Honda Says The 2026 Passport TrailSport Is A Real Off-Roader, So We Put It To The Test

Near the end of this summer, I returned from my trip to Louisville, Kentucky for the 2026 Kia Sportage HEV to find a white 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport waiting for me in the economy lot of my local airport. From that moment until a week later when I sent it on its way to its next adventure, I got to spend time learning how this rugged midsize crossover fared in the day-to-day (which is, frankly, how most of these Passports will spend their days). Though fuel economy and the noisy all-terrain tires groaning about the lack of rougher trails to roll upon counted as minuses, I found this boxy Honda to be quite good for those who want something more tough than a CR-V without the size of the Pilot.

Still, there are those out there who feel that ruggedized, unibody crossovers like the Passport TrailSport would never, ever cut it on the trails, especially the truly rough stuff where body-on-frame, heavily modified machines play. "Those are mall crawlers for soccer moms taking lil' Bobby to little league practice and tiny Suzie to ballet," they'll sneer, while doing the Jeep wave over the boulders of the Rubicon to their fellow rock warriors.

They might be surprised to learn that this Passport (especially in the TrailSport and TrailSport Elite trims) opens up more borders than those trail bros would ever suspect. So I discovered for myself, when I was invited down to Asheboro, North Carolina by Honda to spend two days going through the same off-road training the automaker puts its engineers, with none other than the 2026 Passport TrailSport Elite.

"[We wanted to] give you a behind-the-scenes perspective into how engineers are trained to develop the class-leading TrailSport capabilities," Honda senior engineer Pete Langseth explained. "You can't just ask an engineer straight-up how to develop a vehicle to perform well on the trail. We need to educate them and teach them exactly what's necessary for the novice customer as well as an expert. When someone from the industry gets in the car, we want them to say, 'Wow! Honda really knows their stuff.' But we also want the normal customer to get in the car and say, 'Wow! This is easy to drive off-road, and I feel confident.'"

The two-day class I attended is for off-road novices — like myself — who've had little if any experience with the tougher trails out there. For me, my only real off-roading experience was up in Northern Michigan's Drummond Island with the 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades a few summers ago. There, it was a single day over many rocks and through a few big, deep puddles, and with a guide to take us through everything. Here in North Carolina, though, there would actually be classroom time before going out to practice what we've learned on the first day, then putting it all together on the final day over a set of increasingly challenging trails around the 200-acre course. Before taking on the mud, of course, it was time to become more familiar with the 2026 Passport TrailSport's own off-road tools.

Generally speaking, the preferred platform for an off-road machine is a body-on-frame foundation, which the Passport had in its first two generations (as a re-badged Isuzu Rodeo). Of course, what's best for the trail may not handle paved paths quite as well. The 2026 version may be unibody instead, but a good look at a Passport TrailSport Elite perched upon a lift revealed just how much was designed with off-roading in mind.

Cameron Aubernon/SlashGear

That starts out with 8.3-inches of ground clearance and short bumper overhangs to enable high approach angles of up to 23 degrees, but extends to the rock rails and various pieces of underbody armor intended to protect the radiator and gas tank. Honda partnered with General Tire to create a version of the latter's Grabber A/T all-terrain tires specifically for the Passport and its needs on the trail. It's all finished off with an off-road tune to the suspension, along with front high-visibility tow hooks and a sturdy tow hitch to get anything and anyone (including itself) out of trouble.

On the final day of the two-day off-roading class, we spent the morning learning about the tools and techniques needed to get out of truly serious trouble on the trail. Traction boards (like the ones in the photo above) are the first line of recovery, placed under the wheels to allow the driver to climb — as gently as possible, as the boards can crack or, if the driver is too aggressive with the throttle, get sanded down in a hurry — out of whatever trapped them. 

Matt Fink/Honda

Other tools like screw pin bow shackles and quick tire deflators increase the odds of a successful recovery when used properly and safely. For times when a driver can't get out of trouble on their own, though, another vehicle will be needed for the recovery effort. Something like a kinetic recovery rope can help, there, or a tow line as in the demonstration above where a 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite pulled a Honda Pilot out of a ditch. 

Thankfully, none of us needed to be bailed out like this during the late morning and afternoon trail drives over the two-day course, nor were any recovery tools needed. Just the main guiding philosophy of off-roading gently drilled into us: "As slow as possible, as fast as necessary."

The first day began with a small obstacle course to allow each of us to become familiar with everything we might come across, from off-kilter trails where the surface travels more like ocean waves than a smooth, continuous road, to trails where one side has a high degree of banking and the other is flat as a board. Mistakes were not only made, they were to be expected during the learning process, especially as each of us were given two passes through the obstacle course to work on improving skills like two-feet driving (one foot on the brake, and one on the gas) to manage our speed, anticipating the next obstacle to better navigate through it, and recognition of the hand signals used by the spotters.

Cameron Aubernon/SlashGear

All 2026 Passports have as multiple drive modes, including a specific Trail Mode. With that active, the Passport's computers handle everything from where to plant the power to the terrain, to turning off the on-road safety systems to keep everything out of the way. Hill Descent Control (which my co-driver and I opted not to use, preferring to handle things with our brains, eyes, and feet instead) can take care of vehicle braking, so the driver can just keep things straight on the way down. 

Only the TrailSport Elite has TrailWatch, though. When Trail Mode is active, the multi-view camera system shows not only where the wheels are going to go, but also a pair of orange lines on either side to help guide the driver through potentially damaging obstacles on the trail, such as rocks and trees.

Finally, it was time to put together what we had learned for a series of trail drives, beginning with a trail dubbed the Tricky Ditch (where the hapless Pilot had helped with the towing recovery demo). Being the lead Passport TrailSport Elite pair, my co-driver went first with our instructor helping me spot my partner on her way through the difficult trail, as well as help her plan the next moves through the trail whenever she was out of the Honda. 

After successfully guiding her through it all, it was her turn to guide me for my lap. With another instructor in the front passenger seat, I took my time moving through each section of the trail. There was at least one point where I had to stop, get out, and re-think my path out of trouble, but again, that's the whole point of the course: to learn from mistakes, and to continuously improve.

Matt Fink/Honda

After everyone was through the Tricky Ditch, the day wrapped up on one last, challenging trail, which yours truly had the honor of tackling. The Passport was more sure-footed than I was on a few, more vertical sections of the trail (my lower limbs and feet are not built for climbing, owing to a few birth defects I live with to this day), but in the end, I was the one piloting the Honda through it all. Every instructor who witnessed my drives over the past two days said that I improved greatly from where I began to the end of the class. Maybe I'll take some of these more off-road capable vehicles I review to do a little off-roading one day, after all.

Here's a fun fact: all Honda engineers who attend the off-road course are not allowed to use Trail Mode during the training. Honda says it's to reflect how some owners might not have Trail Mode engaged during their off-road excursions, instead preferring to use their off-road skills to navigate no matter how tough things may get. So, a Passport TrailSport headed back out on the same course that Trail Mode had helped to conquer a few minutes before, but with the driver weaving their way through without the help of the Honda's off-road brain stepping in to save the day.

Rolling and climbing through the course on Normal Mode for the driver proved more challenging, especially in spots where Trail Mode would have gotten them out after a few seconds of thought by the Passport. There were a few spots on the ascent towards the final section where the driver couldn't go like they had before, prompting them to slowly back out of trouble (as they had learned to do when things get too hairy from the instructors). 

Still, with guidance and the driver's own observations, the Passport made it through successfully. So, yes, the Passport can tackle nearly anything, even with its easy modes left off. All it takes is using your head and the skills available to get out of trouble.

After two days with the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport on the beaten, broken paths near Asheboro, North Carolina, I not only came away with more respect for this next-gen midsize crossover's capabilities in the great outdoors, but also more practical skills than from my first big off-road adventure with the 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades in Northern Michigan. 

True, it would take quite a few modifications before the Passport TrailSport could fjord deep waters like the Bronco Everglades did out of the box, but everywhere else? This Honda can keep up with the big horse about 90% of the time. It'll definitely keep up with the Blue Oval's Bronco Sport Black Diamond/Sasquatch, all of the time, if not pass it by on occasion.

So, does this mean you'll be able to roll up on those Jeep bros in Moab to mock them for mocking you and your Passport? Depends on where they go. The toughest stuff, the kind of terrain where only hyper-modified machines hang out? Not unless you're willing to do as much as you can with your Passport as was done with the Honda Pilot leading me through North Carolina, which, I suspect, probably won't happen. The remaining 85% to 90% of the trails, however, are definitely within reach. All you need is some skill to make the most of what the Passport can do, and some patience. And that's all any off-roading adventure comes down to in the end. Be sure to throw a Jeep wave or two at 'em, too.