2022 Cadillac XT5 vs 2021 Honda Passport

The 2021 Honda Passport was essentially a shortened version of the Pilot, featuring two rows of seats instead of three. This similarity was evident in its design, both externally and internally. The Passport’s dashboard layout was visually identical to that of the Pilot, including Honda’s awkward “button shifter” design. Despite this, the Passport boasted a spacious interior with high-quality materials throughout. Trim levels ranged from Sport to Elite, each adding more features such as leather upholstery, power moonroof, and advanced audio systems.

In contrast, the 2022 Cadillac XT5 had a design that mixed Cadillac’s trademark cues with a compact footprint and tall profile. The Premium Luxury and Sport models had distinct exterior styling cues, with the former featuring bright chrome and the latter darker trim and a mesh grille. The XT5’s interior felt luxurious, especially with the optional Platinum Package, which added semi-aniline leather upholstery and a microfiber sueded headliner. However, the interior design lacked a strong theme and brand-specific markers, making it less distinctive compared to its competitors.

The 2021 Honda Passport came standard 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 and all-wheel drive as an option. The V6 provided strong acceleration, and the automatic transmission managed power well. The Passport’s ride was a blend of comfort and refined handling, with 8.1 inches of ground clearance and Intelligent Traction Management for AWD models. It could tow up to 3,500 pounds with FWD and 5,000 pounds with AWD.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 offered two engine options: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.6-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6 provided ample power for everyday driving, with smooth and quick shifts. The optional Platinum Package included a performance suspension with adaptive dampers, which offered a comfortable ride and excellent body control. The steering was well-suited for a luxury vehicle, and the cabin was impressively quiet.

The 2021 Honda Passport offered generous cargo space, with 100.8 cubic feet available with the rear seats folded and 50.5 cubic feet with the second row in use. An additional 2.5 cubic feet was available in an under-floor storage tray. The EX-L trim and higher included a power liftgate, with hands-free operation on the Touring and Elite trims. The upright seating position provided excellent visibility, and the rear seats offered plenty of headroom and legroom, with the ability to recline and slide.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 compared favorably to German luxury crossovers in terms of interior space. It had more front headroom than the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, but less than the BMW X3. The XT5 also had more legroom in both rows, though the seats could have been more comfortable. Cadillac quoted 30 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 63 cubic feet with them folded, beating the Q5, X3, and GLC. A hands-free power liftgate was available, and the center console included a small cubbyhole for additional storage.

For 2021, the Honda Passport made Android Auto and Apple CarPlay standard, included with the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. However, the system had dated graphics, a confusing menu layout, and a volume dial that felt like an afterthought. Despite these shortcomings, the inclusion of smartphone connectivity features as standard was a significant advantage.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 featured an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. An 8-inch digital instrument cluster display and a head-up display were available with the optional Technology Package. While the touchscreen was easy to navigate, the array of secondary controls, including a rotary controller and capacitive touchpads, were not ideally placed and lacked physical feedback. The optional Bose Performance Series 14-speaker system provided excellent sound quality.

The 2021 Honda Passport came well-equipped with advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Passport received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash tests, though it had "Acceptable" ratings for headlights and child-seat anchor ease of use.

The 2022 Cadillac XT5 included standard safety features such as forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keep assist. The optional Driver Assist Package added adaptive cruise control and enhanced automatic emergency braking. The XT5 received top "Good" scores in all IIHS crash tests and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech. However, it had a "Marginal" headlight rating and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the XT5 a five-star overall safety rating.