“What SUV should I buy?” It’s a question consumers ask themselves every day, but what would associate online editor Alex Leanse drive? Keep reading for the answer, and see other editors’ picks here.
I wouldn’t buy an SUV if it weren’t for bicycles. See, I’m an avid cyclist and as much as I want a daily that’s quick, fun, and small, I need something that’ll take me and my two-wheeled whip to a trailhead. My car needs to fit a bike inside, where it’s safely ensconced away from being smashed on a bike rack in a rear-end collision. That’s basically my only requirement—the flexibility of my single status, and the constraints of my journalist salary (I love my job, I swear), mean I don’t need or can get much else.
That’s why I’d buy a Honda Passport. Honda revived the nameplate to add an in-betweener to their crossover lineup. It’s smaller than the Pilot family hauler but more capable than the CR-V soft-roader—perhaps perfectly targeted at active outdoorsy millennials like myself. Well played, Honda, I’ve taken the bait. Now where can your Passport take me?
For my Passport I’d choose entry-level Sport trim, because it’s approachable at $31,990, and it has everything I need. Like all trims, the Sport includes the Honda Sensing driver assist suite, which bundles adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. It also gets a neat-o digital gauge cluster that shows information like speed, revs, fuel range, and all-wheel drive status. What the Sport doesn’t get is Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, for which I’d have to find $4,420 to move up to the EX-L trim. That adds niceties like a bigger touchscreen, heated seats, moonroof, and power tailgate. But for my needs, a magnetic phone mount on the dash seems like a better value.
Installed across the range is a 280 hp, 262-lb-ft 3.5 liter V-6. That’s solid output; if it works in the big Pilot it should be enough to move the Passport. It gets a nine-speed automatic, compared to the Pilot’s six-speed and CR-V’s CVT (say CR-V CVT five times fast). Front-wheel drive is standard, but all-wheel drive is a $1,900 option I’d spring for. With snow, mud, and sand traction modes, plus decent approach and departure angles, it seems Honda baked real off-road readiness into the Passport. Using it to explore trails sounds fun.