2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2020 Honda Passport

The 2020 Honda Passport followed the classic Honda design ethos, offering a familiar yet appealing aesthetic that kept loyal customers coming back. Its exterior resembled a smaller Honda Pilot or a larger CR-V, striking a balance in size, capability, and price. The rugged and athletic styling cues, including a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights, gave it a robust appearance. The interior was more sophisticated than rugged, featuring a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The Elite trim came loaded with features like perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a moonroof, making it a comfortable and well-appointed cabin.

In contrast, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler maintained its iconic, unchanged styling that has made it a favorite among off-road enthusiasts. The Wrangler's design included circular headlights, a seven-slat grille, exposed bolts and hinges, and protruding bumpers and fenders, giving it a toy truck-like appearance. Depending on the trim level, the Wrangler could have painted or exposed fenders, a soft top or hardtop, and other individual styling touches. The interior was all about function, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and effective in-door cargo nets. The Wrangler Unlimited provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expandable to 72.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, making it practical for various needs.

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, achieving 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined for front-wheel-drive models. All-wheel-drive models performed slightly worse. The Passport excelled in off-road conditions, thanks to its torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds when equipped with the available towing package, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered a diverse powertrain lineup, including gas, diesel, mild-hybrid, and a Hemi V8. The standard 3.6-liter V6 produced 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Other options included a 270-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, and a plug-in hybrid variant. The Rubicon 392 featured a 6.4-liter V8 engine, delivering 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, turning the Wrangler into an off-road supercar. The Wrangler's various 4WD systems, including Command-Trac, Select-Trac, and Rock-Trac, made it highly capable in off-road conditions.

The 2020 Honda Passport was all about practicality. Its right-sized proportions provided good visibility and spacious seats for four adults. The interior featured height-adjustable seatbelts, three full LATCH connections, and available tri-zone automatic climate control. The Passport offered 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, with the most under-floor storage in its class. The center console and secondary shelf space in the front doors provided ample small-item storage. The interior materials were easy to clean, though the piano black trim pieces tended to gather dust.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered multiple top options, including the zipper-less Sunrider soft-top, premium black cloth soft top, and the Freedom top hardtop. The Rubicon 392 featured the Sky one-touch power top, providing a convenient way to enjoy the open-air experience. The Wrangler's cabin was functional, with drain plugs for easy cleaning and effective in-door cargo nets. It provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expandable to 72.4 cubic feet with the seats folded. However, the wheel-wells and roll-bars made it harder to fit larger items.

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, though the center-stack design looked a bit outdated. Other 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 hot spot.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler's base Sport model came with a basic 5-inch screen, while higher trims featured a 7-inch or 8.4-inch Uconnect screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screens had crisp graphics and intuitive layouts, complemented by radio toggles on the back of the steering wheel. The Rubicon 392 also featured a color TFT screen in the instrument panel and a clever off-road camera nestled between the front grille slats, providing a clear view of the trail ahead.

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 Jeep Wrangler offered optional modern driver-assistance features like forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. However, lane-departure warning was not available. The Wrangler included a backup camera with dynamic guidelines and a live tire-pressure monitoring system, useful for off-roading.