2020 Honda Passport vs 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its decade-old design, maintained a timeless appeal with its classic 7-slot grille, trapezoidal wheel arches, and a variety of aluminum wheel designs. The Grand Cherokee's attention to balance, proportion, and detail was evident, making it a visually appealing SUV. The Laredo trim started at $31,945, with an additional $1,495 destination charge, and 4WD added another $2,000. The Grand Cherokee was available in 12 trim levels, each catering to different preferences, from style to off-roading capability, luxury, and performance. The Limited X trim, priced at just over $50,000, featured unique 20-inch wheels, special leather seats, and a range of advanced safety features. However, the interior had some drawbacks, including hard plastic panels, a squeaky driver’s door panel, and a loose-feeling center console storage lid, which detracted from the overall build quality.

The 2020 Honda Passport followed Honda's traditional design approach, offering a practical and appealing aesthetic. The Passport's exterior resembled a smaller Honda Pilot but with a more rugged and athletic appearance. It was available in four trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. The Elite trim, as tested, came fully loaded with features like a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and chrome exhaust finishers. The Passport had more ground clearance than the Pilot, making it suitable for off-road adventures. Inside, the Passport's cabin was sophisticated, with a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The Elite trim featured perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a moonroof. The interior design emphasized spaciousness and practicality, with a focus on comfort and utility.

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered a range of engine options, starting with a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower. For those seeking more power, there were options for a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8, a 425-hp 6.4-liter V8 in the SRT, and the Trackhawk's 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8. An 8-speed automatic transmission powered the rear wheels, with three 4WD systems available depending on the trim level. The Limited X trim featured the Quadra-Drive II system, providing excellent off-road capability with 8.6 inches of ground clearance, Selec-Terrain driving modes, and hill descent control. However, the added weight and driveline friction of the 4WD system reduced fuel economy, with the V6 engine averaging 18.3 mpg during testing. The Grand Cherokee excelled on pavement, offering robust acceleration and better-than-expected handling, though the brakes struggled during long descents. The SRT and Trackhawk versions provided significant performance upgrades but at a higher cost and lower fuel efficiency.

The 2020 Honda Passport came equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The engine provided sufficient power for various driving situations but fell short on fuel economy. Front-wheel-drive models achieved an EPA-estimated 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined, while all-wheel-drive models performed slightly worse. The Passport's large 19.5-gallon fuel tank allowed for over 400 miles of range. During testing in California and Texas, the Passport demonstrated reliable performance, handling elevation changes and off-road conditions with ease. The Elite trim featured torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, enhancing stability and control. The Passport also offered Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes, making it more capable than expected for off-road adventures. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds with the available towing package, outperforming its rivals in this regard.

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 5-passenger midsize SUV, provided a roomy interior suitable for families. The power-adjustable and heated front seats were comfortable, but the hard plastic front-seatback panels were uncomfortable for backseat passengers with long legs. The rear seats offered good thigh support, air conditioning vents, dual USB ports, and a 115-volt power outlet. Storage space was limited, with small door-panel bins and a center console storage bin. The cargo area provided 36.3 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 68.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat.

The 2020 Honda Passport was practical and spacious, offering ample room for four adults. The seats were comfortable, with height-adjustable seatbelts for front-row occupants and three full LATCH connections in the second row. The Passport's interior featured cloth upholstery as standard, with perforated leather upholstery available. The tri-zone automatic climate control and second-row sunshades added to passenger comfort. The Passport excelled in cargo space, offering 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and the most under-floor storage in its class. The center console and door storage were well-designed for small items. The Passport's interior materials were easy to clean, though the piano black trim pieces required frequent dusting.

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Higher trims featured a more advanced Uconnect system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, voice recognition, and navigation. Pairing a smartphone via Bluetooth was straightforward, and the voice recognition system performed well. The test vehicle had a 9-speaker Alpine audio system, while higher trims offered a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system.

The 2020 Honda Passport Sport model had a 5.0-inch display monitor, while higher trims featured an 8.0-inch Display Audio infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The larger screen was responsive and easy to navigate. Standard features included Bluetooth, a USB port, and a seven-speaker audio system. Higher trims offered a 10-speaker audio system, satellite radio, additional USB ports, a wireless phone charger, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Passport's dashboard design was functional but slightly outdated.

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered modern driver-assistance and collision-avoidance technologies, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and rain-sensing wipers. However, its safety ratings were concerning, with a Marginal rating for small-overlap frontal-impact protection for the driver and a Poor rating for the front passenger from the IIHS. The rear-drive model received a 3-star rollover resistance rating from the federal government.

The 2020 Honda Passport prioritized safety, earning good scores from the IIHS and NHTSA and being named an IIHS Top Safety Pick. The Passport came standard with the Honda Sensing suite, including collision mitigation braking, forward-collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims offered additional safety features like dynamic gridlines for the rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic detection.