable seats. I suppose that eventually they will get some TrailSport and EX-L models in for me to compare. Has anyone else noticed the hard seats in the Elite? Is there an easy fix? I have not bought one yet because of the crazy high prices, but I plan to get one in the future. I just don't want to end up riding on a rock during a long trip.

No cush for the tush. You'll get use to it.

 

[ha-evolution]

No cush for the tush. You'll get use to it.

Yup that's exactly it. My 2010 Pilot had much more comfortable seats (read softer) and I thought the Passports were terrible (way too hard) at first but I have gotten used to it. Still too hard for my liking though but otherwise I do like the seats.

 

[billbill09]

Yup that's exactly it. My 2010 Pilot had much more comfortable seats (read softer) and I thought the Passports were terrible (way too hard) at first but I have gotten used to it. Still too hard for my liking though but otherwise I do like the seats.

It seems that most agree that the leather seats in the Passports are too hard. If the Ridgeline has comfortable seats, the Passport should also have comfortable seats.

To ha-evolution - I see that you have the Touring Passport. I don't think that model has vented seats. That makes me think this problem is across all Passports with leather seats.

To Gatorgibson - your wife has an EX-L with leather seats that are hard. Your cloth seats are comfortable. All the Passports now have leather seats. Again, I am starting to see a pattern.

I wonder if Honda has done a study and determined that Ridgeline owners want soft seats, and Passport owners want "firm" seats. The interiors of these two vehicles are practically the same. Honda needs to give the option for softer seats, but I know they don't like to do that. Since none of the Ridgelines have vented seats, I would not be able to swap out the Elite Passports seats for some from a Ridgeline. Honda just wants to mass produce the same vehicle with very few options. The Passport went from 4 models with 8 colors down to 3 models with 6 colors. Meanwhile, the Pilot has 7 models with 8 colors.

Maybe a new 2023 Passport with softer seats will come out in December, but that is probably asking for too much.

Thanks for all your replies to this thread.

 

[fx_chip]

Maybe a new 2023 Passport with softer seats will come out in December, but that is probably asking for too much.

Thanks for all your replies to this thread.

The 2023 Passport will look and feel exactly like the 2022 Passport, Honda has already done the mid circle refresh with the 2022.
If you are after a complete redesign, you might get lucky with the 2025 Passport. There are spy shots of the 2023 Honda Pilot floating around, that should give a good indication of what the 2025 Passport will look like.

 

[ha-evolution]

To ha-evolution - I see that you have the Touring Passport. I don't think that model has vented seats. That makes me think this problem is across all Passports with leather seats.

You are correct I have a Touring Passport but the seat bottoms are the same as the Elite - they have the perforations for cooling even though I don't have that feature.

 

[storm303]

I have black 1" memory foam cushions that blend well with the Passport Touring factory seats (no other covers or anything necessary) and don't interrupt the heating besides a brief delay as the cushions warm. They also keep the seats from getting dirty and worn as quickly, and prevent me getting burnt if the seat was in the sun. Just me, but I would try that if I like the rest of the car.

If you truly cannot get comfortable because of other seat issues, I would trade in. No point being uncomfortable. I was on the other side: really wanted a Highlander or 4Runner but the seats were so uncomfortable to me, like a lot of newer model years. Seats in most new cars are firm and less adjustable allegedly for safety.

When I bought, I did take-home test drives that lasted a couple hours, and quite a few of them. I only deal with dealers who will let you take the car for a couple hours by yourself so you can really check it out thorough. You're going to be in a car all those miles, might as well be as sure as you can you like it.

 

[darksky]

It seems that most agree that the leather seats in the Passports are too hard. If the Ridgeline has comfortable seats, the Passport should also have comfortable seats.

I'm not one of those "most people". I've owned a 2017 Ridgeline, a 2019 Passport, and now a 2022 Passport, all with leather seats and all had the same comfort level for me. Very comfortable, no complaints.

 

[vroom]

While I love the vehicle I hate the seats. They are too hard. I miss my escalade seats. Is there such a thing as injectable foam?

 

[alps779]

My first thought was that the seats were too hard however, I got used to them fast. Now I wouldn't have them any other way.