I find I like U2's two extremes the most. It's no secret I'm a fan of U2's atmospheric side, and the more atmospheric they get, the better. I have said in the past that I wish they had gone further with the UF/Captive direction, and in many ways Passengers does that. I also love U2's more intense side, whether that's the early post-punk of Boy or the seriously rockin' God Part II, The Fly, HMTMKMKM, Gone kind of work.
What I dislike is the bland middle ground, and I feel like U2 have wallowed in that middle ground all too much, especially in the first half of this decade.
I reckon that you need to be consistent and classify Passengers the same way you'd classify UF. Now, I often joke that they're both "Brian Eno featuring U2". But in seriousness, I'd classify them both as U2 albums.