2024 Honda Passport AWD Black Edition Review by David Colman +VIDEO

It’s a hoot to drive

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

I had just pulled Honda's Black Edition 2024 Passport into my favorite scenic parking spot to do a photo shoot. The entrance to this little coastal route plateau is generally off-limits to traffic because it's marked "One Way/ Do Not Enter." However, that didn't keep a young couple in their small sedan from arriving to have a better look at the Pacific Ocean. But these two weren't view shopping at all. Rather they were Honda shopping, because both of them flashed my Radiant Red Metallic Passport an emphatic thumbs up.

What makes this SUV pop visually is the contrast between its sparkling red paint and the understatement of its all-black trim. The 20-inch alloys are painted black, as are the grill, headlight surrounds, side trim, door handles, and fog light accents. To top off the shadow effect, Black Edition badges grace the front grill and rear tailgate with a finish resembling black chrome. Although the new for 2024 Black Edition can also be ordered in Sonic Gray Pearl or Platinum White Pearl, if you're hunting for looks, you can't beat the mesmerizing effect of Radiant Red Metallic.

The same beguiling appeal spills over to the Passport's scintillating performance. With so many whining hybrid SUVs on the market today, it was a real pleasure to climb into the cockpit of this internal combustion Passport to discover its abundance of gasoline-powered horsepower and torque. Under its stout-looking snout sits a hefty 3.5 liter V6 punching out 280hp. But it's not just the ultimate power output that makes the Passport such a hoot to drive. It's the screaming way it achieves redline thanks to its VTEC intake system which alters valve timing when you demand maximum surge. When the V6 comes on the cam, it does so with a spine-chilling shriek that will make you think you're piloting a jet on the threshold of takeoff. The first time I experienced this aural boost, I said to myself, "Wow! I want to hear that soundtrack again!" The VTEC symphony is intoxicating.

The Passport's aggressive motor and well matched 9 speed automatic transmission propel this 4,250 pound SUV to impressive levels of straight line acceleration, with the zero to sixty mph run taking 5.9 seconds, and the standing start quarter mile run evaporating in just 14.6 seconds. Handling of the Passport on twisty roads initially feels rather clumsy due to the vehicle's 72-inch height and 79-inch width and 189-inch length. Despite the fact that Honda equips those 20-inch black alloys with 265/45R20 Continental Cross Contact LX Sport all-season radials (TW 480), even those sizeable contact patches are tested heavily in slalom type maneuvers.

But Honda's torque-vectoring all-wheel drive does a slick job of apportioning the V6's 262lb.-ft. of available grunt to wet pavement, as we discovered to our satisfaction while piloting the Passport through a torrential storm dump. The system, which Honda designates "i-VTM4," can send up to 70% of torque to the rear wheels alone, but in wet conditions can also shift 100% of torque output to a single left or right wheel. In the dry you might not notice that three-quarters of your torque is sent to your real wheels under hard acceleration. But in the wet, the skillful transference of power from side to side and front to rear quickly becomes apparent as the Passport copes confidently with pooling water and avoids aquaplaning. Driving over the notoriously weather-challenged Richmond Bridge in a howling gale, I found the Passport to be my bad-weather best buddy ever.

The interior of the Black Edition Passport lives up to the high expectations posted by its ruggedly tailored exterior. This top of the model line Passport is the only one sold with red contrast stitching of its perforated leather seats and steering wheel rim. The interior also shines with red accent lighting of the dash, doors, and center console. Black Edition logos adorn the front seats as well as the floor mats, and both front seats feature three-stage heating and cooling, with full-rim heating of the steering wheel. Rain-sensing front and rear wipers proved a great boon during our wet week, as did the newly revised central storage bin which now offers a pivoting lid to replace the previous sliding top. Our only quibble stemmed from a sharp plastic edge on the lower section of the steering wheel.

You get a lot of Honda technology, engineering, and good looks here for $49,365. If you need a 3-row SUV, you can bump up to the larger, but less maneuverable Honda Pilot, which is built on a lengthened version of the Passport frame. But if you do so, you'll miss out on the alluring visual punch of the Black Edition Passport.

2024 HONDA PASSPORT AWD BLACK EDITION

ENGINE: 3.5 Liter VTEC V6, SOHC, 24-valve, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
HORSEPOWER: 280hp@6000rpm
TORQUE: 262lb.-ft.@4700rpm
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 19MPG City/24MPG Highway
PRICE AS TESTED: $49,365

HYPES: All Weather Brilliance, Stout and Sturdy SUV

GRIPES: Don't Love The Shift Pattern

STAR RATING: 10 Stars out of 10

©2024 David E Colman