2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Towing Test: Pushing Its Limits

      Jerry Perez

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      It's time to tow! While most Honda Passport owners are likely to tow something fun like a camper, a boat, or perhaps some ATVs, I, unfortunately, didn’t get the chance to embark on any exciting adventures with cool equipment. I initially planned a short family road trip with a camper in tow to evaluate how the Passport performed, but life and unpleasant weather (a.k.a. winter) intervened.

      However, I couldn’t let my long-term Passport tester return to the manufacturer without experiencing its maximum towing capacity, so I rented a U-Haul car hauler and loaded my son’s manual Honda Civic Coupe onto it. In total, the combination weighed around 4,800 pounds, just under the SUV's 5,000-pound limit. Once I factored in the passengers, we may have exceeded its rating slightly. Oops.

      My day-long assessment included highway and city driving to examine handling characteristics, as well as some maneuvering like entering a gas station, a drive-thru, and other everyday scenarios. Although I live in Indiana, where the terrain is relatively flat and unexciting, I can’t comment on how the Passport would handle a 7% incline in Colorado, but I can give you an idea of what to expect if you intend to tow near the limit consistently.

      If you wish to revisit earlier segments before diving into the latest update, here are the shortcuts:

      Welcome Passport: Specifications, Test Details, Ultimate Objective

      First Impressions

      Review: Features and Equipment

      5,000-Mile Review

      The Honda Passport Wave Is a Reality

      Let’s Engage: I Address All Your Queries

      10K Miles, Winter Weather, and a Visit to the Dealer

      Here’s How It Performed Off-Road

      Towing Duty

      As my colleague Joel Feder pointed out in a recent blog, Honda knows how to create an effective trailering setup. His experience was with a Ridgeline, but the setup in the Passport is the same. The safety chain loops are not overly thick, challenging to reach, or too small—they're perfectly sized. The seven-pin connector for the lights is conveniently located next to the hitch, which, as he noted, isn't as practical as having it by the license plate like on some pickups, but it also means the connector doesn't need to stretch too far, reducing tension on the cable.

      Connecting the U-Haul car trailer was fairly simple, and you’ve probably done it a few times. Just let the trailer rest on the hitch's ball, secure the pin, attach the chains, connect the lights, test them, and you’re ready to go.

      Right from the start, I felt the weight of the trailer and car behind me, primarily due to the suspension rather than any loss of power. As I've mentioned in earlier blogs, the 3.5-liter V6 is quite powerful, producing 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, which is more than sufficient for any driving situation, including towing up to 5,000 pounds.

      First, I took a multi-hour trip north on I-69. For the first 50 miles, I settled in behind traffic, maintaining around 60 mph to gauge the Passport's performance while monitoring road noise and other factors. Everything felt stable and solid, with no surprises. At that speed, I could easily accelerate to pass and merge back into the right lane. I conducted a couple of braking tests to see how the SUV would respond in case it needed to stop suddenly, and it remained composed.

      Next, I increased my speed to about 75 mph, briefly reaching 80 to overtake other vehicles. Again, there were no surprises. However, while exiting the highway for a gas station, I executed a near-panic stop braking test for the purpose of this review, and that’s when I truly sensed the weight I was towing. Still, it felt nowhere near out of control, but like any time you’re towing significant weight, I advise maintaining plenty of distance from the vehicle in front.

      The most significant takeaway from highway driving was how unfazed the drivetrain appeared to be with the weight in tow. While I’m not an engineer, I would imagine that braking power and possibly transmission cooling are what limit the Passport's tow rating—perhaps a couple of other factors that I’m not aware of. Navigating traffic, changing lanes, and regular passing felt perfectly fine, and I could picture myself towing close to this weight on a long-distance trip.

      Similarly, I’ve mentioned the Passport’s unladen suspension’s bouncy and springy nature, and attaching the trailer definitely accentuated that. The rear felt more grounded, although flexibility between the front and rear axles when going over bumps was somewhat hindered. The ride wasn’t harsh, but the impact of carrying all that weight was definitely noticeable