Honda’s SUVs (and one light truck) continue to outsell its cars by a considerable margin. Despite selling fewer than a fifth of the numbers put up by the CR-V, the Passport – a fairly tame-looking two-row five-seater – is worth another look, especially the off-road-oriented TrailSport trim. While it’s not the most capable off-roader, perhaps its styling and the idea of rugged capability are enough to set the TrailSport apart from every other trim.
All specs and sales data come directly from the manufacturers. Pricing is correct at the time of writing, and excludes destination, options, dealer fees, taxes, and incentives. Automakers reserve the right to change prices at any time without notice.
The Passport TrailSport, In Particular, Is Having A Good Quarter
2026 Honda Passport Trailsport rear 3/4 cargo spaceHonda
The Passport is far from Honda’s most popular model, lagging behind the CR-V in sales across the first nine months of the year.
However, Passport sales are up by 14.7% for the month of September (having sold 5,314 units in September 2026 and 4,447 units in September 2025), and up by 14.1% year-to-date by the end of September. Last year, the Passport sold 41,450 units between January 1 and September 30. This year, buyers chose 47,315 Passports in the same timeframe. The most interesting piece of data from the set, though, is that one trim – the TrailSport off-road variant – accounted for 80% of these sales.
Honda’s Sales Are Trending Upward
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport front 3/4 high angle in orange while driving off-roadHonda
Honda just had the best September sales results since the Covid-19 outbreak, and the best Q3 results since 2019. It wasn’t by a small margin, either; Honda announced a few days ago that the brand was up by over 17% for September and 9.3% for the third quarter. The brand’s hybrid sales just hit an all-time best with 106,000 units moved in Q3, plus its most popular model, the CR-V, managed to set new sales records for the quarter as well.
The Honda brand can’t stop winning. Honda’s press release revealed that the automaker’s sales reached 1,149,261 units between January 1 and September 30. That means the brand is up by 4.7% year-to-date. That was possible thanks to a highly successful Q3. Dealers managed to move 392,341 units in all of Q3.
What Makes The Passport TrailSport So Desirable?
2026 Honda Passport Trailsport interior view of the infotainment system steering wheelHonda
2026 Honda Passport
Engine
3.5-liter V6
Transmission
10-speed automatic
Drivetrain
AWD
Power
280 hp @ 6,100 rpm
Torque
262 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm
As the main subject of this article, the Passport makes a solid case for itself. While 80% of the Passport’s sales were made up of TrailSport trims, it’s important to note that four of the model’s six trim levels are TrailSport variants. That doesn’t make it less impressive. In fact, it goes to show that the TrailSport models are so good, they convinced 80% of buyers to spend thousands more than a base model goes for. For perspective, this is how the model’s trim levels are laid out:
- RTL: $45,195
- RTL Towing: $45,895
- TrailSport: $49,995
- TrailSport Blackout: $51,495
- TrailSport Elite: $53,695
- TrailSport Elite Blackout: $55,195
The TrailSport trim is truly worthwhile for anyone who plans to hit a dirt road every once in a while. Even if you don’t go camping every weekend, the variant has rugged styling that sets it apart from many uninspired competitors on the road. We had a chance to drive the 2026 model when it debuted last year and had plenty of positive things to say about its balanced driving experience, tuned for the average adventurous weekend warrior.
“We went for an off-road drive and tackled slick, muddy trails with ease,” said former CarBuzz writer Nicole Wakelin in our 2026 Honda Passport First Drive Review. “It was equally competent climbing up hills with the bonus of hill descent control for coming back down the other side . . . Though it’s not built for extreme off-roading like a Jeep Wrangler, it’s a great choice for those who don’t want to go all out, but still plan to explore off-road.”
Under the hood is a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6, which like those in the Odyssey and Ridgeline, each produce 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Every trim level, even the RTL trims, comes with standard all-wheel drive with Honda’s intelligent variable torque management system and a 10-speed automatic transmission. They also all come with a drive mode selector including modes like normal, econ, sport, snow, sand, tow, and trail.
Setting the TrailSport trims apart are 275/60/R18 all-terrain tires (the RTL trims come with 265 mm wide all-weather tires instead), off-road-tuned suspension, steel underbody skid plates, front recovery hooks, and more. Multiple camera angles can help the driver navigate sketchy terrain that would usually require sticking your head out of the window or simply having a spotter (in the unlikely event you ever take the Passport down such a trail).
Even the interior is nice; the cheapest TrailSport trim comes standard with heated seats, contrast stitching, and a heated steering wheel, while the highest two trims get heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear outboard seats, among other features.
Passport TrailSport Rivals To Consider
2026 Toyota RAV4 HEV Woodland front 3/4 angle in grayToyota2026 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek front 3/4 outdoor adventureNissan
There are a handful of unibody two-row SUVs with off-road trims to choose from these days, but we’ll focus on the Toyota RAV4 Woodland and the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek.
The RAV4 Woodland sits in the middle of the model’s trim lineup with a $39,500 starting price before destination and options. It’s powered by a 2.5-liter inline-4 hybrid system that makes 236 hp combined. Its fuel economy is nearly twice as good as the Passport TrailSport’s, thanks to electrical assistance, and it gets 38 MPG combined, while the Passport TrailSport only gets 20 MPG combined.
Toyota’s unibody off-road SUV is more of a stylistic upgrade, since it highlights LED fog lights, all-terrain tires, all-weather floor mats, and other cosmetic changes, rather than rugged suspension or skid plates like the Passport offers.
On that note, the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek is the cheapest of the bunch while still offering similar features and off-road capability to the RAV4 Woodland. For $34,590, you can get a two-row SUV with unique styling, seat stitching, and a surround-view camera system, plus all-terrain tires, a black tubular roof rack, and hill descent control for steep trails.
Unibody “Off-Roaders” Are The Best Of Both Worlds
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Orange High Rear Angled View Off-Road Driving Along A RiverHonda
Calling the Passport TrailSport, RAV4 Woodland, Rogue Rock Creek, or any other unibody model an “off-road vehicle” isn’t the most accurate. They might come with all-wheel drive and all-terrain tires, but they lack the ladder frame, four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and more features represented on true off-road vehicles.
That doesn’t seem to stop buyers from choosing these trim levels over any other – especially in the Passport’s case. The truth remains that the average driver doesn’t really need a truly rugged, capable off-roader or overlander.
The Passport TrailSport and its rivals offer a balance between on-road comfort and the ability to access dirt roads and other areas where regular front-wheel-drive SUVs might struggle. These models can still be comfortable family haulers most of the time and then take the crew on a camping trip every once in a while. 80% of recent Passport buyers don’t seem to care about 4WD and ladder frames, anyway, since the TrailSport trim is more than capable of light off-roading on the weekends.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport AWD
MSRP
$48,450
Engine
3.5L V6 ICE
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Transmission
10-speed automatic
Horsepower
285 HP @6100 RPM
Torque
262 lb.-ft. @ 5000 RPM
Maximum Towing Capacity
5,000 lbs.
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Sources: Honda, Toyota, Nissan
