2020 Honda Passport vs 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2020 Honda Passport was a quintessential Honda, embodying the brand's familiar design and reliable components. Its exterior resembled a scaled-down Honda Pilot, yet it also appeared as a beefed-up CR-V, striking a balance in size, capability, aesthetics, and price. The Passport's rugged and athletic exterior, with features like a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights, made it stand out. The increased ground clearance compared to the Pilot further enhanced its off-road appeal.

Inside, the Passport's cabin was more sophisticated than rugged, with a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The Elite trim featured luxurious amenities such as perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a moonroof. The interior design emphasized spaciousness and practicality, 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 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, despite being in its second generation since its 2005 launch, continued to impress with its luxurious and modern design. The 2018 refresh, carried over into 2021, introduced the dual-screen center console that became a hallmark of Land Rover interiors. The Range Rover Sport offered a variety of trims, each with distinct features. The base SE trim included leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and an eight-speaker Meridian sound system. Higher trims like the HSE Silver added quad-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and a 19-speaker Meridian sound system.

The HSE Dynamic trim featured a powerful supercharged V8 engine, while the Autobiography trim offered high-end luxury with 22-way power-adjustable front seats and power soft-close doors. The SVR performance model boasted a more powerful V8 engine, sport seats, and a stiffer suspension. The SVR Carbon Edition added carbon fiber accents and 22-inch alloy wheels. The Range Rover Sport's interior was dominated by the dual-screen center console, which controlled climate settings and infotainment. While the system had a learning curve, it offered a range of functionalities and integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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. This setup provided sufficient power for various driving situations, though 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 achieved slightly lower figures. The Passport's large 19.5-gallon fuel tank allowed for over 400 miles of range.

The Passport performed well in diverse conditions, from the flats of Fresno to the peaks of Yosemite National Park. The Elite trim's torque-vectoring AWD system enhanced stability, especially on winding roads. The Passport's off-road capabilities were notable, with Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes available on AWD models. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds with the towing package, surpassing rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options. The base P360 mild-hybrid powertrain combined a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt electrical system, producing 355 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. The HST model's P400 powertrain delivered 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The HSE Silver Edition offered plug-in hybrid and diesel options, with the P400e plug-in hybrid generating 398 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque, and the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 producing 254 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.

The HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trims featured a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine, delivering 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. The SVR and SVR Carbon Edition models had an even more powerful version of this engine, producing 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. All models had an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD. The Range Rover Sport's height-adjustable air suspension and Terrain Response system enhanced its off-road capabilities, while its towing capacity reached up to 7,716 pounds (except for the SVR, which could tow 6,613 pounds).

The 2020 Honda Passport was a practical midsize SUV, offering ample space and comfort. Its size, slightly larger than the CR-V, provided good visibility and spacious seating for four adults. The Passport featured height-adjustable seatbelts for front-row occupants and three full LATCH connections in the second row. The seats, similar to those in the Pilot and Odyssey, offered ample knee- and legroom. Cloth upholstery was standard, with perforated leather available.

The Passport's cargo space was impressive, 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. The SUV's small-item storage was excellent, with a large center console and secondary shelf space in the front doors. The interior featured hard plastic surfaces that were easy to clean, though the piano black trim pieces required frequent dusting.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a maximum of 63.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 31.7 cubic feet with the second row in use. An optional third row increased seating capacity to seven, though it provided only 10.8 cubic feet of cargo space. The first and second rows offered ample headroom and legroom, while the third row was best suited for children.

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 Land Rover Range Rover Sport's interior was dominated by the dual-screen center console. The lower screen controlled climate settings and vehicle settings, while the upper screen housed the infotainment system. The system had a learning curve but offered a range of functionalities, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The lower screen's dials controlled various functions, from fan speed to off-road settings. The upper screen featured reasonably sized icons for easy navigation. The system included a real volume button, though it was tucked away.

The 2020 Honda Passport prioritized safety, achieving good scores from the IIHS and NHTSA, and earning an IIHS Top Safety Pick. The Passport 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. A rearview camera with a birds-eye view was also standard. Higher trims offered dynamic gridlines for the rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic detection.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport came with standard driver assistance features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and front-and-rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were available for an extra cost. Other available features included a surround-view parking camera, traffic sign recognition, driver drowsiness monitoring, and parallel and perpendicular park assist. A head-up display was also available.