2021 Dodge Durango vs 2020 Honda Passport

The 2020 Honda Passport followed Honda's traditional design approach, offering a familiar yet appealing aesthetic. Its exterior resembled a smaller Honda Pilot but with a more rugged and athletic look, fitting between the Pilot and CR-V in size and capability. The Passport Elite trim came well-equipped with features like a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights, enhancing its off-road appeal. The increased ground clearance compared to the Pilot further solidified its off-road credentials.

Inside, the Passport's cabin was more sophisticated than rugged, featuring a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The Elite trim boasted perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a moonroof. The interior design emphasized spaciousness, with a practical layout that would appeal to loyal Honda buyers. Lower trims offered various packages to enhance features, including Honda Sensing safety technology and navigation.

The 2021 Dodge Durango retained its muscular stance and athletic styling, aligning with Dodge's Charger and Challenger models. The new SRT Hellcat model featured a cold-air scoop, twin-pipe exhaust, LED headlamps, and a rear spoiler, showcasing its performance-oriented design. The Durango offered six different 20-inch wheel varieties and one 18-inch version, with 11 exterior colors and six interior color schemes available.

The Durango's cabin received a new instrument panel for 2021, with either an 8.4-inch or 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system. The interior became increasingly premium with higher trims, offering cloth upholstery as standard and options for leather, suede, Nappa leather, and Laguna leather. The updates to the dashboard brought a modern appearance, aligning with Dodge's muscle car aesthetics.

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 sufficient 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, with its torque-vectoring AWD system and drive modes for Snow, Sand, and Mud. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Dodge Durango offered four engine options: a 3.6-liter V6, a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, a 392 HEMI V8, and a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8. The V6 produced 293-295 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, while the 5.7-liter V8 delivered 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. The 392 HEMI V8 offered 475 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, and the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 in the SRT Hellcat produced 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. The Durango's performance was impressive, with smooth shifts and responsive acceleration. However, its chassis showed its age, with a reactionary suspension that passed bumps to the cabin. The Durango's towing capacity reached up to 8,700 pounds with the Tow N Go Package.

The 2020 Honda Passport was practical, offering ample space for four adults and a generous cargo area. It provided 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, with the most under-floor storage in its class. The interior featured height-adjustable seatbelts, three full LATCH connections, and available tri-zone automatic climate control. The Passport's small-item storage was excellent, with a large center console and secondary shelf space in the front doors. The materials were easy to clean, though the piano black trim pieces attracted dust.

The 2021 Dodge Durango excelled as a family hauler, with seating for up to seven across three rows. The front and second-row seats were spacious, and the third row was more accommodating than many rivals. The Durango offered 21 seat options, providing plenty of choices for buyers. Its cargo space was average for its class, functioning as expected. The Durango's fit and finish had improved significantly, standing out compared to earlier models.

The 2020 Honda Passport featured a 5.0-inch display monitor in the base Sport model, while higher trims received an 8.0-inch Display Audio infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The system was practical, with easy-to-navigate on-screen options. 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 hot spot.

The 2021 Dodge Durango came with an 8.4-inch touchscreen in the SXT and GT models, while higher trims received a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 system. Uconnect 5 was faster and more customizable, offering connected services, Amazon Alexa connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air updates. The Durango also offered a family entertainment system with a Blu-ray and DVD player and two 9-inch screens. The TomTom navigation system was user-friendly, though the gauge cluster's design made it difficult to read the exact speed.

The 2020 Honda Passport prioritized safety, earning good scores from the IIHS and NHTSA and being named an IIHS Top Safety Pick. It 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 added features like dynamic gridlines for the rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic detection.

The 2021 Dodge Durango lagged behind its rivals in safety features. It came standard with a rearview camera and passive safety features like airbags and electronic stability control. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high beams, rear-cross traffic alert, and parking sensors. The NHTSA gave the Durango a five-star side crash-test rating and a four-star rollover rating, but front crash testing ratings were not yet available.