2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport vs 2020 Honda Passport

The 2020 Honda Passport was a testament to Honda's consistent design philosophy, offering a familiar yet appealing aesthetic that resonated with loyal Honda buyers. Its exterior design, reminiscent of a scaled-down Pilot or an enhanced CR-V, struck a balance between ruggedness and athleticism. The Passport's elevated ground clearance and robust styling cues, such as the matte black grille and 20-inch alloy wheels, contributed to its off-road-ready appearance. Inside, the Passport's cabin was a blend of practicality and sophistication, featuring a mix of durable and soft-touch materials. The spacious interior, with its button-light design, provided comfort and convenience, especially in the Elite trim, which boasted heated and ventilated seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and a moonroof.

In contrast, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport adopted a more aggressive design approach, with a low roofline and raked rear hatch that gave it a sporty, coupe-like appearance. However, this styling choice resulted in a mix of SUV ruggedness and car-like features that some found awkward. The Cross Sport shared its platform with the larger Atlas, maintaining a similar wheelbase but with a shorter and lower profile. The interior followed VW's minimalist design ethos, offering functionality but falling short in material quality. Despite leather upholstery and contrast stitching in higher trims, the cabin felt cheap, with an abundance of hard plastics. The sloping roofline also compromised rear headroom, making it less accommodating for taller passengers.

The 2020 Honda Passport was powered by a reliable 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the engine provided sufficient power for various driving conditions, its fuel economy was less impressive, with FWD models achieving 20 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The AWD variant offered slightly lower figures. The Passport excelled in off-road scenarios, thanks to its torque-vectoring AWD system and multiple drive modes, including Snow, Sand, and Mud. It also boasted a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds, surpassing many competitors.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport offered two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 235 horsepower and a 3.6-liter VR6 engine with 276 horsepower. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The VR6 engine provided lively acceleration from a stop but lacked midrange power, and the transmission was slow to respond. The Cross Sport's ride quality was subpar, with noticeable bumps and road noise. Despite its "Sport" moniker, the SUV handled more like a truck, with significant body roll and loose steering. The VR6 model matched the Passport's towing capacity at 5,000 pounds, but the four-cylinder variant was limited to 2,000 pounds.

The 2020 Honda Passport was praised for its practicality, offering ample interior space and comfort. Its right-sized dimensions provided excellent visibility and spacious seating for four adults, with no third-row option. The Passport excelled in cargo capacity, with 41.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and the most under-floor storage in its class. The interior featured thoughtful storage solutions, including a large center console and secondary shelf space. The Passport's climate control and seat functionalities were user-friendly and effective.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport offered competitive interior space, with generous front-seat and rear-seat legroom. However, the sloping roofline compromised rear headroom. Cargo space was above average, with 40.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 77.8 cubic feet with them folded. The interior included standard 60/40 split-folding rear seats and various storage options, such as a center console and second-row armrest with cupholders. Despite these features, the Cross Sport's interior materials and design left much to be desired.

The 2020 Honda Passport featured a straightforward infotainment system, with higher trims offering an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. The system was practical and easy to use, with responsive pinch, swipe, and tap functionality. Standard features included Bluetooth, a USB port, and a seven-speaker audio system, while higher trims added a 10-speaker audio system, satellite radio, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport offered two infotainment systems, with higher trims featuring the MIB3 system and an 8-inch touchscreen. MIB3 included multiple-device pairing and updated voice recognition, but the system was slow to load and lacked significant improvements over the previous version. The Digital Cockpit display was a highlight, providing customizable gauge configurations. However, the Fender audio system was underwhelming, and the voice recognition required specific prompts.

The 2020 Honda Passport prioritized safety, earning top 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, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trims offered additional features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic detection.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport also received high safety ratings, with top scores from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. However, its headlight ratings varied by trim level. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning and blind-spot monitoring, with optional features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. Unique to VW were the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System and Intelligent Crash Response System. New for 2021 were Travel Assist and Emergency Assist, offering automated lane centering and emergency stopping capabilities.