Our Rides: Where’s the Trail?

We hate to use the word “butch,” but we’re going to have to in this context.

Since the start of our liberation movement, we wanted to express ourselves in a way that gives us the license to exude our power towards equality. LGBTQ+ people of all genders and orientations have worn flannel shirts, jeans and boots to exude this path towards liberation.

That also meant owning off-road capable SUVs. Especially ones where you take the top off, fly through the gayborhood, pumping fists into the air and kissing the person next to you in the middle of traffic.

Those were the days…

Fifty-plus years later, the whole world is looking to exude some sort of energy by buying these ruggedly “butch” vehicles. It seems that many manufacturers have been catching on to consumer desires. Now, almost everyone wants to get into the act.

Honda is not a latecomer to this trend. Back in the early 1990s, they reached out to Isuzu for a collaboration. They obliged by rebadging the capable 1993 Rodeo mid-size SUV being built at their plant in Indiana with Honda’s logo and name. The result is the Passport — their first SUV offering. This collaboration and rebadging job lasted through two generations until 2002.

Since then, Honda developed, produced and sold SUVs under their own design and engineering. Seeing that market trends were about to change toward off-road-ready SUVs, they reintroduced the Passport for 2019 as a shorter, more concentrated version of the Pilot SUV. That got everyone’s attention quickly.

For 2026, Honda set out to distinguish the Passport from the latest Pilot. They gave it a more squared-off exterior and emphasized the TrailSport branding to draw consumers looking for something more than your run-of-the-mill two-row mid-size SUV.

The result has been a rise in sales. Plus, they sent the new Passport into further adventure at the Alcan 5000 and the Rebelle Rally — two amazing tests of endurance in extreme conditions.

However, we all know that a few of us would dare to take our 2026 Passport away from interstates 35, 90 and 94. Let alone deep into an ORV park and its extreme challenges.

Before you consider such adventures into the uncharted lands across the Upper Midwest, we should talk about the 2026 Passport.

One look at its boxy exterior and you could get away with calling it “butch.” It definitely looks rugged. Our TrailSport Elite test vehicle in Sunset Orange exudes these shapes and lines that frame this intentional machine.

The squared off shape starts with a flat hood, aggressive grille textures, additional cladding front, back and all around. The headlamp units are an all-LED affair with driving lights and turn signals integrated in each unit. The Passport name is stamped on both the front fascia and rear liftgate. The rear end is more upright, flanked by large vertical LED taillight units. You also have a large liftgate for great cargo management.

When you’re traversing the trails or getting up a steep driveway, the approach and departure angles look correct. That is due to the aggressive all-terrain tires fitted to a set of black-finished 18-inch alloy wheels.

The driver is greeted with an updated dashboard with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. Controls are tactile where you need them. Honda uses a push-button actuator for the transmission instead of a shifter.

On top of the center stack is a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. This features a lot of options for connectivity, including Google Built-in. Google Assistant will handle most of your voice commands, unless you connect your smartphone wirelessly. Sound is emitted through a 12-speaker Bose audio system in this TrailSport Elite test vehicle.

Also in our test vehicle is lovely two-tone leather seating. The front seats are large and comfortable with some support. The rear seat room is very spacious. You also have a large cargo area, starting with a 44-cubic-foot space behind the rear seats. Folding down the rear seats will expand the cargo hold to 83.5 cubic feet.

Every 2026 Passport is powered by a 3.5-liter V6, putting down 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels through Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system.

We found that the V6 accelerates well on the highway and puts down power on dirt and gravel surfaces. Switching to Trail mode will maximize traction when you are on even more challenging terrain. As for fuel economy, we averaged 20.7 mpg.

The best way to describe the ride quality of the 2026 Passport is balanced. With an off-road suspension set-up, it was never firm nor ultra-soft. Just the right amount of dampening on practically every surface. Cornering is fine within limits, but you will feel some lean and roll if you push it a bit. Evasive maneuvers yielded good results, however.

The steering system was fine. We wished the effort was tighter. On-center feel was also just fine. However, we do love the braking system. The pedal feel and response were quite good. We also yielded good stops in normal and panic situations.

The 2026 Honda Passport comes in three main trim levels, with additional packages available for each one. Pricing starts at $44,750. Our TrailSport Elite test vehicle came with a sticker price of $54,400.

The 2026 Passport has that rugged presence we want now to seek adventure on the next trail. Its rugged “butch” look also offers practicality, translating into a well-balanced vehicle for everyday use. It may be your escape to liberating your active lifestyle or your fantasy of one.