[Passport Fan]

True!
For both the Pilot and the Passport Honda said the Trailsport suspension is "tuned for off-road" despite being mechanically identical to the suspension in all other trims. But where is the "special" tuning data? Non to be found.

Shock valving and 1" increased ride height with different springs I assume might contribute to the off road tuning.

 

[Passport Fan]

It looks like Honda addressed most of the issues that people have with the current Passport. However, correct me if I’m wrong, there is no full size spare by the look of it in the rear. It seems like Honda still decided to chop the back end of the Pilot off to make it shorter but resulting not being able to mount a full spare under the vehicle. I wonder if it will have enough space in the trunk for a full spare.

At least we have a space saver. We considered a CRV Touring Hybrid until it only came with a can of stop leak. We didn't like the narrower seats of the CRV anyway.

 

[Franks66]

The old radiator was on the ground. They hit something that curved the bottom of it and put a hole in it. They tried to seal it with an egg, but that did not work. They replaced it with a random radiator that was not cooling as good. At least they finished the race. Yes, a skid plate would have prevented the damage, but this might just be driver error.

I keep hearing, "it needs 10 inches of clearance," "it needs skid plates," "it needs lockers," "it needs bigger tires." It that is what you want, get a Jeep or 4Runner. I do not want a Jeep or 4Runner. I don't want something that rides rough, makes a lot of noise, is so heavy from the plates and 4-wheel drive equipment that it gets terrible gas mileage. You can't make a vehicle that does both. It is impossible.

When I watch reviews of the current Passport, they complain, "it needs more ground clearance" and all those things, but if Honda did that, they would complain, "it rides rough and gets terrible gas mileage." I guess they just have to find something to complain about.

I don't want skid plates and 4-wheel drive equipment. I don't need them, and they just hurt the gas mileage. I want it tall enough that I can go over a curb. I want it to ride smooth and quite on the road where it will be 99.999% of the time. If I need to leave someone's house and have to drive through the yard and small front ditch or over the curb, I want that ability. I want plenty of room inside without a frame taking up four or five inches on cabin height. I want a more manly squared off look that the new one has over the old one. I want the Elite or Black Edition of the 2026, and I don't want a Jeep!

I want the rear glass to lift up like the Toyota Land Cruiser. I want the larger screen of the Honda Accord. I want Honda to explain why they got rid of the large tailpipes that looked so good. None of these things will prevent me from buying one. This will fit my needs (quiet, smooth, lots of space, pull trailer, go over curbs).

The old radiator was on the ground. They hit something that curved the bottom of it and put a hole in it. They tried to seal it with an egg, but that did not work. They replaced it with a random radiator that was not cooling as good. At least they finished the race. Yes, a skid plate would have prevented the damage, but this might just be driver error.

I keep hearing, "it needs 10 inches of clearance," "it needs skid plates," "it needs lockers," "it needs bigger tires." It that is what you want, get a Jeep or 4Runner. I do not want a Jeep or 4Runner. I don't want something that rides rough, makes a lot of noise, is so heavy from the plates and 4-wheel drive equipment that it gets terrible gas mileage. You can't make a vehicle that does both. It is impossible.

When I watch reviews of the current Passport, they complain, "it needs more ground clearance" and all those things, but if Honda did that, they would complain, "it rides rough and gets terrible gas mileage." I guess they just have to find something to complain about.

I don't want skid plates and 4-wheel drive equipment. I don't need them, and they just hurt the gas mileage. I want it tall enough that I can go over a curb. I want it to ride smooth and quite on the road where it will be 99.999% of the time. If I need to leave someone's house and have to drive through the yard and small front ditch or over the curb, I want that ability. I want plenty of room inside without a frame taking up four or five inches on cabin height. I want a more manly squared off look that the new one has over the old one. I want the Elite or Black Edition of the 2026, and I don't want a Jeep!

I want the rear glass to lift up like the Toyota Land Cruiser. I want the larger screen of the Honda Accord. I want Honda to explain why they got rid of the large tailpipes that looked so good. None of these things will prevent me from buying one. This will fit my needs (quiet, smooth, lots of space, pull trailer, go over curbs).

We have a 23 EXL. Why in their infinite wisdom did they make 20” wheels standard equipment? The 18” wheels should be standard and the former be an option. BTW, I don’t make it a practice to drive over curbs. The 20” wheels won’t like the curbs.

 

[fx_chip]

Shock valving and 1" increased ride height with different springs I assume might contribute to the off road tuning.

The springs are identical for the Trailsport and other trims (Front: 51401-TGS-A11 / 51406-TGS-A11 and Rear: 52441-TGS-A03 / 52441-TGS-A03) of the 2022-2025 Passport. I'm not convinced the Trailsport actually has a ground clearance advantage over the other trims.

 

[Passport Fan]

We have a 23 EXL. Why in their infinite wisdom did they make 20” wheels standard equipment? The 18” wheels should be standard and the former be an option. BTW, I don’t make it a practice to drive over curbs. The 20” wheels won’t like the curbs.

I'd like 16" like our 2005. Lot's more protection for the rims. Plus the tires are cheaper. The manufacturers charge more for less rubber on these 18's and 20's. The only positive I can see is less wallowing on corners or in collision avoidance situations.

 

[Ping Lu]

If it sells, they'll pitch it that way. Buyers love capability even if they never use it.

Potential capacity if used as such complimented with driver skill.

 

[Petrol]

I'd like 16" like our 2005. Lot's more protection for the rims. Plus the tires are cheaper. The manufacturers charge more for less rubber on these 18's and 20's. The only positive I can see is less wallowing on corners or in collision avoidance situations.

I did take note of and "like" the 275/60 R18s on that new Trailsport in the PICs and videos. Because I too don't make a habit of curb jumping. Although I have several times when needed and "Like" to have that ability.
Also, am I the only one that hates, Hates, HATES automatic emergency braking?
I mean, wtf if I NEED to run TF over the Texas Chainsaw massacre guy???

 

[Franks66]

I did take note of and "like" the 275/60 R18s on that new Trailsport in the PICs and videos. Because I too don't make a habit of curb jumping. Although I have several times when needed and "Like" to have that ability.
Also, am I the only one that hates, Hates, HATES automatic emergency braking?
I mean, wtf if I NEED to run TF over the Texas Chainsaw massacre guy???

I agree. I want control over my vehicle. All of the “ Automatic or Electronic” controls over my vehicle are, at a minimum, very annoying.

 

[Rickydee]

What's old is new again.

Lots of folks might confuse the new Passport with a 25 year-old Escape.

View attachment 22288

What's old is new again.

Lots of folks might confuse the new Passport with a 25 year-old Escape.

View attachment 22288

I had both. Not even close.

 

[PPTS11]

What's old is new again.

Lots of folks might confuse the new Passport with a 25 year-old Escape.

View attachment 22288

Wow...look at that...it really does look similar....I will keep my 2024 Passport

 

[Roweraay]

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

Some of the latest shots in the link above (as @Flume23P has above)...the rear 3/4 angle is better than I thought. I like the tapered upper portion of the rear hatch.

I really like the vertical hatch-opening in the rear. Much more space efficient. What I am truly hoping for, is at least 33inches of rear hatch height, unlike the Pilot where the hatch height is really shallow (28" tall on the sides of the rear hatch and barely touching 30" in the center). This height is important, since a full-size dog-crate is slightly under 31" tall, and will not fit into the new Pilot's hatch area.

 

[Roweraay]

The one thing I really don't care for is the motorized tailgate on my EXL. It's slow and I really prefer the cheap struts on my 2005. $38/pair instead of who knows what with the motorized setup.

I personally prefer a tailgate that opens to the side, with hinges, rather than the hatch that opens upward. The side-opening tailgate obviously can accomodate the full-sized spare tire, than trying to fit it inside the car.

 

[Roweraay]

Well, a friend has the new off road version of the Forester and once he stores his gear, a friend and a couple of kayaks on it, the ground clearance is not that swift along with the 4 mpg cut in mpg.

Interestingly, in my Mercedes Benz E450 All-Terrain Wagon, the ground clearance is quoted as 6.2". But that quoted ground clearance is when the car is fully-loaded to its full payload capacity of around 1500lbs. Typical German understatement.

The Subarus on the other hand, quote their ground clearance, without factoring any load inside the car, and as soon as it is loaded up to its full payload capacity of around 950lbs, the car starts sagging to the ground.

 

[zroger73]

I had both. Not even close.

You had a 2026 Passport? Impressive! Can I borrow your time machine?

 

[Flume23P]

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

Some of the latest shots in the link above (as @Flume23P has above)...the rear 3/4 angle is better than I thought. I like the tapered upper portion of the rear hatch.

I noticed by squaring up the body, they got rid of the front corner windows. Love that. However, I do hope they offer different color bumper guards, preferably flat/matte black. That 1980ish silver gray has got to go.

I would like to compare a '22-'25 to a '26
side by side. Open that hatches and all. Get the measuring tape out and check out the numbers. Looking forward to that day.

 

[billbill09]

The current Passport shared the same wheelbase as the older Pilot. If this new Passport also shares the same wheelbase as the current Pilot, it will gain almost 3 inches over the old Passport. That could mean more space in the rear. We will have to wait and see.

 

[Roweraay]

The springs are identical for the Trailsport and other trims (Front: 51401-TGS-A11 / 51406-TGS-A11 and Rear: 52441-TGS-A03 / 52441-TGS-A03) of the 2022-2025 Passport. I'm not convinced the Trailsport actually has a ground clearance advantage over the other trims.

No, there's no ground clearance advantage in the Trailsport model. But as far as other suspension aspects, the Honda Press-kit states the following, regarding the 2024 Passport Trail-sport's changes, vis-a-vis the other passports:

A new off-road tuned suspension, exclusive to the Passport TrailSport, features revised spring rates, enhanced damper valve tuning and optimized stabilizer bars for increased articulation and improved off-road ride quality without sacrificing Passport's exceptional on-road comfort and best-in-class handling.

 

[fx_chip]

No, there's no ground clearance advantage in the Trailsport model. But as far as other suspension aspects, the Honda Press-kit states the following, regarding the 2024 Passport Trail-sport's changes, vis-a-vis the other passports:

A new off-road tuned suspension, exclusive to the Passport TrailSport, features revised spring rates, enhanced damper valve tuning and optimized stabilizer bars for increased articulation and improved off-road ride quality without sacrificing Passport's exceptional on-road comfort and best-in-class handling.

Many folks actually think the Trailsport trim being marketed as off-road ready has more ground clearance.
Stabilizer bar and shocks are indeed different with different part numbers. But I don't understand how the spring rate is "revised" for the Trailsport when the springs in all trims have identical part numbers. If you order two front spring from a dealer for your Passport Elite, the same part number means the dealer can hand over the Trailsport "revised spring rate" springs...unless they are actually the same springs being marketed as different. That's a head scratcher for me.

 

[Roweraay]

Many folks actually think the Trailsport trim being marketed as off-road ready has more ground clearance.

They are referring to the new Pilot, where the Trailsport variant has an extra Inch of ground clearance. 8.3 inches in the Trailsport model, while 7.3" in all of the other Pilot models. In case of the Passport, ALL models have 8.1" of ground clearance.

Stabilizer bar and shocks are indeed different with different part numbers. But I don't understand how the spring rate is "revised" for the Trailsport when the springs in all trims have identical part numbers. If you order two front spring from a dealer for your Passport Elite, the same part number means the dealer can hand over the Trailsport "revised spring rate" springs...unless they are actually the same springs being marketed as different. That's a head scratcher for me.

Yeah, not sure why the Press release from Honda stated the above, when they came out with the 2024 Passport. And typically, the Press-Kit is fully vetted by senior Honda officials, which includes their engineering leaders, and thus mistakes don't typically creep into it.

The full wording of their Press release, pertaining to the 2024 Trailsport changes, is as follows:

Enhanced Passport TrailSport
Created for active buyers who thrive on adventure, the new Passport TrailSport backs up its rugged styling with more off-road capability than ever before. A new off-road tuned suspension, exclusive to the Passport TrailSport, features revised spring rates, enhanced damper valve tuning and optimized stabilizer bars for increased articulation and improved off-road ride quality without sacrificing Passport's exceptional on-road comfort and best-in-class handling.

Passport's first-ever application of all-terrain tires take the rugged capabilities of the Passport TrailSport even further. Extremely capable and durable on the trail, standard General Grabber™ A/T Sport tires (245/60R18) substantially improve TrailSport's traction in dirt, sand, mud, rocky terrain and snow, but remain quiet and comfortable on the road. Machined 18-inch wheels with Pewter painted highlights are unique to the Passport TrailSport, increasing its front and rear track widths by 10 mm to improve stance and stability.

 

[14v6]

Many folks actually think the Trailsport trim being marketed as off-road ready has more ground clearance.
Stabilizer bar and shocks are indeed different with different part numbers. But I don't understand how the spring rate is "revised" for the Trailsport when the springs in all trims have identical part numbers. If you order two front spring from a dealer for your Passport Elite, the same part number means the dealer can hand over the Trailsport "revised spring rate" springs...unless they are actually the same springs being marketed as different. That's a head scratcher for me.

Just a guess but perhaps spring rate is impacted by the tire.