2020 Honda Passport vs 2021 Ford Explorer

The 2020 Honda Passport followed the classic Honda design ethos, offering a familiar yet appealing aesthetic that kept loyal customers coming back. 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 additional ground clearance compared to the Pilot further enhanced its off-road capabilities.

Inside, the Passport's cabin was more sophisticated than rugged, featuring a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The Elite trim came with perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a moonroof. The interior design emphasized spaciousness, with a button-heavy shifting mechanism that saved space. Lower trims offered various packages to enhance features, while Honda Sensing safety technology and navigation were available on the Touring grade for an extra fee.

The 2021 Ford Explorer, part of Ford's "small, medium, large, XL" SUV lineup, maintained a family resemblance with its sporty, raked belt lines and distinctive visages. The Explorer's exterior varied by trim, with options ranging from a black grille to full chrome. The six trim levels, from the base to the Platinum, offered a range of prices and features, with the exterior and interior quality improving as you moved up the ladder.

Inside, the Explorer provided three rows of seats as standard, with cloth upholstery on the base model. The dash featured familiar gauges and an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, with large knobs and buttons for audio and climate controls. The center console housed a rotary gearshift, freeing up storage space. The XLT trim, the most popular, offered better equipment like a power front passenger seat and nicer finishes. Leather upholstery was standard on higher trims like the ST, Platinum, Timberline, and King Ranch.

The 2020 Honda Passport was equipped with 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. The FWD model achieved an EPA-estimated 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined, while the AWD model performed slightly worse. The Passport's large 19.5-gallon fuel tank allowed for over 400 miles of range.

The Passport's performance remained consistent even at high elevations, such as the peaks of Yosemite National Park. The Elite trim came standard with torque-vectoring AWD, enhancing its stability on winding roads. The AWD system could send 70% of engine torque to the rear axle and 100% to either rear wheel, providing reassurance in inclement weather and off-road conditions. The Passport also featured Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes, making it more capable than expected. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds with the available towing package, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Ford Explorer, weighing 4,345 pounds at its lightest, offered a base 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The Limited Hybrid trim increased power to 310 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. Higher trims featured a 3.0-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, delivering 365 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, while the sport-oriented ST trim offered 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. All trims used a 10-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift capability.

The Explorer excelled in towing power, with capacities ranging from 5,000 to 5,600 pounds, depending on the trim and engine. This made it suitable for towing an 18-foot dual axle Airstream. However, its towing capacity was not exceptional in its class, with competitors like the Subaru Ascent and Chevrolet Tahoe offering similar or higher capacities.

The 2020 Honda Passport was practical, with a size that provided good visibility and spacious seats for four adults. It lacked a third row but offered height-adjustable seatbelts and three full LATCH connections in the second row. The seats, similar to those in the Pilot and Odyssey, provided ample knee and legroom. Cloth upholstery was standard, with perforated leather available. The tri-zone automatic climate control and second-row sunshades added comfort for backseat passengers.

The Passport excelled in cargo space, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and the most under-floor storage in its class. The load floor was high, but a power liftgate was standard. Heating and cooling functionalities were easy to adjust, and the small-item storage was impressive, with a large center console and secondary shelf space in the front doors. Harder plastic surfaces were easy to clean, though the piano black trim pieces required frequent dusting.

The 2021 Ford Explorer offered seating for seven in the base trim, with captain’s chairs in the second row reducing capacity to six in higher trims. It provided 39 inches of legroom for second-row passengers, comparable to competitors like the Nissan Murano and Buick Enclave. With the third row deployed, the Explorer offered 21 cubic feet of cargo space, but its overall cargo volume with the rear seats folded was 81 cubic feet, putting it in competition with smaller SUVs.

The 2020 Honda Passport's base Sport model came with 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, with pinch, swipe, and tap functionality. 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 Ford Explorer's base trim featured an 8-inch touchscreen with AM/FM radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G WiFi hotspot, Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system, and a six-speaker audio system. The Limited trim added a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and HD radio, while higher trims offered a 10.1-inch touchscreen and up to 14 speakers. The Explorer provided two USB ports in the center console and five 12-volt power points, with the ST trim replacing one with a 110-volt AC power outlet.

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

The 2021 Ford Explorer was rated as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, with top scores in all crash tests and an "Acceptable" rating for adaptive headlights. The base trim included the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite, featuring auto high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and dynamic brake support. Higher trims offered the Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ suite, adding adaptive cruise control, lane centering, evasive steering assist, forward sensing, rain-sensing wipers, and speed sign recognition.