2026 Honda Passport: What Changed and Is It Worth It Over the Pilot?

I think of the Passport as the Pilot for people who finally admitted they never use the third row. For 2026 Honda left the bones alone and spent its energy on content — better infotainment, a more convincing TrailSport — which is the right call for a two-row SUV that already does its job well. Here's what's actually different.

What changed for 2026

Google Built-in now standard on EX-L and above. This is the change I care about most. The Passport gains Honda's latest stack with Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play baked in, instead of leaning entirely on projected CarPlay and Android Auto. The 9-inch screen carries on Sport and below; EX-L and up get the Google-enabled unit.

TrailSport gets Fox suspension upgrades. The TrailSport has been the Passport's credibility play since 2022 — black accents, all-terrain tires, G-Force Control AWD. For 2026 it adds retuned Fox dampers (previously standard shocks) and revised underbody protection. Honda's clearly aiming it at the Bronco Sport and 4Runner SR5 crowd that wants capability without going full rock-crawler.

Standard Honda Sensing updates. Lane Keeping, adaptive cruise with low-speed follow, and collision mitigation were recalibrated to stop intervening so eagerly in city traffic — a complaint I heard constantly on 2023–2025 models.

New color: Urban Titanium Pearl replaces Sonic Gray Pearl.

What didn't change

The 3.5L V6 (280 hp) and 9-speed automatic carry over untouched. There's still no hybrid Passport, and I'll flag that as a real gap — the RAV4 Hybrid and Sportage Hybrid now outsell their gas versions for a reason. The Passport also stays two-row-only at five seats; Honda leaves three-row duty to the Pilot.

2026 Passport trim and pricing

Trim	MSRP	Drive
Sport	$40,785	AWD standard
EX-L	$44,285	AWD
TrailSport	$45,685	AWD
Elite	$49,485	AWD

Every Passport is AWD standard — a genuine edge over the CR-V and Pilot, which charge extra for it on lower trims.

Passport vs Pilot: which to buy

Here's how I'd decide it. Buy the Passport if you don't need a third row and want a slightly sportier, more compact thing to drive — at matching trims it's $3,000–$5,000 cheaper than the Pilot, and that's real money.

Buy the Pilot if you occasionally need 7–8 seats, want the bigger cargo hold (109 cu ft behind the second row vs the Passport's 92), or want the Pilot's available four-cylinder for better mileage. For families who spend nearly all their time with five or fewer aboard, I think the Passport's tighter size and lower price are the smarter buy.

Current incentives

Honda has the Passport at 2.49% APR / 60 months for May 2026, no customer cash. The TrailSport leases at $489/month with $3,499 due (36/10K) — competitive for a mid-size AWD two-row with no hybrid rival at the price.

For more, see Honda Pilot vs Toyota Highlander and family SUV deals for May 2026.