2020 Honda Passport vs 2019 Toyota RAV4

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 had a bold, chunky design with sharp edges, drawing inspiration from the Toyota Tacoma pickup. Its aggressive and futuristic look conveyed strength, with side-profile styling and taillights reminiscent of Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus. The RAV4 featured a character line breaking up the rear C-pillar, which was more functional in two-tone color options but seemed like unnecessary design clutter in monotone schemes. The cabin was simple and elegant, with many features integrated into a floating touch screen and a “pod” that spanned from the center dash to the cupholders.

The RAV4 came in several trims: LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, and Limited. The base LE trim included steel 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, and privacy-tinted windows. The XLE trim, recommended by CarGurus, added 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and dual-zone climate control. The XLE Premium offered 19-inch alloy wheels and SofTex leatherette seats. The Adventure trim focused on ruggedness with unique wheels and grille, while the Limited trim aimed for luxury with chrome-finished wheels, heated front seats, and ambient lighting.

The 2020 Honda Passport followed Honda’s traditional design playbook, offering a rugged and athletic look that positioned it between the Honda Pilot and CR-V. The Passport came in four trims: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. The Elite trim, as tested, was fully loaded with features like a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights. The Passport had more ground clearance than the Pilot, enhancing its off-road capabilities.

Inside, the Passport’s cabin was sophisticated and practical, 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 heated rear outboard seats. The interior design emphasized spaciousness, with a button-heavy shifting mechanism that saved space. The Passport’s design was familiar to Honda buyers, offering comfort and utility without reinventing the wheel. Lower trims could be upgraded with Urban and Adventure packs, adding features like crossbars and running boards.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 was equipped with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It offered front-wheel drive and two all-wheel-drive options: a base AWD and a more advanced torque-vectoring AWD available in the Adventure and Limited trims. The XLE test model had the base AWD setup with Snow, Sand & Mud, and Rock & Dirt drive modes. The torque-vectoring AWD could divide power to the wheels in real-time, enhancing off-road capability.

The RAV4’s engine performed well on highways but felt sluggish in stop-and-go traffic due to its lack of low-end power. The ride quality was generally good, but the steering felt twitchy, and there was noticeable body roll. The RAV4’s fuel economy was impressive, with the front-wheel-drive model achieving 26 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined. The AWD model earned 27 mpg city and 34 highway, while the torque-vectoring AWD version returned 25 mpg city, 33 highway, and 28 combined.

The 2020 Honda Passport featured a 3.5-liter V6 engine generating 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 had lower fuel economy. The front-wheel-drive Passport achieved 20 mpg city, 25 highway, and 22 combined, while the all-wheel-drive version achieved 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined. The large 19.5-gallon fuel tank allowed for over 400 miles of range.

The Passport’s performance was tested in diverse conditions, from the flats of Fresno to the peaks of Yosemite National Park, and it performed well without noticeable degradation. The Elite trim came standard with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, enhancing stability on winding roads and off-road trails. The Passport could tow up to 5,000 pounds with the available towing package, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4’s cabin was clean and upscale, with practical features and spacious seating. The center stack pod included climate controls, a large tray for small items, drive-mode controls, and a short, stocky shifter. The RAV4 offered 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, expanding to 69.8 cubic feet when folded. While this was slightly less than some rivals, it was still functional with plenty of storage options in the front row.

The 2020 Honda Passport was practical, with a right-sized design that provided good visibility and spacious seating for four adults. The Passport had height-adjustable seatbelts, three full LATCH connections, and comfortable seats similar to those in the Honda Pilot and Odyssey. The cabin featured cloth upholstery as standard, with perforated leather available. The Passport offered 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, the most under-floor storage in its class, and a power liftgate. The center console and door shelves provided ample small-item storage, and the hard plastic surfaces were easy to clean.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 LE came with a 7-inch touchscreen running Entune 3.0, featuring Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. The XLE trim added five USB ports, while the Adventure trim upgraded to an 8-inch screen and a panoramic reversing camera. The Limited trim offered an optional JBL premium stereo. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with hard dials for major functions and real dials for volume and tuning.

The 2020 Honda Passport Sport model had a 5.0-inch display, while higher trims featured an 8.0-inch Display Audio infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen was responsive, with pinch, swipe, and tap functionality. Standard features included Bluetooth, a USB port, and a seven-speaker audio system. Higher trims added 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 familiar but slightly outdated.

The 2019 Toyota RAV4 came standard with a full array of airbags, a reversing camera, traction control, and a tire-pressure monitoring system. Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 was also standard, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beams, and dynamic radar cruise control. The system added traffic-sign detection and Lane-Tracing Assist, keeping the vehicle centered in the lane.

The 2020 Honda Passport prioritized safety, achieving 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, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims offered dynamic gridlines for the rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic detection.