Two SUVs tell the tale of Honda's market popularity

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- In this tale of two Hondas, there are only winners.

In the recently tested 2023 Honda Pilot AWD TrailSport and 2024 Honda Passport AWD Black Edition (pictured), there is much shared DNA.  And it all adds up to tell you why Honda is producing such popular midsize crossover sport-utility vehicles.

Both testers had long lists of standard features, excellent fit and finish, superb handling and the kind of interior cabin quality one expects from Honda.

In the Pilot SUV TrailSport, priced at $50,500, standard features included a panoramic roof, a power liftgate, road-departure mitigation and a heated windshield.

The Pilot was powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 285 horsepower.  This was more than enough to jet me around urban gridlock and freeway pokes.

The same is true in the 2024 Passport, also packing a 3.5-liter V-6 with plenty of pop.  By the way, the Black Edition label entitles you to an assortment of cool interior/exterior styling touches.

My Passport tester again tipped the scales near the 50-grand mark, stickering at $49,365.

Both vehicles give up a little bit of fuel with six cylinders: 18 miles per gallon in the city and 23 mpg on the highway for the tested TrailSport, 19/24 for the Passport.

So, for the buyer looking for the ideal midsize crossover SUV, sanely priced, fully equipped and likely to run forever, these two Hondas certainly measure up.  But of course, I've left out the one obvious trait of both vehicles: Honda has built and marketed them as rugged outdoor/off-road performers.  And yes, they are precisely that.

Little wonder that Honda promotional materials picture these Hondas cutting through the mud and muscling across fast-moving water.  Fellow auto reviewers, who obviously are braver than I in taking test vehicles into the backcountry, have praised the off-road suspensions.

In today's market, with $60,000 to $80,000 vehicles as common as M&Ms, it's hard to imagine that you could purchase this much versatility and fun for $50,000.  Yet you can. I should know.  I've just driven two of them, both wearing Honda badges.