[bobbydigital00]

I'm on the very precipice of pulling the trigger on a Passport and looking forward to that day when I can finally belly up to this round table of noble men and women and post photos of my trophy kill.

With that said...I've got a question or two:

1) Your thoughts on the pro audio (Touring and Elite) vs. standard (Sport and EXL). If audio was my deciding factor b/t EXL and Touring, and you were in my shoes (being someone who likes their music loud at times), is the pro audio bring that much of an improvement?

2) Has anyone gotten a quote on the installation cost of the Fender Flares?

Thanks!

 

[Blue jean]

I have a touring and absolutely love the stereo in it..... I know exactly how you feel when spending so much on a vehicle and then having a crumby stereo, so go for the touring.....as far as the fender flares, look at the Subaru crosstrek, I’ve seen them on the Passport and wasn’t too impressed, but that’s my opinion....
Installation shouldn’t be too expensive, but the flares are pricey, go check the Honda estore for a quote .....

Good luck.....

 

[darksky]

Definitely go for the Touring or Elite model if you want a good factory stereo. Some audio "purists" would argue the stereo is mediocre, that the speakers have paper cones and small magnets, but it IS a good sounding stereo. I like a good stereo and that was one of several reasons for selecting the Touring model. The Touring also uses acoustic glass in the side windows. That reall makes the interior very quiet when windows are rolled up.

 

[Driv3r]

Go for the Touring if it meets your budget. It is better than any I have heard before, even compared to Bose. I went for the EX-L thinking it was good enough, but I regret it. Some songs I hear distortion without being at full blast. The best advice I could give you would be to go for a test drive, and compare them both. Spend some time with each model to help you decide. If I had to do it again, I would go for the Touring.

 

[stevenD]

The Touring (and Elite) have the best sounding stock stereo set up I have ever owned, and that includes my last two BMW's and my wife's Lexus!

Better to wait a while longer, if it means getting the Touring model, IMO....

 

[ksulliva01]

Have not heard the Touring/Elite stereo (consensus is that it is really good), but I have the Sport trim and here is my impression:

1) Noticeable upgrade from a 2007 Trailblazer (little surprise there).

2) Punchy, pretty articulate, "Modern" sound but lacks some warmth, depth and wide sound staging. A little bit "wall of sound" without great separation in the lower range.

3) It seems better at high-ish volumes but I have heard reports of distortion when maxing it out (haven't tried this myself yet). At around half to three quarters volume it sounds better than at quarter volume or less, and bass levels are fun and adequate for most music styles, it will definitely "bump" a bit, nothing insane but it is not a weak system.

4) Sometimes I feel I have to turn it up too high to get a sound that is full enough, at lower volumes it can be pretty thin/trebly and that is kind of annoying when talking to people in the car with the stereo at low volume.

5) The Sport trim display offers only Bass/Treble/Sub controls (and basic fade/balance). There is no mid control or multi-band EQ which really sucks.

6) Overall impressions:

Pros: Sounds crisp, modern, has some punch, adequate bass, adequate loudness. It gets the job done pretty damn well, and overall I'm not disappointed as it is a welcome and obvious improvement over my 12 yr old Chevy.

Cons: Low volume levels sound a bit thin, slightly lacks warmth, depth, and soundstage (subjective I know), not the most "natural" sounding system, kind of processed or scooped if you know what I mean.

If you have the $ go for the Touring/Elite. If you don't, it's not a bad system at all, just not quite as impressive.

 

[stevenD]

@ksulliva01, good review, sounds about what you would expect from entry level stereo system on a vehicle in that price range. The Touring/Elite stereo, gets REAL loud, REAL fast, I don't recall how loud I have had it, but I doubt it was much over 50%...

While it does not have that warm natural feel of a high-end luxury car stereo, it does sound really good!

I might consider swapping out the speakers if someone (like Focal, MB Quart, etc.) ever make direct replacements, the last time I looked at Crutchfield there were none available.

 

[Treihing]

IMO, the Passport Fender Flares look cheap and destroy the look of a great SUV.

 

[stevenD]

IMO, the Passport Fender Flares look cheap and destroy the look of a great SUV.

Don't ya want that Kia look? lol

 

[DS2021BluePassportElite]

IMO, the Passport Fender Flares look cheap and destroy the look of a great SUV.

The fender flares on my new 2021 blue Passport Elite look quite nice actually and compliment the window visors that I also had installed. I don't think they look cheap at all.

 

[stevenD]

The fender flares on my new 2021 blue Passport Elite look quite nice actually and compliment the window visors that I also had installed. I don't think they look cheap at all.

That's Cool, any photos?