2025 Honda Passport: What Buyers Need to Know Before Shopping

The Honda Passport has carved out a specific niche in the midsize SUV market — sitting between the smaller CR-V and the three-row Pilot in Honda's lineup. For 2025, the Passport carries forward its reputation as a rugged-leaning two-row SUV with serious capability credentials for a mainstream vehicle. Here's what the specs actually mean, how the trims differ, and what factors shape whether this vehicle fits a buyer's needs.

What the 2025 Honda Passport Is (and Isn't)

The Passport is a five-passenger, two-row midsize SUV built on Honda's global light truck platform. It's not a body-on-frame truck-based SUV — it uses a unibody construction, which means a smoother ride on pavement but a different kind of capability than something like a 4Runner or Wrangler.

The key distinction Honda markets is its off-road positioning within an otherwise car-like driving experience. The Passport comes standard with more ground clearance than many competitors in its class, and upper trims add Honda's i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, which can actively send power to individual wheels rather than just splitting it front-to-rear.

Engine and Powertrain

All 2025 Passport trims use a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This is a naturally aspirated engine — no turbocharger — producing around 285 horsepower. That's notable because much of the competition has moved toward smaller turbocharged four-cylinders. The V6 offers a different power delivery character: generally smooth and linear rather than the torque-heavy, low-rpm surge you get from a turbocharged engine.

Fuel economy with the V6 falls in the range of 19–22 mpg city and 24–26 mpg highway, depending on trim and drivetrain. AWD models typically come in slightly lower than FWD. These figures vary with real-world driving conditions, and EPA estimates don't always reflect stop-and-go or hauling use.

The Passport's towing capacity is rated at up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped — one of the stronger numbers in this class.

2025 Passport Trim Levels

🚗 Honda structures the Passport lineup across several trims. Understanding what each one adds (and what it costs in terms of capability or features) is the starting point for any serious shopping conversation.

The TrailSport is the trim that's drawn the most attention since its introduction. It comes standard with all-terrain tires, additional skid plate protection, and a slightly raised suspension compared to other trims. It's designed for buyers who want genuine light off-road usability without leaving the Honda ecosystem for something more specialized. Whether that appeals depends heavily on what kind of use the vehicle will actually see.

Honda Sensing — What's Standard

All 2025 Passport trims include Honda Sensing, the brand's suite of driver assistance technology. This package covers:

• Collision Mitigation Braking — automatic emergency braking
• Road Departure Mitigation — alerts and steering assistance at lane edges
• Lane Keeping Assist — corrective steering within lanes
• Adaptive Cruise Control — speed maintenance with following-distance adjustment

These systems use cameras and radar. Their behavior varies by driving environment — highway use differs from congested urban driving — and some drivers find them more or less intrusive depending on sensitivity settings. Honda has updated the Sensing interface over the years, and the current generation is generally considered less prone to false alerts than earlier versions.

Cargo and Interior Space

With two rows and no third-row option, the Passport dedicates more floor space to passengers and cargo than its three-row sibling, the Pilot. Cargo volume behind the second row runs around 41–42 cubic feet depending on configuration — competitive within the midsize two-row segment.

The interior height is another variable buyers often overlook until they sit in the vehicle. The Passport's roofline is relatively upright compared to more aerodynamic crossovers, which benefits headroom for taller occupants.

What Shapes the Real Ownership Cost 💰

A sticker price doesn't tell you what a vehicle costs to own. For the Passport, several factors affect long-term cost:

• Fuel costs depend on how much highway vs. city driving you do, local gas prices, and whether AWD or FWD fits your climate needs
• Insurance rates vary by driver history, zip code, and insurer — a V6 SUV with AWD typically costs more to insure than a smaller FWD model, but specifics vary widely
• Maintenance intervals for the V6 follow Honda's Maintenance Minder system, which monitors oil life and alerts when service is due rather than relying on strict mileage-based schedules
• Tire replacement costs on the TrailSport's all-terrain tires run higher than standard touring tires — worth factoring in if you rotate or replace frequently

Reliability History and Warranty Coverage

Honda covers the 2025 Passport with a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. The V6 engine used in the Passport has a long history across Honda and Acura vehicles, which means there's an established track record for technicians and a known parts ecosystem.

Historical reliability data on any vehicle takes time to accumulate for newer model years. Buyers relying on reliability data should look at how closely the 2025 matches previous Passport generations mechanically — powertrain continuity usually means more predictable reliability patterns.

The Variables That Determine Fit

Whether the 2025 Passport makes sense depends on factors that vary by buyer: how often off-road or winter capability matters, whether FWD suffices, how much towing you'll actually do, and how the monthly payment or purchase price fits a specific budget. The TrailSport commands a meaningful premium over base trims — buyers who won't use the all-terrain capability are paying for it whether they use it or not.

Trim selection, drivetrain choice, local incentive availability, and regional dealer inventory all shape the actual transaction. Those pieces look different depending on where and when you're shopping.