2021 Subaru Forester vs 2021 Honda Passport

The 2021 Subaru Forester carried the streak of Subaru's familiar styling, which, while functional, looked somewhat dated given that it was largely reminiscent of the pre-2019 model. The main visual update in the recent generation had been distinctive cross-shaped taillights, giving it a touch of modernity. Subaru seemed to follow the 'if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it' policy, sustaining its boxy and upright form—a favored aesthetic for many SUV enthusiasts.

While the Base trim had a simplistic appearance with 17-inch steel wheels, it still managed to present a clean and practical look. Sport models elevated the aesthetic game with vibrant orange striping along the body and roof rails, a rear spoiler, and black 18-inch alloy wheels. These accents significantly revamped its look, particularly noticeable when paired with colors like Dark Blue Pearl.

Under its sheet metal and dramatic orange detailing, the Forester utilized the Subaru Global Platform, shared with several other Subaru models. Subaru’s traditional rugged SUV marketing was somewhat aligned here, although the shared platform with various sedan and hatchbacks did not signal a genuine shift.

Inside, the Forester displayed a mix of resilient materials likely to endure years of active use. The Sport trim's orange accents carried through the interior, injecting a bit of energy into the cabin design. The model's practicality extended to upholstering, with cloth on lower trims and leather on Limited and Touring variants. Features like the All-Weather Package, including heated seats and mirrors, were standard from the Premium trim upwards.

The 2021 Honda Passport shared striking similarities with its larger sibling, the Pilot, both inside and out. Effectively a shortened Pilot, the Passport sported two rows of seats instead of three, making it more compact but similarly styled. Inside, its dash layout mirrored the Pilot, featuring Honda's infamous button shifter, potentially a drawback for those preferring a traditional gearshift.

Despite these corporate design traits, the Passport housed a spacious and high-quality interior. Sport trim started with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, push-button start, and tri-zone climate control amongst other features. Upgrades in higher trims like the EX-L included leather seats, a power moonroof, and a power rear liftgate. The Touring trim added navigation, WiFi hotspot, and superior stereo systems, while the top-level Elite brought in luxury touches like heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel.

The 2021 Forester came with a single powertrain option: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), certain trims offered a manual mode and paddle shifters. Maintaining Subaru's hallmark, the engine boasted a boxer layout, aiding a lower center of gravity. Despite adequate power for most situations, the absence of a turbocharged engine option detracted from its highway merging and overtaking capabilities. Subaru cited a 1,500-pound towing capacity with Trailer Stability Assist included as standard.

The Forester prioritized comfort over handling, evident in its soft suspension tuning that softened road bumps but resulted in notable body roll and bounce, especially on uneven roads. Subaru’s signature AWD system remained a highlight, making the Forester standout in its segment, fortified with systems like X-Mode (standard), and Dual X-Mode on Sport models for varied surface handling. Models from Premium trim up included hill-descent control and an 8.7-inch ground clearance, solidifying its mild off-road capability.

Equipped with a more powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine, the 2021 Passport generated 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine, coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission, ensured robust acceleration and smooth power distribution. Options included standard front-wheel drive (FWD) or available all-wheel drive (AWD). While the stop-start system's abruptness might have been a minor annoyance, its cancel switch offered a remedy.

The Passport excelled in balancing comfort and handling finesse, focusing on commuters and weekend adventurers rather than hardcore off-road enthusiasts. However, with 8.1 inches of ground clearance and AWD models featuring Intelligent Traction Management with modes for Snow, Sand, and Mud, it remained competent on unpaved paths. It also outperformed the Forester in towing capacity, with FWD versions towing up to 3,500 pounds and AWD versions handling up to 5,000 pounds.

Inside the Forester, headroom and legroom were ample in both the front and rear, partially thanks to its tall and flat roofline. This design also provided extensive window space, resulting in excellent visibility but potentially raising cabin temperatures on sunny days. Cargo space stood at 35.4 cubic feet with rear seats up, expanding to 76.1 cubic feet with the seats folded down. While the Forester boasted more cargo space than some rivals like the Honda CR-V or 2022 Hyundai Tucson, it still fell short against the Ford Escape and Nissan Rogue, largely due to the absence of a sliding second-row bench. Power liftgate options kicked in from the Sport trim level and became standard on higher trims.

Despite not having the abundant cupholder count of its larger sibling, the Ascent, the Forester’s cupholders were adequately sized. However, some other interior storage solutions like the phone cubby and console arrangement could have been refined for better practicality. Features like power-adjustable seats were not standard in the base trim, introducing slight inconvenience in terms of comfort.

The Passport offered a significant edge over the Forester in cargo capacity. With rear seats folded, it delivered a generous 100.8 cubic feet of space and 50.5 cubic feet with the second row in use. An added 2.5 cubic feet of under-floor storage further enhanced its practicality. Higher trims such as the EX-L featured a power liftgate, with Touring and Elite including a hands-free variant.

The upright seating position contributed to excellent visibility and a commanding road view. Practical storage segments like deep center bins and open cargo trays in the center console alongside useful door pockets added to its utility. Rear seats were equally spacious, with generous headroom and legroom, along with reclining and sliding capabilities for enhanced comfort.

Subaru's Starlink infotainment system stood out for its user-friendly interface. Standard features included a 6.5-inch touchscreen with smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, front-row USB ports, and a CD player. The Sport trim welcomed an 8-inch touchscreen and enhanced audio from Harman Kardon, while higher trims added navigation and extra USB ports in the rear.

However, the responsiveness of the system garnered mixed reviews, with slow boot times when starting the car. The redundancy of multiple screens—one in the center of the dash and another within the instrument cluster—seemed like overkill, with much of the same information being duplicated.

In 2021, Honda wisely made Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across all Passport trims, accompanied by an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This simplified matters compared to the Pilot, where these features necessitated moving to at least an EX trim. However, despite these inclusions, Hondas's infotainment system lagged behind, with dated graphics and a confusing menu layout. Controls like the volume dial appeared more as an afterthought than a thoughtfully-integrated component.

Safety was a highlight for the Forester, substantiated by its top "Top Safety Pick+" award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Subaru’s EyeSight suite came standard, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lead-vehicle start alert. EyeSight’s camera-based system enabled more straightforward integration and broader rollout compared to radar-based rivals. Subaru also integrated DriverFocus, a unique driver-monitoring system ensuring attentive driving.

Additional standard safety features comprised steering-responsive headlights, automatic high beams, and a rear seatbelt reminder. Optional safety upgrades included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and reverse automatic braking.

The Passport came well-armed with advanced safety features. Standard inclusions were automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control capable of outputting stop-and-go functionality in traffic. Optional features expanded to blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors.

The Passport shone in NHTSA evaluations with a five-star overall rating and performed commendably in IIHS tests. It received top "Good" scores in most crash evaluations, though marked "Acceptable" in the passenger-side small overlap front crash test, headlights assessment, and child seat anchor ease of use. Its front crash prevention tech attained a second-tier "Advanced" rating.