--- title: "2027 Honda Passport TrailSport Off-Road Review: Not ‘Good for a Crossover.’ Just Plain Good" date: "2026-10-21" modified: "2026-10-21" authors: - name: "Andrew P. Collins" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/andrew-p-collins.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/2027-honda-passport-trailsport-off-road-review" categories: - "Car Reviews" - "Honda Passport" - "Honda Reviews" tags: - "honda" - "Off-Road" - "passport" - "suv/crossover" --- # 2027 Honda Passport TrailSport Off-Road Review: Not ‘Good for a Crossover.’ Just Plain Good ![]() *\Matt Fink\* The 2027 [Honda Passport]() TrailSport spec sheet says this is about as close to "truck" as a car can get. Two days of off-road testing at Overland Experts' North Carolina training facility proved that it's not just impressive for an all-wheel-drive unibody crossover; it's a damn decent expedition vehicle in its own right. And, if you know what you're doing, the Passport is a lot of fun to wheel. The [new-for-2026 Passport]() quickly became an industry darling after its debut. It looks great, and pretty much everyone who tested its mettle on a trail decided it was better than they expected. Complaints that did get registered revolved around ride height. "The thing really just needs, like, an extra inch and it'd get through stuff with so much less drama," our Deputy Editor Jerry Perez told me after putting 13,000 miles on [a long-term 2026 Passport tester](). Welp, Honda re-did the suspension and subframe for 2027, and guess what: The [Passport TrailSport got a 1.38-inch lift](), yielding a healthy 9.65 inches of max ground clearance. Honda [told me]() that “28 suspension and related chassis parts \[including springs, dampers, control arms, stabilizer bars, and knuckles\] have been redesigned, reengineered, or are otherwise new for the 2027 Passport TrailSport.” General Grabber AT Sport tires, 275/60R18 (about 31-inch diameter), carry over. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I encourage you to dig through Perez's deep catalog of Passport content ([outlined below]()) from his eight-month shakedown if you want to know what the car's like to live with day to day. Today, we're focused on what the Passport's like outside a typical crossover's comfort zone. Way outside. At Overland Experts' 200-acre proving ground next to the Uwharrie National Forest, I4WDTA-certified trail guides led us through miles and miles of trails snaking through tight trees, up and over steep crests, and through deep gullies with dirt mounds the size of hay bales. ![]() **Matt Fink** I consider myself a highly experienced off-road driver—at minimum, I'm well-traveled and have wheeled through rough terrain in almost every continent—and the Passport really put on a good show over tough stuff. It never looks as spicy in photos as it does in real life, so I wanted to make that clear. ## TrailSport Off-Road Tech You can easily see how ground clearance improves all-terrain capability, right? The higher you are off the ground, the more rocks you can drive over. A lift also lets you fit a bigger tire, which gets you even higher. (Honda's team declined to comment on whether a larger tire would fit the new Passport, but I got a big wink when I asked about it.) | **Capability** | **2027 Passport TrailSport** | **2026 Passport TrailSport** | | --- | --- | --- | | Ground Clearance | **9.65 inches** | 8.27 inches | | Approach Angle | **25 degrees** | 23 degrees | | Departure Angle | **25 degrees** | 23 degrees | | Breakover Angle | **23 degrees** | 20 degrees | The new Passport's taller shocks and longer control arms also let the tires droop a little more when weight shifts away from them, so they stay in contact with the ground during deeper twists than the '26. As with last year's model (and other Honda TrailSport SUVs), Passport drivers can cycle through a wide range of drive modes, including separate modes for "Trail," "Snow," and "Sand." With this toggle, you can quickly optimize the vehicle's responsiveness for various scenarios. Trail focuses on low-speed precision; Sand lets you carry more speed over soft surfaces; Snow is basically Sand's opposite—damping the gas pedal to prevent spinning out. ![]() The Passport's crown jewel of terrain mastery is its i-VTM4 system and the software governing it. Honda published an in-depth explanation of [how this torque-vectoring technology works](); in short, i-VTM4 precisely and proactively allocates the engine power to the tires with grip and prevents power from pointlessly spinning tires in the air. ![]() *Cutaway i-VTM4 rear drive unit. You can see the driveshaft input (round thing with four bolts facing us), and then the clutch packs are exposed on the left. That hole on the right side is an axle shaft output. *Andrew P. Collins** Speaking one step more specifically, the Passport's V6 first sends engine power into a nest of gears up front, a shaft comes off and transfers power to a rear central unit, and in that metal box between the rear wheels, two sets of clutch packs progressively add power to the left or right side as needed, depending on where traction is detected by a deep bench of sensors. Put another way, an old-school 4x4 with a traditional transfer case may have more strength and low-end oomph than this setup, but i-VTM4 is far more flexible. While a classic truck is pretty much either locked or unlocked, the Passport (and other i-VTM4 Hondas) is constantly seeking mechanical optimization. A real truck will have advantages in certain scenarios, but Honda's torque vectoring is superior for slippery on-road driving and, as I was surprised to discover, it's pretty damn good over lumpy trails. - ![]() *We got to peek under the Passport's belly at Overland Experts' NC garage.* - ![]() *Passport TrailSport's skid plates are steel ... and robust.* - ![]() *Here's the other main skid plate (fuel tank).* - ![]() *I'm always pleased to see when a car looks easy to service. Look at how easy that oil filter is to access.* - ![]() *Drain plugs on the front drive unit also looked easy to reach.* - ![]() *The rounded edges on the Passport TrailSport's front recovery points mean you can use a soft shackle with them.* - ![]() *Aluminum control arms.* - ![]() *Another easy maintenance hint—there's a convenient radiator drain port.* - ![]() *Here's a look at the vehicle's suspension geometry—looking at all those pivot points, you can see why a lot of suspension components need to be replaced to do a proper lift.* - ![]() *Another peek at control arms.* - ![]() *The front sway bar end links connect to the front struts up high.* - ![]() *Take one last look at that i-VTM4 unit. You can see the clutch packs clearly in this cutaway model.* [][][] ## What Genuinely Impressed Me When you see "soft-roaders" wheeling, you might notice they often end up with a wheel in the air. That's because they generally don't have the suspension travel of a real truck, and once that wheel is in the air, most of the engine power goes there. Not the case in a Passport TrailSport. Over our two-day training exercise, the traction management system consistently pulled me through and over all kinds of crazy dirt heaps. By applying consistent throttle and letting the vehicle's computer choose the right power path, we kept making steady progress. It just freakin' *worked*. When your traction control computing power is this good, you don't need much suspension travel because the car can pull itself ahead as long as one wheel has a little weight on it. And as long as you're OK going slow. ![]() **Matt Fink** And when you *do* run out of suspension (aka, bottoming out), the Passport TrailSport has you covered with robust steel skid plates and optional OEM steel-and-aluminum rock sliders. If you do plan to take your Passport adventuring, I highly recommend adding those to your order—I watched my colleagues land quite a few Passports on them, and they looked no worse for wear at the end of the week. ## On-Road Driving I'll keep it brief—it's fine. It's comfy, but it's not zippy. One of my fellow writers thought this '27 had more road noise than the '26, which makes sense given the higher wind resistance, but I personally didn't notice. There's a "Sport" mode to sharpen throttle response, though I can't say the Passport ever feels particularly sporty. I think the acceleration is acceptable and appreciate the robust nature of a non-turbo V6, but I bet most consumers would prefer a turbo. ![]() ![]() ![]() The brakes and steering strike a good balance between compliance and responsiveness, and the driving dynamics feel comfortably car-like. It has paddle shifters for some reason—you won't use them much. I found the driver's seat quite comfortable and the heated steering wheel effective—now standard on TrailSport models, by the way. ## Weak Spots Honda made TrailWatch cameras standard on TrailSport models, giving you eyes in the grille to help you see over the hood. Neat idea, but the execution here is kind of mid. I had a hard time judging depth from the trail as displayed on screen and ended up largely ignoring the front cam, even over crests. The Passport TrailSport claims 20 mpg combined, which is pretty much on par for the segment, but it's a low number for a daily driver. I mean, a V8 Suburban can almost eke out 20 mpg with a light foot. I don't know if Honda could do much better given the Passport's shape, weight, and off-road-minded gearing, but keep this in mind when you're budgeting. ## Passport Off-Road Verdict For what it is, I think the Passport is damn-near perfect. It looks truck-ish, drives car-ish. It's computerized enough to get out of its own way, but still invites (requires) plenty of driver engagement to get through an off-road course. I love that it runs a proven powertrain (Honda J-Series V6), and the clever all-wheel-drive system is a great setup for a vehicle that needs to master bad-weather driving and still be capable at off-road exploration. ![]() ![]() ![]() Honda clearly did its homework. It really does feel at home off-road, and it's a great size for overlanding. I would take a Passport TrailSport way outta dodge with confidence; if you're thinking of doing the same, you just need to work around its limitations. "As slow as possible, as fast as necessary" is a critical mantra in off-road driving, but it's especially true with a vehicle like this. The Passport TrailSport has incredible traction and low-speed dexterity, but it lacks the extreme low-end grunt of a low-range truck or the suspension stamina of a Baja buggy. Drive like you're in a Polaris RZR, and, yeah, the Passport may be overwhelmed. But drive deliberately, think tactically about your tire position, and this SUV can do some downright incredible things. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() *Honda provided* The Drive *with travel, accommodations, and the use of a vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.* ## 2027 Honda Passport TrailSport Specs | **Base Price (TrailSport Elite as tested)** | $51,590 ($55,290) both include destination fee | | --- | --- | | **Powertrain** | 3.5-liter V6 \| 10-speed automatic \| all-wheel drive | | **Horsepower** | 285 @ 6,100 rpm | | **Torque** | 262 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm | | **Seating Capacity** | 5 | | **Cargo Volume** | 44 cubic feet behind second row \| 83.8 cubic feet behind first row | | **Curb Weight** | 4,705 pounds | | **Max Towing** | 5,000 pounds | | **Off-Road Angles** | 25° approach \| 23° breakover \| 25° departure | | **Ground Clearance** | 9.6 inches | | **EPA Fuel Economy** | 18 mpg city \| 22 highway \| 20 combined | *Ever done much wheeling in an all-wheel-drive car like this? I'd love to hear about it! Hit me up at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.* ## Author As Executive Editor, Andrew touches everything on the site from daily news coverage to feature stories, sponsored content, product reviews, road testing vehicles, ecommerce, and more. He's held pretty much every role there is to have at an automotive news site and has been with The Drive's publisher Recurrent since 2020. Andrew's a lifetime gearhead and longtime writer with a particularly strong penchant for road trips, off-road adventures, and archaic vehicles. His passions outside of the automotive world include skiing, obsolete video games, and his dog Bramble who occationally helps review cars. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()