2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Honda Passport's new styling closely resembled the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, sharing a vehicle platform with the Odyssey minivan and Pilot three-row SUV. The Passport was essentially a shorter Pilot without a third-row seat, featuring a new nose design for a tougher look. Available in EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite trims, the Passport aimed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts with the TrailSport trim, which included all-wheel drive, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and traction management driving modes.

The TrailSport trim, positioned as the mid-level version, featured unique 18-inch wheels, a roof rack, and simulated skid plates. Inside, the Passport offered a spacious interior with quality materials, orange contrast stitching, and rubber all-season floor mats. Prices ranged from $37,870 to $45,430, with the TrailSport model tested at $44,095. The Passport's interior was one of the largest in the two-row midsize SUV segment, providing ample storage and comfort.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was available in Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle trims, with the mid-trim Limited featuring the S Appearance Package. This package added body-colored door handles, gloss black accents, and 18-inch wheels. The Pacifica Hybrid's exterior included a split grille with LED headlamps and tail lamps. Despite being a minivan, it offered practical sliding doors and more cargo space compared to SUVs.

The Limited trim's interior was dark but featured Nappa leather seats and a sophisticated dash design. The HVAC and audio knobs were chunky but could be confused with the transmission selector dial. The Pacifica Hybrid's interior was comfortable, with heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a spacious third row. However, taller passengers might find the second-row seats a bit low. The Pacifica Hybrid offered 32.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 87.5 cubic feet with the seats folded, and 140.5 cubic feet with everything folded.

The 2022 Honda Passport retained its 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 (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), with the TrailSport and Elite trims featuring Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management Four (i-VTM4) AWD system. The Passport's V6 engine was smooth and powerful, with an EPA rating of 22 mpg combined for FWD and 21 mpg for AWD. The TrailSport model averaged 21.3 mpg in various driving conditions.

The Passport's i-VTM4 system provided mechanical torque vectoring, delivering up to 70% of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when needed. While the Passport excelled on twisty roads, its off-road capabilities were limited. The SUV offered a firm, communicative ride, athletic handling, and good steering feel. However, the brakes could heat up and vibrate on mountain grades, affecting confidence. The Passport's 5,000-pound towing capacity was adequate, but the brakes' performance under low-load conditions was a concern.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid combined a 3.6-liter V6 engine with a 16-kWh battery and two electric motors, offering 260 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque. It was the only plug-in hybrid minivan, with an EPA rating of 32 miles of all-electric range, 520 miles of total range, 82 MPGe, and 30 mpg combined. In testing, the Pacifica Hybrid exceeded these estimates, achieving 33 miles of electric range and over 550 miles of total range.

Charging the battery on a Level 2 home charger took two hours, while a standard outlet required 14 hours. The Pacifica Hybrid defaulted to all-electric mode before switching to hybrid mode, which was efficient in city driving but less so on highways. The Pacifica Hybrid was front-wheel drive only and lacked a spare tire and towing package. Despite these limitations, it offered a smooth driving experience with a continuously variable automatic transmission and better-than-expected handling due to its lower center of gravity.

The 2022 Honda Passport featured large doors and a low step-in height, making it easy to enter and exit. The front seats were large and comfortable, with leather upholstery and heated front seats as standard. The Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The Passport's interior was spacious, with ample legroom, headroom, and hip room for rear passengers. The SUV offered plenty of storage, including a massive center console storage bin and various door panel shelves.

Cargo space was generous, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 77.7 cubic feet with the back seat folded down. The Passport's simple utility and comfort made it easy to live with, providing a pleasant driving experience.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid offered the FamCam interior camera, allowing parents to monitor children in the second and third rows. The Limited trim featured heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a comfortable driver's seat. The second-row seats were comfortable but low, while the third row was spacious enough for adults. The Pacifica Hybrid's cargo space remained the same as the standard model, with 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 87.5 cubic feet with the seats folded, and 140.5 cubic feet with everything folded.

However, the plug-in hybrid model lacked the Stow 'n Go seats, built-in vacuum cleaner, and heated second-row seats available in the standard Pacifica. Despite these limitations, the Pacifica Hybrid offered ample cargo space and a comfortable interior.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio. The TrailSport trim added a navigation system, while the Elite trim featured a 10-speaker premium sound system and HondaLink connected services, including a WiFi hotspot. The system had shortcut buttons for the Home menu, Back button, screen brightness, and stereo volume, but lacked a stereo tuning knob. Apple CarPlay and Siri were preferred over the Passport's clunky navigation system. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the Passport was not technologically advanced.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and the ability to connect two phones via Bluetooth. The optional rear seat entertainment system added two 10-inch screens for second-row passengers, with games and streaming content from Amazon Fire TV. The Pacifica Hybrid had numerous USB-A and USB-C ports, 12-volt outlets, a 115-volt outlet, auxiliary ports, and wireless charging, ensuring devices were always charged.

The 2022 Honda Passport came with the Honda Sensing collection of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. It also featured blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights, a rear-seat reminder system, and a seatbelt reminder system. However, the lane-departure warning and lane-centering assist functions were intrusive, and the adaptive cruise control was not smooth in heavy traffic. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA, except for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision and rollover resistance, which earned four stars. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings, except for an Acceptable rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.

The 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid included blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking assist, and adaptive cruise control as standard. The forward collision warning system was effective, and the adaptive cruise control was smooth. However, parallel parking assist and front and rear parking assist were only available with a package or the top Pinnacle trim. The 2023 Pacifica Hybrid had not been rated by the NHTSA, but the 2022 version received a five-star overall rating. The IIHS gave it Good marks, except for Marginal grades for seat belt reminders and Average grades for headlights and LATCH ease of use.