2020 Honda Passport vs 2021 Buick Enclave

The 2020 Honda Passport was a quintessential Honda, embodying the brand's familiar design language and practical aesthetics. Its exterior, reminiscent of a scaled-down Honda Pilot or a beefed-up CR-V, struck a balance between ruggedness and athleticism. The Passport's design included a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights, giving it a robust appearance. The interior, while not groundbreaking, was spacious and well-appointed, featuring a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The Elite trim level boasted perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a moonroof, among other amenities.

In contrast, the 2021 Buick Enclave aimed to recapture the brand's former glory with a modern twist. The Enclave was the largest of Buick's SUVs, offering a commanding presence with its unique grille pattern, extra brightwork, and polished 20-inch wheels in the Avenir trim. Inside, the Enclave Avenir featured a minimalist design with organic forms and polished accents. The cabin was luxurious, with soft, perforated leather seats and a wood-and-leather steering wheel. The Enclave's simplicity extended to its controls, although the electronic transmission shifter required some acclimation. Overall, the Enclave's design emphasized comfort and quietness, with features like Active Noise Cancellation and laminated windshield glass.

The 2020 Honda Passport was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the engine provided adequate power for various driving situations, its fuel economy was less impressive, with FWD models achieving 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. AWD models performed slightly worse. The Passport excelled in off-road conditions, thanks to its higher ground clearance and torque-vectoring AWD system, which could send 70% of engine torque to the rear axle and 100% to either rear wheel. The Passport also offered Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes, making it more capable than expected. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds when equipped with the towing package.

The 2021 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine, generating 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque at a low 2,800 rpm. This engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, provided strong acceleration and a smooth driving experience. The Enclave's FWD model allowed for momentary tire spin before traction control intervened. The Avenir Technology Package, which included a premium-tuned suspension with continuously variable damping, enhanced the Enclave's ride quality. The Enclave achieved an EPA-rated 21 mpg in combined driving, with a 21.7-gallon fuel tank providing a range of up to 460 miles. The Enclave could also tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.

The 2020 Honda Passport was a practical midsize SUV, offering ample space for four adults and generous cargo capacity. Its seats, similar to those in the Honda Pilot and Odyssey, provided excellent comfort and legroom. The Passport featured height-adjustable seatbelts, three full LATCH connections in the second row, and available tri-zone automatic climate control. With 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and the most under-floor storage in its class, the Passport was ideal for family trips. The interior included thoughtful storage solutions, such as a large center console and secondary shelf space in the front doors.

The 2021 Buick Enclave, one of the largest SUVs in its class, offered spacious seating for six or seven passengers. The Avenir trim featured 12-way power-adjustable front seats with massaging functions, heated and ventilated leather seats, and a wood-and-leather steering wheel. The Enclave's third-row seat was roomy and accessible, with commendable space behind it measuring 23.6 cubic feet. Folding the third row down provided 58 cubic feet of space, and the maximum cargo capacity was 97.6 cubic feet. The Enclave's triple-zone climate control and heated second-row captain's chairs added to its comfort.

The 2020 Honda Passport's base Sport model came with a 5.0-inch display, 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, though the dashboard design felt somewhat outdated. Standard features included Bluetooth, a USB port, a seven-speaker audio system, push-button start, and keyless entry. Higher trims offered a 10-speaker audio system, satellite radio, additional USB ports, a wireless phone charger, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's infotainment system met basic expectations but fell short in some areas. It included an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and USB ports in all three rows. The Avenir trim offered a premium sound system, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a surround-view camera system. However, the Enclave lacked features like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant integration, and its 10-speaker Bose sound system was not as impressive as competitors' offerings. The available rear camera mirror provided a live video view of what was behind the Enclave.

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

The 2021 Buick Enclave's safety features were less comprehensive. While it received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, its frontal-impact protection rated four stars. The IIHS gave it high marks, but a Marginal headlight performance rating prevented it from earning a Top Safety Pick accolade. The Enclave's advanced safety features, such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist, were restricted to higher trims. Adaptive cruise control and enhanced automatic emergency braking were only available with the Avenir Technology Package.