Honda's mid-size SUV lineup presents two compelling options, the 2026 Passport and 2025 Pilot, each with unique strengths. While sharing mechanical underpinnings, these siblings have evolved to serve different market segments. The Passport has embraced a more adventurous, off-road-ready persona, distinguishing itself with a robust aesthetic and advanced technology. In contrast, the Pilot maintains its family-friendly appeal, emphasizing passenger capacity and on-road comfort. This detailed examination delves into the five primary distinctions that set these popular crossovers apart, helping prospective owners make an informed decision based on their individual needs and lifestyle.
Dissecting the Differences: Honda's Mid-Size Crossovers Unveiled
In the evolving landscape of mid-size crossovers, Honda offers two distinct models that, despite sharing a common lineage, cater to different consumer demands: the 2026 Honda Passport and the 2025 Honda Pilot. These vehicles, while both powered by a robust 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine delivering 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission, diverge significantly in their core philosophies and features.
The most striking difference lies in their seating configurations. The 2026 Passport, in its current iteration, is designed as a two-row SUV, comfortably accommodating five occupants. Its interior, particularly in the first two rows, provides ample space with generous headroom and over 40 inches of legroom. In stark contrast, the 2025 Pilot is a true three-row vehicle, capable of seating seven or eight passengers depending on the trim level. While the Pilot's first two rows mirror the Passport's spaciousness, the third row offers a more compact 32.5 inches of legroom, making it suitable for occasional use or smaller passengers. Dimensionally, the Pilot commands a longer wheelbase, stretching 8.4 inches beyond the Passport, though the Passport boasts a slightly wider stance.
When it comes to capability, the Passport leans heavily into its \"adventure SUV\" designation. All 2026 Passport models come standard with Honda's second-generation variable torque management all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, known as Trail Torque Logic. This system excels at maintaining traction on challenging terrains and intelligently redistributes power to the rear axle as needed. Additionally, Passport TrailSport variants are equipped with an off-road-tuned suspension and a superior ground clearance of 8.3 inches, a full inch more than any Pilot model. Its approach and departure angles, reaching up to 23 and 27.1 degrees respectively, further enhance its off-road prowess, significantly outperforming the Pilot's maximum angles of 19.8 and 21.1 degrees. The Pilot, while offering AWD as an option on most trims, primarily focuses on front-wheel drive for its more road-oriented design.
Technology and infotainment systems also highlight the generational gap. The newer 2026 Passport features a more modern and integrated infotainment experience. Every Passport comes with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen, alongside standard wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Alexa Built-In, and Google Built-In. The 2025 Pilot, being an older design, typically features a seven-inch meter display and a smaller seven-inch touchscreen in base models, with higher trims upgrading to a nine-inch unit. A 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster in the Pilot is reserved for its top two, more expensive trims, and it lacks the integrated Alexa and Google functionalities found in the Passport.
Pricing positions these two models uniquely within the market. The 2025 Honda Pilot generally starts at a more accessible price point, with the base Sport trim at $40,200. The 2026 Honda Passport, while offering a richer standard feature set, begins at a higher $44,750 for its base RTL trim. However, an interesting inversion occurs at the TrailSport trim level, where the Passport TrailSport is slightly more affordable than its Pilot counterpart. For instance, the Passport TrailSport starts at $48,450, while the Pilot TrailSport begins at $49,400, reflecting the Passport's value proposition in its adventure-oriented trims.
Considering these differences, the choice between the Passport and Pilot boils down to priorities. If your lifestyle demands robust off-road capability, cutting-edge infotainment, and a modern, rugged aesthetic, the 2026 Passport stands out as the superior choice, provided its five-passenger capacity meets your needs and you can accommodate its higher starting price. Conversely, if maximum passenger capacity, a more subdued design, and a lower entry price are paramount, the 2025 Pilot remains an excellent and practical option for families and those seeking ample space without venturing off the beaten path.