2021 Honda Passport vs 2021 Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge and the 2021 Honda Passport offered distinct approaches to styling and interior design, each appealing to different tastes and preferences.

The 2021 Ford Edge's styling remained largely unchanged since its 2019 refresh, which effectively aligned its exterior with Ford's more contemporary designs. This refresh significantly enhanced its visual appeal, successfully integrating the modern Ford look with the existing Edge body shell. Viewed as a cleaner alternative to the often elaborate styling of competitors like the Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe, the Edge Titanium trim featured additional chrome elements to signify its upscale status. Meanwhile, the ST trim boasted a blacked-out grille, standard 20-inch wheels, and a sporty body kit, with the ST-Line offering the same aggressive exterior looks sans the performance upgrades and cost associated with the ST.

Inside, however, the Edge began to show its age. The interior design didn't come across as fresh as the exterior and had been awkwardly modified over the years to fit new features like a larger touchscreen. Leather upholstery was exclusive to the Titanium models, while the ST trim included sporty front seats with extra bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, both featuring contrast stitching.

In contrast, the 2021 Honda Passport was essentially a trimmed-down version of the Honda Pilot, offering two rows of seats instead of three. This similarity extended to their exteriors, where the Passport closely mirrored the Pilot, effectively making it feel like a "Pilot Sport." This resemblance carried over to the interiors, where the Passport's dashboard layout was virtually identical to the Pilot's. Both SUVs shared Honda’s unconventional “button shifter” design, which replaced the traditional automatic transmission lever.

Despite these corporate design choices, the Passport offered a spacious and high-quality interior. Trim levels for the Passport ranged from Sport to Elite, offering varying levels of features and amenities:

• The base Sport trim came equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, push-button start, tri-zone climate control, a seven-speaker audio system, and a one-touch fold-down rear bench.

• The EX-L trim level added leather upholstery, a power moonroof, a power rear liftgate, walk-away auto-locking, and side mirrors that tilted down when the vehicle was in reverse.

• The Touring trim included front-and-rear parking sensors, a hands-free liftgate, a 115-volt wall-style power outlet, an upgraded 10-speaker stereo system, satellite-linked navigation, and a WiFi hotspot.

• The range-topping Elite trim featured heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and wireless device charging.

Analyzing the performance of these two vehicles reveals significant differences in their powertrains and handling, designed to cater to different types of drivers.

The 2021 Ford Edge primarily utilized a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, generating 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and was available with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The base FWD four-cylinder Edge had a towing capacity of 3,958 pounds, while the four-cylinder AWD models could tow up to 4,122 pounds. The V6-powered Edge ST could tow up to 4,525 pounds, although these figures fell short compared to some competitors.

The Edge ST performance model took things up a notch with an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine, producing an impressive 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel. This model came standard with AWD, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and suspension tuning specific to the ST. An optional package enhanced the ST's capabilities further with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels featuring summer tires. However, while the Edge ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, it was considered a stretch by some car enthusiasts. Nonetheless, the Edge ST offered a spirited driving experience, especially when compared to non-ST models, which were noted to feel a bit sluggish.

In contrast, the 2021 Honda Passport featured a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine across all trim levels, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in both FWD and AWD variants. The Passport's V6 provided strong acceleration, with the automatic transmission managing power efficiently. Although the engine's stop-start system could be abrupt, it was a minor inconvenience that could be easily turned off.

The Passport was engineered to offer an ideal balance of comfort and refined handling, making it well-suited for both commuting and weekend adventures. It came with 8.1 inches of ground clearance and, in the AWD models, an Intelligent Traction Management system with Snow, Sand, and Mud drive modes. The Passport's towing capacity was competitive, with FWD models capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds and AWD models rated for up to 5,000 pounds.

Interior space and cargo capacity were significant considerations for both the 2021 Ford Edge and the 2021 Honda Passport, with each vehicle offering unique advantages.

The 2021 Ford Edge was competitive in terms of interior space, boasting the most rear-seat headroom among the two-row midsize crossovers of its time. It also offered ample legroom in both the front and rear seats, second only to the Hyundai Santa Fe. Standard features included dual-zone automatic climate control.

Cargo capacity in the Edge was substantial but fell short of its top competitors. With the rear seats in place, it provided 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space, which expanded to 73.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. A foot-activated power liftgate was available on higher trim levels for added convenience. Ford's signature rotary shift knob was designed to free up space on the center console, but the console's narrow width meant that the available space was only average. The raised console did leave room for a storage nook below, although its out-of-the-way location could make items stored there easy to forget.

In comparison, the 2021 Honda Passport excelled in cargo space. With the rear seats folded, the Passport offered a generous 100.8 cubic feet of cargo space, and with the second row in use, it provided up to 50.5 cubic feet. Additionally, an under-floor storage tray added another 2.5 cubic feet of space. The Passport's EX-L trim and higher included a power liftgate, with the Touring and Elite trims offering a hands-free power liftgate.

The Passport's upright seating position provided excellent visibility and a commanding view of the road. Its center console featured a deep center bin and an open cargo tray below the shifter and cupholders. Both the front and rear seats included deep in-door pockets for water bottles and other items. Rear seating in the Passport was particularly accommodating, offering ample headroom and legroom, and the seats could both recline and slide for added comfort.

Both vehicles offered modern infotainment systems, but their execution and user experience varied.

The 2021 Ford Edge was up-to-date with the latest technology, featuring Ford's Sync 4 infotainment system. This system came with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a sizeable 12-inch touchscreen. Other standard tech included Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio (offering a three-month free trial), and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models further elevated the tech offerings with a premium 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.

The Edge featured four USB ports, including two additional rear USB ports (one USB-C) introduced for the 2021 model year. While CarGurus experts hadn’t driven a Sync 4-equipped Edge, their experiences with Sync 4 in other Ford models were positive, noting the system's simple graphics and easy-to-navigate menus.

For 2021, the Honda Passport made Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard, included with the newly standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system—a notable benefit since these features on the three-row Pilot required upgrading to at least the EX trim. Despite this, Honda’s infotainment system was criticized for its dated graphics, confusing menu layout, and an awkwardly placed volume dial. The volume dial’s inclusion, however, was seen as somewhat of silver lining. Some considered it better than none at all, despite the absence of a tuning dial.

Safety was a primary concern for consumers, and both the Ford Edge and Honda Passport were well-equipped to address this with robust safety features and strong performance in crash tests.

The 2021 Ford Edge achieved the title of “Top Safety Pick” from the IIHS. It earned the highest ratings in all crash tests and the top "Superior" rating for front crash prevention in vehicle-to-vehicle scenarios. However, its pedestrian front crash prevention technology received an "Advanced" rating, and it got mixed results for headlight performance and LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use.

The NHTSA awarded the 2021 Edge a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in rollover tests. The Edge came standard with a range of safety features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner, including automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), post-collision braking, dynamic brake support, and rear parking sensors. Higher trims also included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centering, as well as Evasive Steering Assist for enhanced maneuverability in emergency situations.

Similarly, the 2021 Honda Passport was loaded with advanced safety features as standard, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control capable of adjusting to stop-and-go traffic conditions. Additional driver assistance features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors were available.

The Passport earned an overall five-star rating from the NHTSA. While it received top “Good” ratings in most IIHS crash tests, it only managed "Acceptable" ratings in the passenger-side small overlap front crash test, for headlights, and child-seat anchor ease of use. The Passport's front crash prevention tech was rated "Advanced."