The New Honda Passport Costs Up To $5,180 More Than The Old One And That Seems Like Too Much

Often, when a new generation of mainstream car goes on sale, it’s a few hundred dollars more than the old one. Consumers are price sensitive above all else, and not rocking the boat too much is a great way of angling for future sales success. The boxy new 2026 Honda Passport? It’s a few thousand dollars more than the old one, which doesn’t seem great considering how we’ve all been squeezed over the past few years.

Setting price aside, the new Honda Passport seems pretty swell. It’s still essentially a cut-down two-row sibling to the Pilot, and it starts with handsome, squared-off new styling and a great front end, more rear legroom than before, and more cargo space as well. Then it adds a new V6 with hydraulic lifters that won’t require periodic valve adjustment, a beefier Trailsport trim with actual skid plates and recovery hooks, and optional General all-terrain tires. However, we can’t just set price aside. We aren’t talking million-dollar hypercars here, we’re talking crossovers for real families, and Passport families better be bringing in that cheddar to upgrade to the new one.

Let’s start with the base Passport RTL, which stickers for $46,200 including freight, or $2,350 more than before. Sure, it does add wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which were wired on the old model, but it also takes away full-leather seats. As for options on the new Passport, the towing package is a no-brainer for an extra $700, but the $1,200 upcharge for the RTL Blackout appearance package doesn’t seem like the best use of funds.

Moving up the range, the Otterbox-style Trailsport does gain some extra off-road gear for the new generation, and it comes with nice creature comforts like a panoramic sunroof and a heated windshield, but it also rings in at $49,900 including freight, or $3,450 more than the old one. Oh, and if you want blacked-out trim on top of that, tack another $1,200 onto the price tag.

The top-trim Honda Passport for the outgoing model year was the Black Edition, which basically murdered out all the trim and piled on the options, adding such amenities as a premium audio system, ventilated front seats, and a hands-free tailgate. Well, for 2026, things are a bit different. The top Passport Trailsport Elite trim now builds on the off-roady mid-range trim, and a blacked-out visual treatment is optional on top of that. If you’re looking for a full-jam Gotham-spec Passport, the new Trailsport Elite Blackout costs a whopping $55,100 including freight –  that’s $5,180 more than last year’s Black Edition model. If you wish to skip the Autozone-ish visual treatment, you can get a Trailsport Elite without the black trim for $53,900, which cuts the year-over-year delta to $3,980.

Still, that’s a big price jump. In fact, all trims see pretty big price increases for the new generation, which is cause for trepidation in an age of increased focus on affordability. As it stands, $46,200 to $55,100 is a lot of money to spend on a family car, especially when you can buy a Hyundai Santa Fe or Subaru Outback for a lot less coin. The new Honda Passport looks pretty good, but I worry about its pricing. It was already expensive for a mainstream midsize crossover, but four-figure increases threaten to push it out of reach of more people.

Top graphic image: Honda

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