2021 Honda Passport vs 2021 Kia Sorento

The 2021 Kia Sorento marked a significant leap forward in design from its predecessor, shedding the previous model's jelly-bean aesthetics for a more athletic and muscular silhouette. The Sorento's SX Prestige trim with the X-Line package boasted eye-catching exterior features like roof rails, a shark fin antenna, and a rear roof spoiler. The front of the vehicle was dominated by Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille, which was larger and extended toward the corners, framed by sleek, squinting headlights and running lights. A striking silver accent between the front fender and the door added a touch of elegance.

Moving toward the rear, the pointed end of the side windows formed a large D-pillar, resulting in a potential blind spot but enhancing the vehicle's stylish profile. The taillights featured vertical rectangles that offered a modern yet timeless appearance, more cohesive than those on newer models like the 2022 Tucson. Overall, the Sorento's design successfully captured the American SUV styling trend with a balanced look that wasn't overly macho but ready for adventure.

Inside, the Sorento didn't disappoint. Heated outside mirrors, second-row air vents, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and keyless entry were standard across all trims. The driver's seat on the base LX trim had six-way adjustment, while higher trims offered a 10-way adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar support. The front passenger’s seat had up to eight-way adjustment on higher trims but only four-way on the lower trims. Heated seats were available from the S trim upward, and ventilation was exclusive to the SX Prestige with the X-Line package.

Visibility was excellent due to the large windows and the panoramic sunroof, though the sunroof occasionally let in too much sunlight. The interior materials varied from standard cloth on the LX trim to real perforated leather in the SX Prestige, which exceeded expectations for comfort and feel.

Conversely, the 2021 Honda Passport was essentially a two-row version of the Pilot, reflecting similar styling cues that earned it the nickname 'Pilot Sport.' The Passport’s exterior and interior design were almost identical to the Pilot’s, with the main drawback being Honda’s awkward button shifter. Regardless, the Passport featured a spacious and high-quality interior.

The 2021 Passport was available in Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite trims. The entry-level Sport included features like 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 leather upholstery, a power moonroof, a power rear liftgate, auto-locking features, and more adjustable seats. The Touring trim included front-and-rear parking sensors, a hands-free liftgate, and a 10-speaker stereo, while the Elite trim added heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless device charging. Unlike Kia, Honda did not offer option packages for the Passport, placing all features within the trims.

The 2021 Kia Sorento offered a variety of powertrains, starting with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with a traditional eight-speed automatic transmission and was available in both FWD and optional AWD configurations. The more impressive option was the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the test car, which produced 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive, providing ample merging, cruising, and passing power.

Kia also rolled out a hybrid version featuring a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor, albeit only available in FWD. The AWD system in the test model employed torque vectoring for better traction through corners, aided by a center-locking differential for slippery conditions. The X-Line package added 1.3 inches of ride height, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a roof rack. The suspension setup, composed of McPherson struts at the front and a multi-link at the rear, ensured a smooth ride even with the larger wheels.

Different drive modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, delivered varying throttle responses and fuel efficiencies. During the test, Sport mode enhanced throttle response, making the Sorento feel livelier, though Eco mode significantly slowed the throttle. Despite the Sorento’s hefty 4,000-pound weight, it handled corners smoothly without aggressive head-tossing.

In contrast, the 2021 Honda Passport came with a standard 3.5-liter V6 engine across all trims, producing 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport offered FWD and optional AWD configurations. Its ride quality combined comfort with refined handling abilities, focusing on commuter and weekend warrior needs. Despite not being Rubicon Trail-ready, the Passport’s AWD model featured Intelligent Traction Management with Snow, Sand, and Mud modes, and with 8.1 inches of ground clearance, it could handle some light off-roading.

For towing needs, the FWD Passport could tow up to 3,500 pounds, while the AWD version, when properly equipped, could tow up to 5,000 pounds.

In terms of seating, the 2021 Kia Sorento offered three rows, but realistically, the third row was too tight for adult comfort, making the vehicle more suited to accommodate four adults comfortably. The LX and S trims included a second-row bench seat, but upper trims swapped these out for captain’s chairs, further reducing overall seating capacity for adults. Cargo space behind the third row was a limited 12.6 cubic feet, though folding down the third row increased this capacity significantly. With all seats folded, the Sorento provided 75.5 cubic feet of cargo space, similar to a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

The Sorento excelled in small-item storage. In the front, there was a spot for a phone (optional wireless charger available), two cupholders, a center console bucket, and door pockets that could fit narrow water bottles. The second row featured additional cupholders and storage options integrated into the rear doors, securing drinks effectively.

The 2021 Honda Passport offered superior cargo space with 100.8 cubic feet when the rear seats were folded down. With the second row in place, the Passport still managed a generous 50.5 cubic feet of cargo space, including an extra 2.5 cubic feet in an under-floor storage tray. The EX-L trim and above featured a power liftgate, with Touring and Elite trims providing hands-free operation.

The Passport's upright seating configuration assured excellent road visibility and a commanding view. The vehicle's center console included a deep storage bin and an open cargo tray below the shifter and cupholders. Both front and rear seats had ample headroom and legroom, with rear seats that could recline and slide for added comfort.

In the tech department, the 2021 Kia Sorento featured different infotainment setups based on trim. The LX, S, and EX trims were equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen that included hard buttons, volume and tuning knobs, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims, namely the SX and SX Prestige, sported a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen. This screen utilized haptic touch buttons and maintained the physical knobs but required a physical connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Unfortunately, the right third of the screen showed redundant information, reducing the usable screen size to just the central portion.

The Sorento included ample USB ports but lacked USB-C ports. The optional Bose stereo system did not perform as impressively as expected, lacking the immersive audio quality seen in other Bose systems. The vehicle’s built-in navigation system also needed improvements, particularly when searching for specific locations via voice commands.

For 2021, the Honda Passport adopted a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across all trims. Compared to the Pilot, which required upgrading to higher trims for these features, this was a significant advantage. Despite this, the Passport’s infotainment system fell short in terms of user experience, featuring dated graphics, a confusing menu layout, and a volume dial that seemed like an afterthought. Notably, it lacked a tuning dial, which hurt the overall user experience.

The 2021 Kia Sorento came packed with a robust set of safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, lane-following assist, and auto high beams. The test vehicle also included a surround-view camera system with front- and rear-camera views at low speeds, which were exceptionally useful for parking.

Adaptive cruise control worked smoothly without unnecessary aggressive braking or accelerating. However, the lane-keeping assist system was somewhat intrusive, making constant corrections that could be felt through the steering wheel. Overall, the safety systems performed well and facilitated long drives.

In safety evaluations, the Sorento earned four out of five stars from the NHTSA for overall frontal-impact and rollover tests, and a perfect five-star rating in side-impact tests. The IIHS awarded the Sorento a Top Safety Pick designation, with perfect scores for the SX trims’ LED headlights but lower ratings for the LED reflector headlights on the LX, S, and EX trims.

The 2021 Honda Passport’s safety suite included 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 achieved a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and received top "Good" scores in most IIHS crash tests. It received an "Acceptable" rating in the passenger-side small overlap front crash test, and also "Acceptable" ratings for headlights and the ease of using child-seat anchors. Its front crash prevention technology managed a second-tier "Advanced" rating.