Honda SUV and light-truck history: Passport, Odyssey, CR-V, Pilot and Ridgeline

Honda SUVs, minivan and pickup history history

EPA fuel-economy listings show Honda's first light trucks arriving in quick succession: the Passport SUV from the 1994 model year, the Odyssey minivan from 1995 and the compact CR-V from 1997. The first Odyssey was built on a modified Accord platform with a 2.3-liter four.

The 2000s added three American-developed models. The Element, shown as the Model X concept in Detroit in 2001, went on sale in December 2002 from East Liberty, Ohio. The Pilot arrived for 2003 as the first three-row mainstream SUV on a car-like unit-body platform, and the unibody Ridgeline pickup followed in March 2005 as a 2006 model.

The CR-V grew into Honda's best seller. Honda says it has been America's best-selling crossover since 1997 and the best-selling Honda every year since 2017. The subcompact HR-V joined in May 2015 for 2016, and the Passport name returned for 2019.[1],[3],[4],[5],[6],[8],[10],[12],[14],[15],[16]

Years and production numbers

Generations and key variants

Engine and drivetrain facts

• The 2003 Element used a 2.4-liter i-VTEC four with 160 hp and 161 lb-ft, and shared its underpinnings with the CR-V.
• The 2017 CR-V brought the model's first turbo engine, a 1.5-liter with 190 hp; the 2023 CR-V Hybrid uses a 2.0-liter two-motor system with 204 hp combined.
• The 2016 Pilot's 3.5-liter V6 with Variable Cylinder Management made 280 hp and 262 lb-ft and offered Honda's first 9-speed automatic. The 2023 Pilot's 285-hp V6, which Honda called its most powerful V6, uses a 10-speed automatic.
• The 2018 Odyssey's 280-hp V6 is offered with a Honda-developed 10-speed automatic, built in Tallapoosa, Georgia.
• The first HR-V used a 1.8-liter four with 141 hp; the 2023 HR-V moved to a 2.0-liter with 158 hp on the same global architecture as the 11th-generation Civic.

Sources:[1],[2],[3],[4],[6],[7],[10],[11]

What changed over the years

1. 1994Passport appears in EPA listings as Honda's first SUV.
2. 1995First-generation Odyssey on a modified Accord platform.
3. 1997CR-V goes on sale.
4. December 2002Element goes on sale.
5. 2003Pilot debuts on a unit-body platform.
6. March 2005Ridgeline introduced as a 2006 model.
7. 2011Element's final model year.
8. May 2015HR-V goes on sale as a 2016 model.
9. May 2016Mass production of the all-new 2017 Ridgeline begins in Alabama.
10. February 2019Passport name returns.
11. 2023New CR-V, HR-V and Pilot (with TrailSport) generations.
12. 2026Completely reimagined Passport arrives.

Sources:[1],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[14],[16]

What to check before you buy one

• Check the model year against the generation: 2017 and 2023 CR-Vs, 2016 and 2023 Pilots and 2016 and 2023 HR-Vs each start a new design.
• Run the VIN through NHTSA or recalls.honda.com. Honda asks owners of a 2002 CR-V, 2002 Odyssey or 2003 Pilot with an unrepaired Takata airbag inflator to stop driving it until the free repair is done.
• For towing, confirm the drivetrain: Honda rated the 2019 Passport at 5,000 lb with AWD and the first Ridgeline at 5,000 lb.
• A 2019–2025 Passport and a 2026-on Passport are different designs; check which one the listing describes.

Model-specific problems by generation are tracked on our Honda CR-V known issues page.

Honda SUVs, minivan and pickup history prices and values

Medians of asking prices, not transaction prices; every trim is blended, so performance variants usually sit well above these medians. "Below new median" compares each model year's median used listing with the median listing price of a new 2026 CR-V today. More in our Honda CR-V depreciation study.

Mileage: across 42,498 used Honda CR-V listings in our November 2026 study (all model years), the median odometer reading was 67,414 miles and 2.9% showed 200,000 miles or more. See how long a Honda CR-V lasts.

How to verify a Honda SUVs, minivan and pickup history's factory options

A used Honda's model, engine and drivetrain are fixed at the factory. CarWhere decodes the 17-character VIN and, where licensed factory build data exists, lists the equipment the car was built with. It does not promise a complete option list for every VIN.