2020 Honda Passport vs 2021 Volkswagen Atlas

The 2020 Honda Passport was a quintessential Honda, featuring familiar parts and aesthetics that appealed to loyal Honda buyers. Its exterior resembled a smaller Honda Pilot but with a more rugged and athletic look, fitting neatly between the Pilot and CR-V in size, capability, and price. The Passport Elite trim came loaded with features like a scratch-resistant matte black grille, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and black-rimmed LED headlights, enhancing its rugged appeal. 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.

In contrast, the 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received a styling refresh that included new front and rear bumpers, standard LED headlights and taillights, and a new grille. These changes added 2.4 inches to its length, giving it a more extroverted look compared to the conservative 2020 model. The Atlas featured a minimalist interior design with logically laid-out controls and a standard seven-seat configuration. However, the material quality in the mid-level SE with Technology trim was below average, with cheap-feeling plastics and simulated wood and metal trim that lacked authenticity. Despite these shortcomings, the Atlas offered practical features like a sliding second-row bench for easy third-row access and up to 17 cupholders.

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, although fuel economy was a weak point, with FWD models achieving 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. AWD models performed slightly worse. The Passport excelled in off-road conditions, thanks to its torque-vectoring AWD system and drive modes for Snow, Sand, and Mud. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds, outperforming rivals like the Nissan Murano and Chevrolet Blazer.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas offered two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.6-liter VR6 with 276 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and offered FWD or optional 4Motion AWD. The driving experience with the base engine and AWD was underwhelming, with rough shifts and poor ride quality. The Atlas had an Active Control feature with different drive modes, but its handling remained truck-like. The VR6 models could tow up to 5,000 pounds, while the four-cylinder models were limited to 2,000 pounds. Fuel economy was unimpressive, with the four-cylinder AWD models rated at 21 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined, and the VR6 AWD models rated at 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined.

The 2020 Honda Passport was practical, with a right-sized design that provided good visibility and spacious seating for four adults. It offered height-adjustable seatbelts, three full LATCH connections, and ample knee- and legroom. The Passport excelled in cargo space, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and the most under-floor storage in its class. It also featured a power liftgate, tri-zone automatic climate control, and thoughtful small-item storage solutions.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas, designed as a family hauler, offered 96.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats and 20.6 cubic feet with all seats up. It provided more third-row legroom than most competitors but had the worst second-row legroom in its class. The second-row bench seat was uncomfortable, with thin, flat cushions. The Atlas featured a tall driving position, ultrasonic parking sensors, and up to five USB ports and 17 cupholders. However, forward visibility was less than optimal, and the material quality in the mid-level SE with Technology trim was below average.

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 system was practical, with easy-to-navigate on-screen options and a manual power button and volume knob. 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 hotspot.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas featured Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility across all models. The base S trim had a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, while other models had an 8-inch screen. Higher trims offered Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit, a 10.3-inch reconfigurable digital display. The Atlas was set to receive the MIBIII infotainment system later in the model year, with multi-phone pairing, improved voice recognition, and a redesigned navigation system. The base six-speaker audio system was decent, with an option to center the sound in a specific row. A 12-speaker Fender audio system was available on higher trims. New for 2021 was a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot.

The 2020 Honda Passport prioritized safety, achieving 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 dynamic gridlines for the rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic detection.

The 2021 Volkswagen Atlas received top ratings in IIHS crash tests but had mixed headlight ratings and a marginal rating for child-seat anchors. The 2020 model received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The Atlas came standard with automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring, with adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist available on higher trims. Later in the model year, the Atlas was set to receive Travel Assist and Emergency Assist on SEL and SEL Premium trims.