If you want to buy a reliable and affordable car, the Honda Passport is the perfect choice. It has a spacious cabin, plenty of features and a fuel-efficient engine.
Believe it or not, these same features also make the Honda Passport a great choice for an overland vehicle build. Don’t believe me? Let me try to convince you with what Honda brings to the table.
Honda Passport Features
The Passport is a remarkably equipped vehicle for the price point.
All Wheel Drive Available
The all wheel drive system available in the Passport is sufficient to get the average overlander into and out of most situations. It does not feature a low gear, but you can make up for this with careful driving and knowing your limitations.
For most overlanding, AWD systems are sufficient. What you must consider is that most of your time will be on major roads and highways with only a small portion of your time off road. The added expense and the complexity of a low/high range gearbox is just not necessary for most overlanders.
Storage
The Honda Passport is considered a midsize SUV. This gives you plenty of room for both people and gear. Most people will find the interior storage sufficient, but you also have the available roof rack system to augment your storage. Throw on a suitable storage basket and there is virtually nothing that you can not haul on your adventure.
Towing
The Passport has the ability to tow up to 5000 pounds when properly equiped. Plenty of power to tow a camping trailer or a cargo trailer with a few ATV’s.
Reliability
While not being known for making the most exciting vehicles, Honda does have a reputation for reliability. You just know that a Honda will get you there every time, which is important.
As an overland build feature, reliability is not to be overlooked. The last thing that you want to be doing is trying to make a repair or locate a good mechanic when you are hundreds of miles from home.
Price
The Honda does tend to hold it’s value better than most vehicles. They are similar to Toyota cars and trucks as far as residual value goes. That being said, you can still generally locate a Passport with low miles for around $20,000.
While this might be a lot of money to some, you get what you pay for and there are far more expensive vehicles out there that deliver much less.
Equipping Your Honda
So, just how should you equip your Honda Passport for an overland build? Unfortunatey, there will not be many vehicle specific parts for this vehicle. This means that you must stick to the basics.
Storage
Storage will be the main concern as an overlander. Trying to put all of that gear into one vehicle, even a midsized one, can be a challenge. Luckily, there are plenty of “over the counter” cargo baskets that will give you the extra storage you need. Beyond that, a little interior organization will go a long way.
Recovery
Once again, you are not gong to find any bumpers with shackle mounts, unless you go full custom. Most will be able to make due with a rear mounted trailer hitch and a receiver shackle mount. Add a few straps and a hand winch and you should be good for most situations.
Tires & Lift
No extreme lifts are needed with the Honda Passport to make it a quality overland vehicle. Simply plus size your tires with a semi-agressive tread and you should be in good shape. If you want a little extra clearance, you can add a lift kit from a company like Truxxx and get a few inches worth of peace of mind.
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