2021 Honda Passport vs 2021 Honda HR-V

The 2021 Honda Passport was introduced for the 2019 model year. It carries over to 2021 largely unchanged, but with some additional features. First used by Honda in the early 1990s, the Passport name harkens back to a time when SUVs were more about rugged off-road capability. SUVs are very different beasts these days, and the Passport bridges the gap as an adventurous crossover SUV that is designed with daily life in mind.

The Passport is closely related to the Honda Pilot. The fact that Honda offers multiple midsize SUVs might seem confusing. Automakers always talk about not wanting one model to cannibalize sales of another. Though the Honda Passport and the Honda Pilot are in the same category, the Passport stands out as a more active alternative. It leverages that older more rugged Honda nameplate and backs it up with some features not found on the family-hauling Pilot.

The 2021 Honda HR-V is the automaker’s smallest crossover SUV, sitting below the Honda CR-V in size and price. While Honda hasn’t updated the HR-V in some time, it remains worthy of consideration thanks to agile handling and impressive practicality for its size.

Because while it’s billed as an SUV, the HR-V shares a platform with the discontinued Honda Fit hatchback. The HR-V is a bit bigger than that pint-sized wonder however, and adds features SUVs buyers want, such as a taller driving position and available all-wheel drive (AWD).

Honda launched the HR-V for the 2016 model year, and added more tech features for 2019. While Honda has been pushing these updates, the subcompact crossover category has exploded, adding new entrants from the likes of Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota.

The HR-V doesn’t receive any major updates for the 2021 model year, so we’re using our experience with past model years for this overview. The HR-V LX, Sport, EX, and EX-L trim levels carry over for 2021, but the HR-V Touring is no more. The only other changes are new wheel designs for the Sport, EX, and EX-L models, and added privacy glass for the HR-V Sport.