You can’t go wrong with a Honda as they are known for being durable vehicles. Are you someone that likes some adventure and road trips and now has a family to tag along or you simply want the extra space? Then the 2023 Honda Passport is a great option. The Honda Passport Touring is a smooth and comfortable SUV suitable for families.
Engine/Transmission
The Honda Passport Touring AWD has a 3.5L V6 engine that produces 280hp and 262lb-ft of torque. It is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. All trim levels come standard with an AWD system. Although it is a V6, I managed to average 10.9 L/100km with mostly highway driving thanks to the green ‘Econ’ button that softens the throttle response for better fuel economy. The Honda Passport is available with four modes being normal, snow, mud, and sand. Each one altering the throttle response, the transmission shifts, the AWD power distribution, and the stability/traction control system.
Handling/Performance
The 2023 Honda Passport Touring does not drive like a sporty SUV such as the Mazda CX-9 for example. It has a heavy lean when driving on a windy road too fast. Steering however is light so it is easy to maneuver but it isn’t an engaging drive. If anything, it’s just a smooth ride for long trips but also on the firm side, so you will feel when going over a bump. One thing I noticed about the Honda Passport was that changing gear to reverse was not the smoothest. Now, I am not sure if it is a Honda issue or just the vehicle I was driving, but every time I reversed, it felt like it lagged a bit before moving. On the road though, no issues whatsoever and shift changes were smooth. The Honda Passport can pick up speed quickly but it’s one of those that you must accelerate harder and of course rpms will climb.
Related Articles
Comfort
The Honda Passport is spacious and comfortable. It is a midsize SUV, so it has decent cargo space. I would say it sits 4 people comfortably as you do not want to be sitting in the back middle seat for too long. But with any car, middle seats are usually the least comfortable. The rear seats can recline for better comfort. The cabin is quite quiet, barely any road noise or tire noise could be heard. During my time with the Honda Passport, I drove mostly on highways and the ride was quite smooth. You could almost fall asleep. But don’t. Pull over at a rest stop if you feel tired while driving. I really liked that the Passport sits higher so it is easy for me to get in and out of, though, this might not be the case for shorter people.
Interior
There is nothing really to be wowed about with the interior of the 2023 Passport Touring. It is equipped with a 7-inch display which is very user friendly. The display is a touchscreen, but it has mix of knobs and buttons. The interior of the 2023 Honda Passport Touring is spacious. Quite a lot of storage throughout the cabin. It is equipped with a push start button and buttons to change gears. This gives it a bit of a more modern look in my opinion. It has a lot of plastic throughout the cabin which makes it feel a bit “cheapish” and is available as standard with leather seats. It had been a long while since I was last in a vehicle that had armrests in the front seats. This was a throwback to my childhood days in a minivan. It was comfortable though to rest your arm on it so not complaining about this. One thing I did have issues with was the wireless phone charging. Every time I made a turn, my phone would move around causing it to disconnect and so I constantly had to reposition it to start the charge.
Exterior
Although I am not a fan of the interior of the Honda Passport, I do like the exterior. It is stylish and does not look like a boring SUV. The front has a stylish grille and is standard with 18-inch wheels though 20-inch wheels are an option.
Pros/Cons
For a V6, it is great on gas. I had no issues driving around with it. As I mentioned above, I averaged 10.9 L/100km so if you are someone looking for a SUV but don’t want to spend so much on fuel then this could be it. If you are not looking for a sporty SUV and just need an SUV to “get the job done” driving your family around, then again this is an option. The 2023 Honda Passport Touring is comfortable and has great cargo space for your belongings. The interior isn’t the prettiest out there, but it’s got all the basics. The Honda Passport Touring has a price of $53,790 CAD ($46,560 USD). Now for this price, there are better looking SUV’s that you may consider. Hondas and Toyotas are definitely 2 of my top 3 and as we all know these are durable vehicles. In the end it all depends on what you want and care for in a SUV.
Thank you to Honda Canada for providing the vehicle. www.Honda.ca
2023 Honda Passport Touring Gallery
