Honda is serious about its latest TrailSport adventure vehicles. So, I thought, what better way to test the new 2026 Passport TrailSport than on a grueling 11-day, 5,500+ mile road rally!
In fact, the Alcan 5000 is the longest road rally in North America. This year’s summer iteration included about 900 miles of gravel and dirt, spanning from Washington state up to Alaska, and finished in Williams Lake, British Columbia. This was a great overall test for this new ruggedized SUV.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Review
Honda led the launch of the new Passport with the TrailSport model, and I drove it in Puerto Rico earlier this year. After driving it, I knew it would make a good Alcan 5000 vehicle. It had power, ground clearance, and comfort. The Passport TrailSport had the holy trinity for me when selecting an Alcan competitor.
Our Ash Green Passport TrailSport Elite was stock, with the exception of a prototype Rally Innovations light bar mount and Baja Designs Squadron LED lights. Honda already equips this SUV with steel skid plates, General Grabber all-terrain tires, recovery points, and usable options like rock sliders, and a stout roof rack.
And, after putting over 7,535 total miles with this particular vehicle (including a pre-rally drive from Anaheim, Calif., to Portland, Ore.), I found the things I liked and things I didn’t.
Let’s dive in.
2026 Honda Passport: 5 Things I Liked
Versatile, Spacious, and Usable Interior
We have lots of gear to bring on these rallies: backpacks, tools, camera equipment, recovery gear, and more. Having ample storage is important.
The Passport TrailSport had gobs of space, even with the optional interior full-size spare tire kit, which allowed us to stow a replacement tire and wheel vertically in the back. This SUV has useful cubbies throughout the cabin to hold everything from sunglasses and phones, to snacks in the center console, and even a full-size Nalgene bottle in all doors.
Plus, there are abundant USB-C ports, two 115V/150W AC outlets, and a 12V outlet up front so we could easily keep our electronics charged, and even bring a fridge/freezer with us.
Add to all that versatile tie-down points, and you have a winning interior.
Powerful, Responsive Engine & Transmission Combo
The new DOHC 3.5L V-6 engine makes 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. And, it’s mated to a quick-shifting 10-speed stepped automatic transmission.
There are thousands of miles of two-lane roads on the Alcan 5000, and having a vehicle with ample passing power is requisite. This engine offers abundant mid-range passing power, ideal for getting around slow-moving RVs on the Alaska Highway or overtaking lumbering log trucks on back roads.
Put the transmission in sport mode, and you can use the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. This was important in maintaining specific speeds during the time-speed-distance (TSD) competition, and for holding gears going down steep grades, such as those found near Telegraph Creek, British Columbia.
This powertrain pairing includes your typical Honda smoothness, too. Once over 5,000 rpm, the engine roars with the tone of a speeding TIE Fighter from Star Wars.
Many Off-Road-Ready Parts & Accessories
Honda wanted to make sure the Passport TrailSport could be taken off the beaten path. To do this, they equipped it with steel skid plates, General Grabber A/T Sport all-terrain tires (ours were mounted on optional HPD wheels), and various driving modes including “Trail.”
Honda offers a myriad of adventure-related accessories, too. Our rig came with interior MOLLE panels, a full-size spare tire kit (which is held down with straps), a bright lift gate–mounted LED light, rock sliders, and a platform rack. On the rack, we mounted a set of four MAXTRAX, a Front Runner Wolf Pack Pro box, and 5 gallons of gas.
I’m happy to report that over 5,502 rally miles, we had zero flat tires. The skid plates kept our undercarriage protected, and the roof rack was super-sturdy. However, on the rack, there was a distinct lack of tie-down points or places large enough to easily affix ratchet straps’ hooks. And while we never needed to use the vehicle’s recovery points, we were glad they were there.
This SUV’s various driving modes were particularly useful. We cruised in the Normal mode, but we’d switch to Trail mode when we encountered dirt. This would deaden the throttle response and reduce traction control, allowing more wheelspin should we need it.
It also let us employ Honda’s TrailWatch camera system, giving us a great view of the front and sides of the Passport over hills. It can also be used in parking lots, which was very useful.
We played with Sand mode, which will hold a gear longer in case you need to power out of a situation, while allowing more wheelspin. During the long dirt road from Dease Lake to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, the SUV stuck to the slick dirt road like glue when it was raining, and it simply wouldn’t break traction.
Excellent Ergonomics, Easy to Live With
Honda has long had great ergonomics, and the 2026 Passport TrailSport continues this trend. Most things are within arm’s reach and are easy to operate. It was never a chore to adjust the climate control, turn up the radio, or operate the cruise control. It all just worked.
On top of that, visibility is good, and that TrailWatch system helped when it wasn’t. The Passport TrailSport is easy to live with.
It’s also easy to load and unload, which is important to us, as we brought most of our gear inside the hotel each night. The power lift gate, useful tie-down points, and optional MOLLE panels in the back were all great for storage and usability.
2026 Honda Passport: 5 Things We Didn’t Like
Heavy Steering
The Passport TrailSport’s steering felt heavy, especially over 11 days and 5,520 miles. It was weighty to the point where my hands got sore after a few hours behind the wheel. The steering was tight and responsive, but there was too much resistance.
Stiff Suspension Tuning, Underdamped Shocks
There are a lot of bad roads on the Alcan 5000 Rally, especially in the Yukon Territory and Alaska. Small pavement cracks reverberated through the Passport TrailSport’s chassis with a rigid feel you might expect in a stiffly sprung pickup.
When we encountered this area’s infamous frost heaves — sizable rollers in the pavement caused by freezing/thawing permafrost — the SUV could’ve used better shock damping. The suspension’s compression and extension produced intermittent, pronounced bouncing. Different shock tuning could help with this.
Two-Prong 115W Power Outlets
Having AC power on board is great, and Honda touts the ability to bring accessories like refrigerators. However, both 115V/150W AC outlets can only be used with two-prong cords. Our small Engel fridge had a three-prong plug, so I needed to utilize a cheap 3-to-2-prong adaptor to get the fridge to power.
Additionally, the system wouldn’t charge our EcoFlow DELTA 3 Power Station. Instead, I had to buy a 12V extension cord to charge the EcoFlow using the single front 12V outlet located on the vehicle’s dash.
I’d prefer three-prong outlets, a rear-mounted 12V outlet, and an inverter that will power a power station or other equipment.
Drives Bigger Than It Looks
Behind the wheel, the Passport TrailSport drives bigger than it looks. With its high hood, stiff suspension, and heavy steering, it feels more like something the size of a Chevrolet Suburban or Tahoe than a mid-sized SUV.
Thankfully, the grip is very good, but it’s not super sporty and feels heavy. Hey, maybe that’d be a pro to some.
Needs More Ground Clearance
Despite having many great off-road-ready features, this Honda only has 8.3 inches of ground clearance. By comparison, that’s the same as a 2026 Kia Sportage X-Pro. But the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness has 9.5 inches, a Toyota 4Runner has as much as 10.1 inches, and a Jeep Grand Cherokee can have as much as 10.9 inches.
However, it has durable metal skid plates, which you may need if you venture off pavement.
2026 Passport TrailSport Alcan 5000 Review Conclusions
The Passport TrailSport is a very good overall vehicle. Comfortable, quiet, durable, and powerful. Plus, I think it looks fantastic; we got numerous compliments on its style.
With my wife, Mercedes Lilienthal, as the navigator and me as the driver, we nabbed First Place in our 2S class and Second Place overall at this year’s Alcan 5000 summer rally. This was confirmation that we used the right tool for the job.
The ’26 model year is the first for this redesigned SUV, and perhaps there will be changes to upcoming models to address some of these points. But despite my assessments, Honda made the Passport TrailSport a winning platform for us at the 2025 Alcan 5000 Summer Rally, and it could be a winner for you, too.
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