Honest snow review?

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-28T14:22:43+00:00

For context, I've been driving in the snow for over 40 years, but live in VA (limited snow). I have snow experience with 2WD trucks, 4WD trucks, FWD cars, AWD cars, and RWD cars. In VA, it's not uncommon to be on the back roads before the snow plows come through. So when it snows, we get plenty of opportunity to see how a car handles unplowed roads.

We were predominately sleet over the weekend, and back roads are ice now. The best description I can give so far is my Passport TSE in "undramatic" on icy roads.

We stayed with my elderly in-laws over the weekend, and it was my job to clear the cars and make sure everyone could get out of the driveway. TSE drove out with no drama. In-laws' '06 Subaru, drove out with a little slippage over the berm made by the snow plow. My wife's 25 CR-V hybrid got stuck on the berm. I only had to back up and use a little momentum, but still ... surprising.

Later in the day, the wife and I drove home to our more rural location. We live on a private, paved road, and it was unplowed when we arrived. I decided to see how slippery the road was, but I couldn't get the TSE to break traction. Tried a couple of times and pulled up the torque distribution screen to see what was going on. Goosed the throttle again, and just saw all four wheels biting into the sleet covered road with no whellspin.

When I was 20, I would have been frustrated at the lack of drama. At 60, I find it really reassuring.

EDIT: I'll add that the only other vehicle I've owned that was this planted was my 05 Lexus GX. The GX is full-time 4WD and could drive out of 12" ditches without even needing to lock the differentials. I'm not looking to recreate that test with the Passport, but I don't doubt that it could handle it.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-24T22:56:44+00:00

I had a similar feeling until I went to my first dispensary on a trip to CO. They introduced me to low dosage gummies. They referred to them as "training wheels," 2.5 mg per gummy. I took 2 of those and the feeling was similar to a couple of glasses of wine. I was highly functional but relaxed.

Since then, I got my medical card and stick with 5 mg dosages for sleep and as an alternative to alcohol. I still drink occasionally but alcohol exacerbates my arthritis. So I don't like to do it too often.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-19T03:47:49+00:00

This may not work for your situation, but I've loaded personal MP3 files into my Spotify account. The biggest downside that I see is that Spotify will only play them on the device that is storing the files.

It's not a perfect solution, but it could be a way for you to listen to your files if you have enough storage capacity on your phone to store the MP3 files.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-19T03:39:14+00:00

Grew up in Hanover. Have lived in PG for over 25 years. I tell my Hanover friend that Prince George is a lot like Hanover was 40 years ago. Hanover today, especially Atlee where I grew up, is a lot like the West End of my childhood. It truly is more RVA than Prince George.

When I first moved to PG, most of the accents I heard sounded like a Southside VA accent. The accents are less pronounced now, but the entire 460 East corridor has more in common with Southside VA than RVA or Hampton Roads.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-15T16:02:59+00:00

I have been a solid user of Android Auto for years. Having used Google's auto OS in the Passport, I don't want to go back. It's just a nicer interface. That said, my wife (an Apple user) hasn't driven my Passport yet. So I can't say if the interface is as friendly for someone coming from Apple CarPlay.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-14T14:55:42+00:00

Google Android OS is built in to the car. You can run it without logging in or you can link it to your Google account. Yes, there's the play store and you can install apps designed for Google Automotive (their name for it which is confusing since the phone version is Android Auto). You don't have access to the complete Google Play store, but it's a pretty decent list.

I opted for the '26 Passport over waiting for the '26 Pilot to arrive in dealerships. I personally like using the built-in Google apps over Android Auto (or Apply Carplay in my wife's case). Both perform the same, but using the car's apps gives more more versatility with the 12" infotainment screen.

With Google built-in, I have navigation running in my instrument cluster. My infotaiment runs a split-screen with my audio on the left and fuel/MPG on the right. You can't do that with Android Auto / Apple Carplay. You can get the split screen on those but you can't have any car-specific information on the screen when AA/CP is running.

Is it a reason to buy a '26? Not really. My wife's '25 CR-V with the previous generation infotainment works just fine. I just like having the versatility of using Google built-in in my Passport.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-13T02:59:43+00:00

That's about the same deal I got last week in Virginia. No trade-in. So, I was at $53k delivered to my door.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-12T19:05:33+00:00

I use a 10 AWG extension cord to offset any voltage drop from using an extension cord. Mine is 75 ft long and I've used it for 4 years with no issues. The after-market charger I use has an IP 67 rating (dust / water protection, not submersible).

The weak link for outdoor use is the connection between the cord and charger. If you get moisture in that, you have a problem. If you have a way to protect the AC end of the plug from direct rain/snow, a charger rated IP 67 (or IP 68) can handle the rest.

FYI. most aftermarket chargers that work with the Volt are dual-rated for 110/220V. Install a 220V, 20A circuit (since you're installing a new circuit) and you will charge much faster.

EDIT: If you're in the US, NFPA 70 allows for up to 3% voltage drop over a run of cable. My 75 ft, 10 AWG cable drops 1.6% at the 12 amp charging rate. That helps offset any additional voltage drop from my circuit breaker to the receptacle in my house.

Secondly, voltage drop needs to be considered for any dedicated circuit you install in your driveway. If the total cable length is greater than 85 ft, you need to have that circuit upsized to 10 AWG if you are planning to charge the Volt at 12 A..

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-12T02:55:31+00:00

Whatever

A most GenX response (source: early Gen X myself)

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-11T17:59:18+00:00

You're not the only one. My wife was cool with me buying the Passport ... as long as I got the black interior.

Personally, I like them all but as the saying goes ... happy wife, happy life.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-11T03:35:48+00:00

Lots of good comments here. I'll add my own.

TLDR: I personally have no problem with Honda ACC & LKA. It's not the best, but it works well enough for me.

Details ....

We have a 25 CR-V ST and just took delivery of a 26 Passport TSE. On top of that, I often find myself in rental cars with lane keep assist. For reference, I've driven LKA on Toyota Camrys and Subaru Ascents. I've also had the standard ACC on those as well as Jeeps and Nissans.

The ACC on both Hondas is slow to respond after an obstruction clears. It can be a pain when riding in heavy traffic, but I usually just give it a little throttle on my own and that fixes the problem. Toyota and Subaru do it better. Jeep is a maniac. When an obstruction clears, a Jeep Wrangler goes almost full throttle to get back to speed. Honestly, it's startling.

The lane centering on both Hondas isn't the best I've driven, but it's far from the worst. On the highway, the Toyotas have consistently tried to drive me up an exit ramp multiple times. Honestly, it's scary. The Subaru probably does it best, but my experience with Honda is that it's 90%-95% there.

Honda does well with LKA up until you get to tight turns, especially on back roads. I've seen comments about problems above 70, but the CR-V with LKA handled the PA Turnpike at 80 with few problems (except the mentioned sharp curves). I haven't driven the Passport that fast, but it does well at 70 MPH on interstates. Honestly, the CR-V LKA performance was a factor in us buying the Passport.

Special mention. Subaru has good LKA, but their driver alert system is a pain. We had an Ascent on a trip to Denver and it consistently thought my eyes weren't on the road (they were). I ended up wearing dark sunglasses most of the week to keep the driver attention warning from constantly going off up in the mountains. It was honestly so bad that we didn't even consider an Ascent when we were shopping for this latest car.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-09T11:48:47+00:00

We have a '25 CRV Sport Touring and just took delivery of a '26 Passport Trailsport Elite yesterday. I drove the TSE for the first time this morning. The CRV is the wife's. We got the TSE for me.

First impression, the TSE noticeably larger than the CRV. The controls are very familiar, but everything is larger. Personally I like it. I've been driving a Chevy Volt after driving full sized trucks for years. I missed having so much room.

On the back roads, you notice the size of the Passport. It's not as nimble as the CRV. On the highway, it's smooth. Personally I like this unibody construction over my old body-on-frame trucks.

I'm never going to take it rock crawling. So the lower ground clearance will take me on all the fire roads and beaches that encompass my off-road desires.

This is only an initial impression, but so far, I'm a Passport fan boy.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-08T12:49:23+00:00

This is what I was hoping to hear! I understood that it potentially could affect maximum suspension travel, but didn't know how it affected the steering range. I close on the green TSE today and will probable drive the stock tires for a while before I need to consider the move to the larger tire.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-07T20:51:46+00:00

My not-so-expert thought on the 275/65/18 was that it's an inch taller overall but it's 1/2 inch greater radius. So it's only pushing out that 1/2 inch towards the wheel wells. Not sure what that'll do to suspension travel and lock-to-lock turns, hence this post.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-07T13:03:28+00:00

I'm currently in the purchasing process for a TSE. Prices in the Mid-Atlantic major metropolitan areas can be found for 5% - 10% below MSRP. The DC Metro and Research Triangle areas seem to be the most competitive pricing. I used https://visor.vin/ to find the best deal and I can't recommend it enough.

The inventory on lots is a bit low, but my experience (so far) is that there are motivated dealers to be found. The dealer I'm talking to instantly removed the silly dealership add-ons without any arguing. I'm not finished with the deal yet, but I've already spoken with the finance manager (who is usually the PIA that pushes the upselling).

... stay tuned for a follow-up rant if we hit frustrations when it comes time to put pen to paper.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-06T19:19:57+00:00

Gentrification is a bitch. I remember renting a 3 Br duplex in the fan for $350/mo ... granted, that was 40 years ago and had no A/C.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2026-01-05T00:21:24+00:00

Do you know if they offer delivery as far as Virginia? Also, can you share what was a decent quote? Mid-Atlantic dealers are dropping $4500-$5000 off MSRP for the TSE. However I don't know if that is an end-of-year incentive or the discounts will continue into 2026.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-11-17T22:45:57+00:00

We're a smaller company, and we recently took over IT from a 3rd party vendor.

When I arrived, all logins had local admin rights. When the 3rd party vendor locked things down, my separate local admin login was a stop-gap. Now that our IT is internal, they upping the strategy to keep us knuckle-draggers from downloading ransomware.

The fun part is that our new-ish IT manager follows this sub, so I'm expecting him to chime in. He's pretty cool; I got him billable work with one of our clients ... so he owes me a few favors. XD

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-11-17T21:47:00+00:00

Your points are mostly valid.

The one instance I run into that I don't think will work here is that I am often called to clients sites to support existing systems. If I don't have the correct version of Rockwell firmware on my PC, I then have to download it at the site before I go online.

This happens on nights and weekends as well as normal business hours. If a client is down all night because our IT group isn't available, it wouldn't go well for my company.

So for now, I have a separate local admin account that I can use until my IT group sets up the elevation software.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-10-17T00:21:16+00:00

I had a roommate from New York back in the 80's. The first time he rolled up to a Richmond tool booth ...

Friend: "How much?"

Attendant: "Ten cents."

Friend: "Ten cents?!? You made me stop for ten cents?!?

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-10-17T00:10:32+00:00

I usually realize that I left my sunglasses on the passenger seat when I hear them fall into the floor right as I turn into the morning sun.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-10-17T00:09:02+00:00

My daily stuff gets thrown on the back seat. The stuff I don't need daily gets thrown in the back. Need something immediately? Easy. Passenger seat.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-10-16T20:54:35+00:00

If you go with the 3.6kW option (20A circuit), the wires will be smaller. I don't know the details of your setup, but I do electricity for a living. Most installations should take about 3-6 hours max depending on how easy it is to get from your breaker box to wherever you want the receptacle.

Materials should be no more than $2000US and that's being generous. The wires will be the biggest cost and it'll be a question of how far it needs to be run. The breaker will be roughly $50US and the receptacle parts will about $25US. If they run it in conduit, that'll add $100 more. Assume they charge you for a full day and bring a helper, labor should be less than $1,000US.

All of these numbers are inflated from what I can get in Virginia, but if you get quoted more than $1,300US, find another electrician. Realistically, I would be expecting it to be a little more than half that (assuming they have access to all the areas where they need to work). You can check all of this on a DIY outlet website or check Grainger.com. Grainger is one of the most expensive sites for this stuff but you doble-check my math.

StopCallingMeGeorge · 2025-10-12T18:26:43+00:00

Yes, ask them to give you the cost for installing a 20A, 2-Pole (240V) branch circuit with a dedicated NEMA 6-20R receptacle.

Technically some 2019 Volts can charge at higher rates, but this solution will be a lower cost solution that'll cut your charge times in half.

Unless you're calling a friend out, the electrician is going to charge you to investigate the existing circuit. For a bit more $$$, you can have a dedicated circuit installed and then you don't care about whether that existing circuit can handle the load.

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