2021 Honda Passport vs 2022 Toyota 4Runner

The 2021 Honda Passport presented itself as a shortened sibling to the Honda Pilot, with its two rows of seats setting it apart from the three-row Pilot. Visually, the Passport resembled the Pilot so much that it could have been dubbed the "Pilot Sport." The similarities extended to the interior, where the dashboard layout was nearly indistinguishable between the two models. Unfortunately, this also meant both shared Honda’s distinctive but somewhat awkward “button shifter” design for the automatic transmission instead of a traditional lever.

Despite the corporate design choices, the Passport boasted a spacious interior using high-quality materials. The SUV came in several trims: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. The base Sport trim offered substantial features, including 20-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, push-button start, tri-zone climate control, and a seven-speaker audio system. The EX-L trim added luxury touches like leather upholstery, a power moonroof, a power rear liftgate, and walk-away auto-locking features. Touring trims featured enhancements such as front-and-rear parking sensors, a hands-free liftgate, an upgraded 10-speaker stereo system, and a WiFi hotspot. At the top of the range, the Elite trim added amenities like heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and wireless charging. With no option packages, Honda neatly compartmentalized features across these trims.

Comparatively, the 2022 Toyota 4Runner clung to its rugged roots from the SUV boom of the 1980s, maintaining its relationship with the Toyota Tacoma pickup. While many modern SUVs evolved to resemble high-riding wagons, the 4Runner stayed true to its off-road heritage, wearing its adventurous spirit openly. Features such as the high ride height, boxy proportions, and angled front bumper underscored its trail-ready design. Inside, the 4Runner’s cabin reminded users of its last full redesign in 2009, with a dash layout reminiscent of the late 2000s.

Trims for the 2022 4Runner included SR5, Trail Special Edition, TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, and Limited. The base SR5 came with basics like push-button start, remote keyless entry, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Trail Special Edition offered unique touches like dark gray alloy wheels and a Yakima LoadWarrior cargo basket. The TRD Sport trim brought road-oriented enhancements with 20-inch alloy wheels and performance suspension. The TRD Off-Road trim catered to trail enthusiasts with 4WD and added off-road features. The TRD Pro further enhanced off-road capabilities with specialized shock absorbers and advanced audio systems. Lastly, the Limited trim, similar to the TRD Sport, offered more road-oriented features like leather upholstery and ventilated front seats.

In 2021, the Honda Passport came standard with a robust 3.5-liter V6 engine delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Depending on the chosen configuration, buyers could opt for standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). This V6 provided strong acceleration, and the automatic transmission managed power well, although the stop-start system could be abrupt. The Passport offered 8.1 inches of ground clearance, with the AWD model featuring Intelligent Traction Management for Snow, Sand, and Mud modes. While not tailored for extreme off-roading, the Passport could tow up to 3,500 pounds with FWD and up to 5,000 pounds with AWD.

For the 2022 Toyota 4Runner, all trims were powered by a 4.0-liter V6 engine producing 270 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque. This engine, albeit dated, was known for its reliability and reasonable performance off the line. The power was delivered through a five-speed automatic transmission, available with either rear-wheel drive or 4WD with a low range. While the 4Runner's ride felt harsh and cumbersome with noticeable body roll, these characteristics became advantageous off-road, where the vehicle excelled at low-speed trail maneuvers. With features like Crawl Control and a locking differential, the 4Runner shined off the pavement. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds, which, although modest compared to some trucks, was respectable for its class.

The 2021 Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity, offering a generous 100.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded and 50.5 cubic feet with the second row in use. An additional 2.5 cubic feet came from an under-floor storage tray. The EX-L trim included a power liftgate, whereas the Touring and Elite trims featured a hands-free power liftgate. The upright seating position afforded excellent visibility, and the center console provided ample storage, alongside deep in-door pockets for both front and rear passengers, ensuring a comfortable and practical interior.

In comparison, the 2022 Toyota 4Runner offered a maximum of 89.7 cubic feet of cargo space in the two-row version and 47.2 cubic feet with the second row in use. Opting for the three-row version reduced the maximum cargo space slightly to 88.8 cubic feet, with just 9 cubic feet behind the third row. Unlike the Passport, the 4Runner did not offer a power rear liftgate but featured a convenient power-open/close rear window for easy cargo access. While not a paragon of interior space efficiency, the 4Runner provided sufficient room for gear, especially in its two-row configuration.

In 2021, Honda made a smart move by including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard features on the Passport, integrated with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This was a step up from the three-row Pilot, where moving to at least the EX trim was necessary for similar connectivity. However, the Passport's infotainment system had outdated graphics, a confusing menu layout, and an uninspired volume dial, detracting from the overall user experience.

Conversely, the 2022 Toyota 4Runner came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring hard buttons and dials surrounding the screen for ease of use. It included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa, along with Bluetooth connectivity, Satellite Radio, and multiple USB ports. While a larger screen was not an option, additional features such as navigation, HD radio, and a 15-speaker JBL premium audio system were available. Despite lacking advanced features like a head-up display, the 4Runner's straightforward infotainment system catered well to its target audience.

The 2021 Honda Passport was well-equipped with advanced safety features including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability. Additionally, optional features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were available. The Passport earned an overall five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and received "Good" scores in most crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), though it received "Acceptable" ratings for headlights and child-seat anchoring, and an "Advanced" rating for front crash prevention.

Toyota kept the 2022 4Runner competitive in safety by including the Toyota Safety Sense suite. This package offered forward emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and lane departure warning. Additional features like blind-spot monitoring and a surround-view camera system were optional. The 4Runner earned four out of five stars from NHTSA for frontal and side-impact testing, and three stars for rollover testing. As of the time of review, the 2022 4Runner had not yet been evaluated by the IIHS.