2023 Honda Passport Is Now AWD-Only, Resulting In A $2,700 Increase In Base Price

Since AWD is now standard, the entry-level Honda Passport is the AWD EX-L, which normally costs $42,395 (including the $1,295 destination charge). According to Cars Direct, customers now must spend $2,700 extra for the Passport's entry-level trim.

This announcement comes only one year after Honda eliminated the Sport grade, resulting in a $5,080 price increase for the base 2022 Passport compared to the base 2021 model. Honda's Passport sits in the lineup between the redesigned CR-V and the larger, seven-seat Pilot in the North American market.

For instance, the base price of a front-wheel-drive Pilot is just under $40,000, and it is due for a redesign next year. When it debuts in 2023, the Pilot is expected to out-price the Passport, according to Cars Direct. Honda also stopped offering front-wheel-drive for its Ridgeline pickup trucks two years ago. Still, the Passport and Ridgeline aren't the only models to see steep price increases as a consequence of discontinued trim levels. For the 2023 model year, Honda also removed the LX grade from the CR-V lineup, which pushed the base price of the compact SUV up by roughly $4,300.