![]() The Honda Ridgeline gets essentially the same updates as its Passport sibling for 2024 and gains its own TrailSport trim that mirrors the Passport version’s content. And since we’re talking about options: If you fancy the Passport TrailSport’s features but prefer a pickup truck over an SUV, you’re in luck. Our test vehicle wasn’t so equipped, but it did have a bolt-on underbody guard (an official Honda accessory that costs $300 plus dealer installation costs) that protects the oil pan from damage on off-road trails. ![]() If you want to beef up your Passport TrailSport’s looks some more, Honda will happily sell you a $2,800 HPD+ Package (from its Honda Performance Development division) that includes a unique grille treatment, matte-black fender flares, taillight accents and 18-inch alloy wheels with black lug nuts. Even though the tread pattern on the tires’ contact patch isn’t overly aggressive, the sidewalls have a rugged-looking serrated pattern that make them look a lot brawnier. The General tires are indeed perfectly quiet in around-town driving, and if they increase road noise on the highway, it’s by a very small amount. We weren’t able to take the Passport TrailSport off-road to test those claims, but the alterations don’t noticeably upset its on-road driving manners or composure. The TrailSport-specific off-road suspension has been retuned to take advantage of the new tires: It gets revised spring rates, enhanced damper valve tuning and optimized stabilizer bars, which Honda says increase articulation and improve off-road ride quality. Honda says the new tires improve traction in a wide variety of off-road driving conditions but remain quiet and comfortable in on-road driving. The TrailSport’s updates are centered on new all-terrain rubber: General Grabber A/T Sport tires are mounted on unique 18-inch wheels with a Pewter Gray finish. For a full cataloging of the Passport’s 2024 updates, including the new Black Edition that replaces the line-topping Elite trim, check out our overview article. We recently tested a 2024 Passport TrailSport, and while we were unable to take it off-roading, we were able to sample the Passport’s other updates and see how the TrailSport’s tweaks affect its on-road manners. For its 2022 refresh, Honda stepped up the off-roader aspirations, giving the front end a beefier, more trucklike look and adding a TrailSport trim level with outdoorsy-looking trim touches, standard AWD, a slightly wider track and 18-inch wheels instead of 20-inchers.įor 2024, the Passport gets another round of subtle but welcome updates, and the TrailSport gets some trim-specific updates aimed at enhancing its off-road capabilities. ![]() Honda also raised the ride height a bit compared to the Pilot (to 8.1 inches of ground clearance on all-wheel-drive models) and pitched the Passport as a more off-road-capable alternative to the typical mid-size two-row SUV. Since all of the Pilot’s extra length was excised from behind the rear wheels, the Passport ended up with a short rear overhang that improves its departure angle in off-road driving. ![]() Related: 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport and Black Edition: Outdoorsy and Indoorsy In creating the new Passport that debuted for the 2019 model year, Honda chose a quick, pragmatic path: It simply took the Pilot, lopped off about 6 inches in overall length, dusted off the name it last used in 2002 on a rebadged Isuzu SUV and filled that gap with a new two-row SUV that could snag customers who would have otherwise bought, say, a Hyundai Santa Fe or Jeep Grand Cherokee. The company had nothing to offer shoppers who needed more cabin space than the compact CR-V offered but didn’t want to step all the way up in size and price to the three-row Pilot. The Passport (particularly the TrailSport) offers better rough-terrain chops than the average mid-size crossover, but if you want more robust off-road capability, check out the Grand Cherokee or soon-to-be-redesigned Toyota 4Runner.īefore the current-generation Honda Passport came along, there was a significant gap in Honda’s SUV lineup. Versus the competition: If you’re looking for a spacious mid-size SUV but don’t need three-row seating, the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Edge, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport are alternatives. The verdict: The basic design of Honda’s Passport mid-size SUV is getting a bit long in the tooth, but some subtle yet effective updates for 2024 - including off-road-focused enhancements to the adventure-ready TrailSport trim - help keep it a viable choice in its class.
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