2020 Honda Passport vs 2021 Nissan Kicks

The 2020 Honda Passport was a quintessential Honda, featuring parts and aesthetics that appealed to loyal Honda buyers. Its exterior resembled a smaller Honda Pilot but with a more rugged and athletic appearance, bridging the gap between the Pilot and the CR-V. The Passport came in four trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite, with the Elite trim offering a host of premium features like a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights. The interior was sophisticated, with a mix of durable and soft-touch materials, and featured perforated, heated, and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, and a spacious design that emphasized comfort and utility.

The 2021 Nissan Kicks underwent significant exterior changes, aligning its design with the new Nissan Armada, Ariya, and Rogue. The Kicks featured a bold "double V-motion" design, thinner and longer headlights, and a new bumper and LED taillight combination at the rear. The SR trim level came with LED multi-reflector headlights, LED fog lights, and a sportier aesthetic with black heated outside mirrors and dark chrome grille accents. The interior was upgraded with higher quality materials, new seat and door designs, and a full center console armrest. The Kicks SR Premium Package offered Prima-Tex-appointed seating with a three-tone design and stitching, enhancing the overall interior appeal.

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. It offered front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive available. The Passport's fuel economy was 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined for FWD models, and slightly lower for AWD models. The Passport excelled in various driving conditions, including high elevations and off-road trails, thanks to its torque-vectoring AWD system and drive modes like Snow, Sand, and Mud. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Nissan Kicks featured a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 122 horsepower and 114 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. The Kicks' electric power-assisted steering and front independent strut stabilizer bar suspension made it nimble and easy to handle in various driving conditions. Despite its low power, the Kicks had a good power-to-weight ratio, making it adequate for its size. The Kicks SR trim maintained stability on icy roads, though the CVT could get noisy under heavy acceleration. The Kicks offered excellent fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 31 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined, providing a range of 356 miles on a single tank.

The 2020 Honda Passport was practical and right-sized, offering ample visibility and spacious seating for four adults. It featured height-adjustable seatbelts, three full LATCH connections, and comfortable seats similar to those in the Honda Pilot and Odyssey. The Passport provided 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, the most under-floor storage in its class, and a power liftgate. The interior had thoughtful storage solutions, including a large center console and secondary shelf space on the front doors. The heating and cooling functionalities were efficient, and the hard plastic surfaces were easy to clean.

The 2021 Nissan Kicks made the most of its small size with easy-to-reach buttons and knobs, good small-item storage, and multiple USB ports. The climate controls were user-friendly, and the seat warmers and heated steering wheel were effective. The Kicks featured a D-shaped steering wheel, adjustable front seats, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat. It offered best-in-class front seat legroom, though the hip room was limited for larger drivers. The available tonneau cover provided hidden storage in the rear cargo area, and the electronic parking brake freed up center console space.

The 2020 Honda Passport's base Sport model came with a 5.0-inch display, 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 standard features like Bluetooth, a USB port, and a seven-speaker audio system. Higher trims offered a 10-speaker audio system, satellite radio, additional USB ports, a wireless phone charger, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. The dashboard design, borrowed from the Pilot, was functional but slightly outdated.

The 2021 Nissan Kicks offered a 7-inch infotainment touch screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, three USB ports, keyless entry, and push-button start as standard. The Kicks SV added features like Nissan Intelligent Key, automatic climate control, a 7-inch driver information screen, satellite radio, and a USB-C port. The Kicks SR Premium Package included a class-exclusive Bose Personal Plus sound system with eight speakers and Bose signal processing. The Kicks also offered a surround-view monitor, a WiFi hot spot, and NissanConnect services for added convenience and security.

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 offered additional features like dynamic gridlines for the rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic detection.

The 2021 Nissan Kicks came standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360, which included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, high beam assist, and rear automatic braking. It also had 10 airbags, a driver alertness monitor, and rear door alert on higher trims. The 2020 Kicks received good crashworthiness scores from the IIHS and a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with the 2021 model expected to perform similarly.