2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Extended Review: A Discussion on Features

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      I've spent considerable time with our long-term 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport—close to 4,000 miles, to be exact—allowing me to use and assess many of its features. While many aspects like media, climate control, and comfort are quite straightforward, some remote features, such as the Honda Link app, necessitate a bit more time and effort to fully explore.

      Most importantly, I've utilized these features numerous times, which has helped me gauge how practical or gimmicky they are, their reliability, and in some instances, whether they're worth the price. It's also been enjoyable to hear from many of you with questions about the Passport, including its advantages, disadvantages, and unique characteristics. In some instances, you've shared your own experiences with your Passports.

      I’m diving straight into the details and categorizing my observations into three sections: Like, Dislike, and On the Fence. Each item will come with a brief explanation of its category placement, along with any pertinent details or thoughts.

      **Dislike**

      **Fan Speed:** When I shared a quick list of oddities I noticed about the Passport, I received several emails from current owners expressing similar frustrations. Fan speed 1 feels uncomfortably strong, resembling levels 2 or 3 in most other vehicles. A 2027 model update would be welcome, Honda.

      **Adaptive Cruise:** While I appreciate that most Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) err on the side of caution, the Passport’s adaptive cruise control often brakes suddenly at any hint of traffic—even when that traffic is, well, nonexistent. I've been driving on the highway at 75 mph only for the system to brake and reduce my speed to 70 or 71 mph without reason. There are no vehicles in front, and no swerving; this issue arises with the Lane Keeping Assist System activated or not. It's not specific to the Passport, as I’ve encountered it in other Honda models as well.

      **Lane-Keeping Assist:** Similar to the adaptive cruise control, the lane-keeping assist frequently struggles, causing the Passport to veer between lanes. I understand that it’s a support feature rather than a self-driving capability, but the steering assist feels weak and is often insufficient for navigating long highway turns.

      **Shut-Off Sequence:** The issue here is that when you turn off the engine, everything shuts down immediately. This means any music halts abruptly, and phone calls via Bluetooth or Apple CarPlay also terminate. If you’re parked on a busy street, the blind spot monitors won’t notify you of approaching vehicles or cyclists, putting you at risk of opening your door into traffic. Why? Because all power is cut. Most cars allow auxiliary power to remain active for a brief period after the Engine Start button is pressed, or they enable customization through the infotainment system. Not the Passport. If I had to rank the Dislike items from most to least irritating, this would definitely take second place, right after the fan speed issue.

      **Garage Door Opener:** I could write extensively about how frustrating it is that my 2009 Honda Odyssey had physical buttons for up to three garage doors for free, while the high-end 2026 Passport does not. Additionally, you must pay $129 for three years of MyQ service to utilize the garage door feature via the central touchscreen (with no physical buttons), alongside the $110 annual fee for the HondaLink Remote membership.

      **Like**

      **Customizable Gauges:** The ability to change gauge styles, themes, and functions on a digital gauge cluster isn’t new, but the Passport's level of customization is typically seen in high-end luxury vehicles. You can adjust the read-out in three sections: left, center, and right. You can swap your tachometer for various visuals, like media controls, an old-school speedometer, or GPS map views, while retaining two customizable views on the center and right sides. If you prefer a full map display, that option is available too, or you can keep it simple to mimic traditional gauge clusters.

      **GPS Pop-Up:** This is undoubtedly one of my favorite features of the Passport. I separate my gauge cluster into three sections: music on the left, speedometer and ADAS in the middle, and trip computer on the right. I usually set the dash-mounted infotainment touchscreen to the Apple CarPlay home screen. When using GPS, whether from the built-in system or CarPlay, it automatically displays my route on the gauge cluster's right side when approaching a turn or important direction. What I appreciate is that it doesn’t show constantly; it only appears when necessary. For example, on a road trip with 30 miles of highway ahead, I can focus on my usual displays without a distracting map until I near my exit, when the live map appears.

      **Headlights:** These reflector