2020 Honda Passport Review, Prices, Trims, Specs & Pics

2020 Honda Passport Review

The 2020 Honda Passport is technically in its third generation.  But Honda gave it a 17-year hiatus.  And they just reintroduced it in 2019.  So, if it looks totally new to you… well, that would be why. :0)

And speaking of looks, the midsize crossover SUV isn’t just a pretty (rugged) face.  Because Honda made this sport-ute with old school intentions.  Yep, a crossover SUV that’s actually intended for something other than grocery-getting and family-hauling.  Although it’s more than capable of those tasks too.

2020 Honda Passport Midsize Crossover SUV

So with the addition of Passport to Honda’s crossover SUV lineup brings the carmaker to four total.  And being a midsize vehicle, it slots between the compact CR-V and full-size Pilot.

Even though Pilot can also be classified as a midsize, I prefer to call it full-size for Honda’s line-up.  Because it makes the lineup easier to understand overall.  And Pilot offers three rows of seating.

Trim Levels And Prices

So for 2020 Passport is offered in four different trim level configurations.

While the above references Honda’s suggested starting retail pricing, you need to get your Passport equipped to your liking that that will impact the price.

Also, all-wheel-drive comes standard on the Elite trim.  And it’s available on Sport, EX-L, and Touring.  So, if you don’t get all-wheel drive your Passport will be front-wheel drive.

Engine, Transmissions, And MPG

Honda equips all trim levels of the 2020 Passport with the same engine and transmission.  It’s quick, powerful and has a surprisingly (cool) throaty sound when accelerating.

So the engine is a 3.5-liter V6 that puts out 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque.

And the transmission is a responsive 9-speed automatic.  Plus that trans impressively comes with paddle shifters across all trim levels as well.

Since the Passport has the same engine and transmission the outlying factor when it comes to fuel economy is 2WD or AWD.

Additionally, the 2WD or AWD factor also impacts the curb weight of the Passport.  So the 2WD version comes in between 3,959 and 4,048 pounds.  While the AWD Passport curb weight, depending on your trim level will be 4,149 to 4,237 lbs.

And speaking of weight, the 2020 Passport’s towing capacities are 3,500 and 5,000 lbs. respectively for 2WD and AWD.

What Does A 2020 Honda Passport Look Like?

The 2020 Honda Passport looks like a significantly beefed-up CR-V.  And that makes sense because CR-V is one step smaller than Passport.

But it also looks like a slightly smaller and more rugged Pilot.  And that too makes sense because the Pilot is one step larger than Passport.

And whether you’re driving on or off-road standard LED headlights, foglight and taillights assure you can see well and be seen just as well.

Regardless of the trim option, Honda offers a bunch of accessories to enhance both performance and appearance.  And a roof rack and rails are at the top of the list.

So here are the key exterior measurements the 2020 Honda Passport.

What Does Inside Of The 2020 Honda Passport Look Like?

So Honda’s are typically known for great outward visibility and Passport’s interior definitely delivers that.  There’s plenty of natural light through big comfortable windows.

Test driving the 2020 Honda Passport delivered a mixed bag of emotions for me personally.  That’s because I was very impressed by the drive and especially the interior.

And here’s why it was mixed.  One of my current personal vehicles is a luxury midsized crossover SUV.  While I’m not going to state the brand but I will say this.

The Passport’s interior is more comfortable, spacious and overall just nicer.

Even the leather felt more supple than in my vehicle that cost about 33% than a Passport!

Plus, the Passport that I test drove wasn’t even the top-of-the-line Elite.  It was the Touring which is one step-down!

So, suffice to say that the Passport’s interior punches above its purchase price.  And not only the quality of the Passport’s interior is impressive but also the overall amount of space and the design of it.

Plus, you can get plenty of ports throughout the vehicle, tri-zone climate control and heated backseats.  (Features also missing from my luxury brand crossover SUV!)

Additionally, cargo space plays a key role inside the Passport.  Because there’s not only plenty of it.  But it too is well designed.

So, the 2020 Passport delivers up to 50.5 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the backseats.  And when you fold those backseats down you can achieve up to 100.8 cu-ft of cargo space.

But my favorite bit of storage space on the 2020 Passport is the hidden space.  Because it’s under the floor of the cargo area it’s completely out of view.  And that’s exactly what you need to keep prying eyes of thieves looking for targets.

Infotainment And Technology

The 2020 Honda Passport comes loaded with infotainment technology.

But my suggestion is to go with the EX-L trim or higher if you want Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and the 8-inch touchscreen.

So, the higher the trim level you go with the more connectivity and power ports you get throughout the vehicle.  Also, wi-fi hotspot availability is on both the Touring or Elite trims.  And when you go with Elite you also get ventilated from seats and wireless smartphone charging.

Driver Assistance Technology And Safety

The 2020 Honda Passport gets top marks from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Because all trim levels receive NHTSA’s  5-star overall rating.

And in addition to that Honda puts additional safety concerns to ease by including it’s Honda Sensing suite of features.

Plus there are additional features including auto high-beam headlights and, on all trims except the Sport, blind spot information with cross-traffic monitoring.

2020 Honda Passport Top-3 Things

So, it really wasn’t easy to pick only three for the Top-3 Things I like about the 2020 Honda Passport.

But to bring this review home here’s the unpacked version of my Top-3.

1. Interior – Great quality, design and space for people and stuff.  My midsize luxury SUV doesn’t compare and it’s only two years old.
2. Safety tech – Honda Sensing comes across the board and besides Honda Sensing NHTSA’s 5-star overall rating is a big factor as well.
3. The Drive – It’s powerful.  The 9-speed is well geared.  Paddle shifters are fun.  It handles like a smaller vehicle and it even sounds cool!

 

• Honda,