If the CR-V is too small and the Pilot is too big, Honda’s punched your ticket with the 2020 Passport.
For 2020, the Honda Passport doesn’t stray far from the crossover that was new last year. In fact, nothing’s changed. It’s kind of a theme with the Passport—it’s closely related to the Pilot, minus a rear third row and with six inches lopped off the rear end. The Passport is kissing cousins with the Odyssey and Ridgeline pickup, too.
None of those are bad things, by the way. Even if the Passport feels familiar in just about every way, it’s still a solid two-row crossover that’s comfortable to drive. We give it a 6.0 overall, buoyed by excellent interior space and comfort. The base version drags the Passport down a little, but we recommend the step up anyway. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
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Like last year, the Passport is offered in Sport, EX-L, Touring and Elite trim levels. Base crossovers cost $33,085 and top trims tempt $45,000. Front-wheel drive is standard on the Passport, and all-wheel drive is a $2,000 extra except on the top Elite version, which is all-wheel drive only.
If you’ve seen a Pilot, you’ve probably seen a Passport: the two-row version just loses a little off the tail and adds some tougher-looking black cladding.
Under the hood, the Passport’s the same as the Pilot, too. A 280-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 shuttles through a 9-speed automatic in all models. The 9-speed’s a little confused at times, but aren’t we all? Tall 20-inch wheels hold the road well, and when equipped with all-wheel drive the Passport’s an adequate off-road performer, although it falls short of hardcore status without a low-range gearbox.
Five adults will easily fit aboard the Passport, with plenty of leg room in the rear seats and about 41 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row.
Crash testers have good things to say about the Passport, which earned a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS. Automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control are standard on all crossovers. Blind-spot monitors are equipped on EX-L trims and higher.
Base versions skimp on a touchscreen for infotainment, and don’t offer heated seats. We’d step up to the Passport EX-L that includes leather upholstery, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, heated front seats, a moonroof, blind-spot monitors, roof rails and a power liftgate for about $37,500 with front-wheel drive.