2024 Honda Passport Black Edition: Don’t Splurge

By every reasonable metric, today’s Passport SUV is more successful than Honda’s original attempt, since the 1994–2002 Passport was little more than a thrown-together rebadge of the Isuzu Rodeo. Today’s Passport is five years old now, underpinned by a decade-old platform, and entering the stage of its lifecycle in which appearance packages and a few features are necessary to keep it fresh. Thus, the new-for-2024 Black Edition.

Though it did fill Honda’s immediate need for an SUV to compete against the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the original Passport wasn’t a halcyon of quality or refinement. Sales peaked in 1998 at just above 28,000. The current-generation Passport, launched as a 2019 model, planted its flag that year with more than 36,000 sales. Its best year was 2021, notching north of 53,000.

These are good numbers—equal to or better than Honda’s ambitions. Part of that success is that so many more people are shopping for SUVs now compared to 25 years ago. The other part? The Passport is a very good vehicle. This is essentially a shortened Honda Pilot with two rows instead of three. It’s spacious, comfortable, maneuverable for its size, and the V-6 offers plenty of smooth power. Honda fans like simple, sensible vehicles; the Passport is a true Honda. 

Specs: 2024 Honda Passport Black Edition

• Price: $49,365
• Powertrain: 3.5-liter V-6; nine-speed automatic transmission
• Output: 280 hp @ 6000 rpm; 262 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm
• Layout: All-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger SUV
• EPA Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, 21 mpg combined
• Competitors: Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Subaru Outback

The Black Edition makes less sense. The content just doesn’t justify the cost. This top-echelon trim—costing $49,365—replaces the outgoing Elite in the Passport’s streamlined new lineup. (The rough-and-tumble Trailsport now sits mid-tier, while the well-equipped EX-L now represents the base model at $43,295.) Exclusive kit for the Black Edition includes ventilated front seats, heated front and rear seats, a slightly underwhelming 540-watt/10-speaker sound system, a hands-free power liftgate, orange contrast stitching for the interior, and black exterior accents. 

For $6000 less, the EX-L still boasts a leather interior, a three-zone climate control, a power front seat with memory, the full suite of safety equipment, keyless entry, a power moonroof, power tailgate, and 20-inch wheels. Mechanically, the EX-L packs the same 280-hp, 3.5-liter V-6, the nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive as other Passports. 

One of the Passport’s finest qualities is its generous interior and cargo space, but that translates to somewhat bulbous exterior proportions. The Black Edition’s darkened grille, fog light housings, door handles, badging, and the like do nothing to address this. Inside, similarly, the orange contrast stitching and red ambient lighting hardly jazz up the Honda’s utilitarian interior.

All Passports for 2024 get a larger center console storage (meant to handle tablets more easily) as well as a wider phone storage tray under the dash—additions that enhance what is already a highly functional and user-friendly cabin. There are plenty of cubbies and useful door pockets, passengers up front and in the rear enjoy tons of space, and the cargo area is massive. (Other fantastic features: the button in the cargo area to automatically fold the seats, and the deployable second-row kid mirror mounted to the headliner.) If you’re looking for a more upscale-feeling experience, Hyundai and Jeep fill that niche with the Santa Fe and Grand Cherokee, while Mazda’s sleek CX-70 is a newcomer to the competition.

That said, the Black Edition—like all other Passports—drives very well. The steering is nice and quick, lending a surprising agility to this big unibody SUV. The V-6 has generous grunt for highway merging and passing, produces no unpleasant noises or vibrations, and the nine-speed transmission more or less fades into the background. Compared with the Trailsport and its knobby tires on 18-inch wheels, the Black Edition feels less squishy under high lateral load and doesn’t suffer from as much tire drone at speed.

While the Trailsport offers more than enough dirt-road, mud, and snow capability for the average buyer—not to mention decent ground clearance, approach angles, and an underbody protection plate—the Black Edition shouldn’t convince you to shell out for a sub-luxury experience. Better to stick to the base model and stay six grand closer to the black.

2024 Honda Passport Black Edition

Price: $49,365

Highs: Solid powertrain, highly functional interior, impressive maneuverability for a vehicle this size.

Lows: Features and styling changes are not worth the $6000 markup on the EX-L.

Takeaway: Skip the Passport Black Edition for the generously equipped EX-L or the tougher Trailsport.

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