The best way to think of the 2021 Honda Passport is a Honda Pilot without the third row of seats. It’s a bit easier to manoeuvre than the Pilot and offers more interior space than the smaller Honda CR-V. With both the Pilot and CR-V holding very favourable spots in their respective classes, it’s no surprise the Honda Passport is also a great pick.

The Honda Passport’s combination of spaciousness, comfort and convenience allows it to slightly outrank other midsize SUVs that include the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, Toyota Venza and Hyundai Santa Fe.

Which Passport do we recommend?

For our money, we pick the Passport in EX-L trim. It adds a fair amount of convenience features for a reasonable amount of money. The higher trims add only a handful of items and are rather expensive by comparison.

Honda Passport models

The 2021 Honda Passport is offered in four trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring and Elite. Powering all of these is a 3.5-liter V6 engine (280 horsepower, 262 lb-ft of torque) paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is available as an option and included with the Elite trim.

The base Sport model starts the features list with:

• LED headlights
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• 60/40-split rear bench
• 8-inch touchscreen
• Seven-speaker audio system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Advanced safety features that include:
  • Lane keeping assist (steers the Passport back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
  • Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
  • Forward collision mitigation (applies the brakes automatically to stop the vehicle to avoid or minimize a collision)

Stepping up to the EX-L adds several convenience items that include:

• Power liftgate
• Sunroof
• Power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory settings
• Heated, power-adjustable front seats
• Leather upholstery
• Rear USB ports
• Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)

The Touring trim adds a few niceties that include:

• Hands-free liftgate
• Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind or in front of the vehicle when parking)
• Heated rear seats
• 10-speaker sound system
• Navigation system

The Elite trim tops off the list with:

• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Wireless charging pad

Competitive Models

2021 Volkswagen Cross Sport

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee