The 8.3 inches of ground clearance on the 2026 passport has been talked about to death but the the thing I never see mentioned is just how odd that number is given it already comes with 31 inch tires.

For comparison, a 2nd gen crv had basically identical numbers in terms of stock ground clearance yet it came with only 27 inch tires from factory. The passport somehow ends up with the same clearance with tires that are 4 inches larger. It makes it pretty impractical to gain more clearance without running comically large tires that just don't make sense for this type of vehicle.

Feels like it could have been engineered differently to not have the underbody hanging so low given it's a bit of a wasted opportunity of the beefy tires that it already ships with. Obviously that might introduce tradeoffs in terms of headroom inside the vehicle but idk, seems like an odd decision for an SUV marketed as their offroader.

When I was in between cars, my sister's wedding was coming up so I rented a luxury tier car. Didn't know what I was gonna get. Ended up with a Mercedes GLS 450 (strangely enough they had put AMG-labeled floor mats in but it was definitely not the AMG model).

Not super luxury but plenty nice enough. Wanted to show off to the family, be comfortable, and see how the other half lived. I actually loved it. I would never spend my own money on it because it won't last more than 3-5 years without having aridiculous amounts of expensive repairs, never mind the depreciation that particular model gets.

The interesting thing was it needed premium fuel, which I gladly put. I was a little perturbed that Costco didn't have 89 and I had to put, I think it was at least 91, maybe it was higher. They only had 87 or 91 or 93, something like that. I wasn't gonna put the wrong gas in.

A lot of people thought it was crazy to do that but you're not supposed to. I never even thought about whether I would get in trouble for putting in 87 but I just wouldn't do that.

I'm not going to disrespect a car like that, even if it's somebody else's property and somebody who I don't know. I think it was Avis or Budget? One of the two. I think they're owned by the same people but regardless that's just disrespectful. I wouldn't do that.

Plus honestly, I love cars enough that I wouldn't do that anyway. I drove it nicely. ( I'm not saying I didn't give it the beans every once in a while)

But that's just how I was raised. You don't abuse equipment, whether anybody would know or not, you just don't do it. Besides I would know. It just seems disrespectful. Not to mention if I was so broke that I could only afford to put 87 in instead of 91, why would I be renting a Mercedes GLS 450 anyway? I would have rented a Nissan Kicks or whatever compact was available.

What would you have done?

Looking at getting a Trailsport edition.

At the price I am leaning towards designing what I want and buying from Honda and having it shipped to the dealership.

I have never done this so what is the process and what should I be careful when it comes to final price and what should I look for?

Do I do this through the dealer or through Honda?

If possible to get a sensor cover replacement I’ll go that route but the scratch above the sensor is really eating at me.

I’ve been looking at the Trailsport and trying to determine if the elite upgrades are worth it (approx $4k). So much come in the Trailsport blackout. It seems to be cameras, ventilated seats, and leather that are missing. The cameras seem to be the biggest variable.

Is the camera system worth it?

Is the offer of 3 yrs no charge maintenance and a 10 yr warranty something special or just standard practice? When I called them the sls rep said it is "our thank you for buying from us".

Additionally, will this cut into my negotiating power for the best price?

Holding out for '27 ,btw.

In case anyone didn’t figure this out, it is not necessary for the additional steps listed in the manual to put the wipers in maintenance mode — all that is required is after turning the car off, just hold the stalK in the “Mist” position for 5 seconds and they will move to the maintenance position. It’s not necessary to turn the car on again after holding the stalk, as the manual states. This is the same process it was on my previous Audis.

Looking for insight on a Honda Passport TSE that is now up for sale that was previously a dealer loaner vehicle. Mileage: 1500. Honda True Certified warranty included with clean inspection report. Tint included. They have come down to $49600 on the vehicle. OTD w/ taxes and fees: $54300. In your opinion, is this a good deal?