Despite being from Japan, Honda is one of America's most loved car brands. As long as rock-solid reliability, affordability and great fuel efficiency define its cars, they will continue to enjoy immense popularity with cars like the Accord, Civic and CR-V.While Honda has traditionally sold more front-wheel-drive cars than any other, these days, there are more all-wheel-drive Hondas than ever before, with everything from crossovers, to off-roaders and pickup trucks. Apart from the obvious benefit it brings when tackling rougher terrain, AWD also provides that extra level of security when there are treacherous road conditions and extra grip when the front axle can’t cope. This is why we are doing a roundup of all the Honda AWD cars you can buy right now in 2026; if you live in a state with inclement weather, these are Honda's that won't leave you stranded.This article features all the vehicles Honda makes that either have all-wheel-drive fitted as standard or have it available as an option. The cars are ranked by MSRP, starting with the lowest and ending with the highest. All pricing excludes any destination or handling charges. All information is sourced from the manufacturer and is correct at the time of writing. Honda All-Wheel-Drive System Explained Honda But first, it is important to demystify exactly what AWD systems Honda produces and how they work. It is easy to think that all-wheel drive is simply what it says on the tin, in that it involves power going to all four wheels, but this does not fully explain the different systems that achieve this. First of all, AWD is different from 4WD, which is normally only utilized by the most serious off-roaders and involves a low-range transfer case and locking differentials to send power to all four wheels. There are currently no all-wheel-drive Honda cars. All-wheel drive, meanwhile, involves either one or both axles being driven and power being biased one way or the other depending on conditions, and how the car is set up. You can have AWD cars that send all their power to one axle and only engage the other when necessary, or you can have AWD cars that send power to all wheels permanently, and distribute it around depending on traction levels. Real Time AWD The slightly less advanced of the two Honda AWD systems, Real Time AWD means that, in practice, the front wheels are driven most of the time, but with the Intelligent Control System, some power can be sent to the rear wheels. Sensors monitor driving conditions, steering angle and the pressure applied to the gas pedal and distribute power to maximize traction and efficiency. The Honda AWD vehicles that feature this system are not necessarily the hardcore off-roaders, but more the crossovers and family SUVs that may have to deal with the occasional slick or muddy road. Its worth noting that there are no 4-wheel-drive Honda models in 2026. Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) AWD The name of this Honda AWD system is more complex than that of Real Time AWD, and the complexities don’t end there. This system can redistribute power from the front to the back wheels or vice versa, and can even vary how much power is sent to each of the rear wheels. This is because of a transaxle transfer housing at the rear which, if required, can send all power to one of the rear wheels, each of which has its own clutch pack. It is a system meant for Honda AWD cars built for adventure. 2026 Honda HR-V MSRP: $26,500 honda hr-v snowThe HR-V is the smallest and cheapest SUV in Honda’s lineup, but it can still be had with AWD. The HR-V is FWD as standard, so you do have to pay more than the base price, with Real Time AWD being a $1,500 option on all trims. The engine that sends power to the wheels via this AWD system is a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder, which splits outputs between the front and sometimes the rear wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Power delivery overall feels pretty sluggish, but once underway, the HR-V does at least handle well, with communicative, responsive steering and suspension that stops all this from being at the expense of a comfortable ride.The HR-V helps attract young buyers to the Honda AWD SUV lineup, not only with its quirky styling, but with its smorgasbord of tech features, like automatic central locking when you’re eight feet away from the car, wireless phone charging and a nine-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring. 2026 Honda CR-V MSRP: $30,920 2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport HybridThe bigger brother to the HR-V, the Honda CR-V has been produced for nearly 30 years now, having immediately struck a chord with American consumers when it first arrived on the scene, thanks to its incredible value for money and space for families. Unlike the HR-V, which provides the option of hybrid power in other markets, but not the United States, there is a CR-V Hybrid available locally, introducing electrification into the world of all-wheel-drive Hondas.There is also a fuel-cell CR-V called the e:FCEV, but that only has front-wheel-drive. All-wheel-drive is an option on all trims except for the TrailSport Hybrid, where it is standard. Non-hybrid CR-Vs are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 190 hp, whereas the CR-V Hybrid is motivated by a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder and two electric motors giving it 204 hp. Whatever trim you choose, the CR-V will not be all that inspiring to drive, and other family SUVs have even more off-road capability, but the CR-V still nails all the fundamentals. 2026 Honda Ridgeline MSRP: $40,795 06 2026 Honda Ridgeline TrailSportThe Ridgeline is the only pickup truck Honda currently sells and is the only pickup the Japanese automaker has ever made, unlike, say Toyota, which has made several different pickups over the years. Despite first being introduced 20 years ago, the Honda Ridgeline has only seen two generations, the second of which was introduced for MY2017, and the pickup truck segment has seen many changes since then, with some now being electric in the case of the Rivian R1T, and small subcompact trucks like the Hyundai Santa Cruz being a thing.Despite this, the Ridgeline still remains a solid pickup choice in 2026, with its unibody construction and lockable cargo trunk in its bed. It is the first vehicle on this list to feature the i-VTM4 AWD system, which, aided by different driving modes like snow, sand and mud, gives the Ridgeline a degree of off-road capability. It still has an impressive amount of second row passenger space and a lot of the tech features you get on the other all-wheel-drive Honda models on this list, so it is definitely a pickup you can use daily. 2026 Honda Pilot MSRP: $42,195 2026 Honda Pilot front 3/4The Honda Pilot has established itself over the years as a good, can’t-go-wrong choice in the competitive world of midsize three-row family SUVs dominated by cars like the Toyota Highlander and Kia Telluride. The latest generation, introduced just a few years ago, brought a more rugged look to its styling and more power and efficiency from its V6 engine. Unlike the Ridgeline, the Pilot does not feature Honda’s i-VTM4 AWD system as standard. It is a $2,100 option on the lowest two trims, but it is standard on all the rest.With 285 hp, it has enough pulling power to carry all passengers, even if that consists of eight adults, but it never feels particularly fast. With a big, non-turbo engine, efficiency is not great compared to many rivals, with 21 mpg combined when it is specced with AWD. If you don’t mind making the fuel efficiency a little bit worse again, you can choose the TrailSport trim, which, with all-terrain tires, off-road suspension, multiview camera, and seven driving modes, makes the Pilot even better for little family adventures. 2026 Honda Passport MSRP: $44,950 2026 Honda Passport TrailSportWhile all the SUVs discussed so far have been built primarily for road use with some off-road ability added in, the Passport is the most convincing adventure vehicle Honda makes. The Passport was resurrected in 2019 to be a Honda SUV that would slot in between the CR-V and the Pilot. Based on the latter, it is shorter and loses the third row of seats that the more family-oriented Pilot has. For this new third generation introduced for the 2026 model year, the Pilot has carved out a new identity for itself in order to rival other brawny Japanese SUVs like the Toyota 4Runner.This is evident partly from its new square-jawed design language, but also because there is a new generation of i-VTM4 AWD, which comes as standard on every single Passport trim. There is a stiffer chassis, 8.3 inches of ground clearance, and if you really want to go to town on the off-road upgrades, the TrailSport trim throws in all-terrain tires, tow hooks, skid plates and a high-tech TrailWatch camera. More power than before and a new ten-speed automatic transmission should at least make on-road driving smoother as well. 2026 Honda Prologue MSRP: $47,400 cropped-05 2024 Prologue EliteThe aptly named Prologue was the first electric Honda to be sold in the United States, and is still currently the only EV the company makes. It is not a bespoke Honda, however, as it actually shares a platform with the EVs made by General Motors, namely the Chevrolet Blazer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq. This shows in some of the switchgear on the inside, but the Prologue does at least have its own suspension and steering settings.Out of the three Prologue trims, just the most expensive Elite is available with AWD, with the rest just being FWD. Of course, there is no Real Time or i-VTM4 AWD to be found here; all four wheels are driven in the Prologue because there are two electric motors for the two axles. The driving experience, rather like the smooth styling, is calm and very placid, so it is no Mustang Mach-E rival, but the range is at least competitive, at 273 miles for the AWD trim. While some might regret the fact that this isn’t a purebred Honda underneath, it is a great effort for the brand's first EV, and, thanks to its powertrain, is unique in the lineup of all-wheel-drive Hondas.Sources: Honda
