2020 Honda Passport vs 2021 Kia Sorento

The 2020 Honda Passport was a quintessential Honda, embodying the brand's familiar design language and reliable components. Its exterior, reminiscent of a scaled-down Pilot or an enhanced CR-V, struck a balance between ruggedness and athleticism. The Passport's four trim levels—Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite—offered a range of features, with the Elite trim boasting a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights. The increased ground clearance compared to the Pilot made it more off-road capable, while the interior, though not unique, was spacious and well-appointed with a mix of durable and soft-touch materials.

In contrast, the 2021 Kia Sorento represented a significant design evolution from its predecessor, shedding its jelly-bean shape for a more athletic and muscular silhouette. The SX Prestige trim with the X-Line package featured roof rails, a shark fin antenna, and a rear roof spoiler, enhancing its rugged appeal. The front showcased Kia's expansive tiger-nose grille and distinctive headlights, while the rear sported cohesive vertical taillights. Inside, the Sorento offered high-value features like heated outside mirrors, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and keyless entry. The upper trims provided luxurious touches like perforated leather seats and a panoramic sunroof, making it a comfortable and stylish choice for long journeys.

The 2020 Honda Passport was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission. While its fuel economy was modest—20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway for FWD, and slightly lower for AWD—the Passport excelled in performance, handling various terrains with ease. Its torque-vectoring AWD system provided stability on winding roads, and the Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes enhanced its off-road capabilities. The Passport could tow up to 5,000 pounds, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Kia Sorento offered a range of powertrains, with the standout being the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the SX Prestige trim. This engine produced 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and AWD. The Sorento's drive modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, significantly impacted performance, with Sport mode providing the most responsive throttle. The AWD system with torque vectoring and a center-locking differential ensured traction in various conditions. Despite its 4,000-pound weight, the Sorento handled corners well and maintained a smooth ride, making it a versatile and capable SUV.

The 2020 Honda Passport was a practical midsize SUV, offering ample space and comfort for four adults. Its size, slightly larger than the CR-V, provided good visibility and spacious seats. The Passport excelled in cargo space, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and the most under-floor storage in its class. Features like height-adjustable seatbelts, tri-zone automatic climate control, and second-row sunshades added to its appeal. The interior's hard plastic surfaces were easy to clean, and the center console offered generous storage for small items.

The 2021 Kia Sorento, while a three-row SUV, was best suited as a four-seater in its upper trims due to the tight third row. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable, and the front and rear seats provided ample legroom. Cargo space was decent, with 75.5 cubic feet available with the rear seats folded. The Sorento featured practical storage solutions, including a phone slot with optional wireless charging, multiple cupholders, and door pockets. However, its total cargo volume was more in line with compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V, rather than larger midsize SUVs.

The 2020 Honda Passport featured a 5.0-inch display on 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 user-friendly, with pinch, swipe, and tap functionality. Standard features included Bluetooth, a USB port, and a seven-speaker audio system, with higher trims offering a 10-speaker audio system, satellite radio, additional USB ports, a wireless phone charger, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The dashboard design, borrowed from the Pilot, was functional but slightly outdated.

The 2021 Kia Sorento offered an 8-inch touchscreen on lower trims and a 10.25-inch screen on the SX and SX Prestige trims. The larger screen featured haptic touch buttons and was easy to navigate, though it required a wired connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sorento included numerous USB ports but lacked USB-C ports. The optional Bose stereo system was adequate but not exceptional. The navigation system needed improvement, particularly in voice search and point-of-interest functions, but most drivers would likely rely on smartphone integration for navigation.

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 Kia Sorento also boasted a comprehensive array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, lane-following assist, and auto high beams. The test car featured a surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control, which worked smoothly. The NHTSA awarded the Sorento four out of five stars overall, with perfect scores in side-impact tests. The IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick, with the SX trim's LED headlights receiving top marks.