2024 Honda Passport vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Land Rover Defender presented a unique blend of classic and modern design elements. Its boxy profile was reminiscent of older models, yet it incorporated contemporary features like angular headlights that aligned it with the current Land Rover lineup. Inside, the Defender distinguished itself with a rugged, adventure-ready feel, more akin to a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, but with the added luxury of soft-touch materials. The Defender was available in three body styles: the two-door 90, the four-door 110, and the extended-wheelbase four-door 130, each offering various trims such as S, X-Dynamic SE, X, Carpathian Edition, and Outbound. The Defender 110 S, the most popular configuration, came with a County visual package that included white wheels and vintage graphics, emphasizing its nostalgic appeal. Standard features on the S trim included 19-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable front seats, and a 10-speaker Meridian sound system, with options for premium leather upholstery and additional climate control features.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport maintained a familiar design, largely unchanged from previous iterations. Despite Honda's recent updates to other models, the Passport retained its traditional look, with minor tweaks like a more upright grille and squared-off corners introduced in 2022. The Passport was offered in three trims: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition, all featuring leather seats, a power moonroof, and all-wheel drive as standard. The TrailSport trim, which we tested, was designed to be the most rugged, equipped with all-terrain tires and roof rails. However, its rugged appearance was more aesthetic than functional, with plastic skid plates and no lift kit. Inside, the Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen and physical controls, with black leather upholstery and orange stitching in the TrailSport trim. The interior was simple yet functional, with ample storage space and a utilitarian design.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, delivering 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The Defender also offered two supercharged 5.0-liter V8 options, the P500 and P525, with outputs of 493 hp and 518 hp, respectively. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity varied, with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models capable of towing up to 7,716 pounds, while the four-cylinder could tow up to 5,500 pounds. The Defender excelled in off-road capabilities, particularly with features like the adaptive air suspension and Terrain Response 2 system, making it a formidable choice for rugged terrains.

The 2024 Honda Passport, on the other hand, was equipped with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Managed by a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Passport offered smooth acceleration and unobtrusive gear shifts. The TrailSport trim featured mechanical enhancements for off-road driving, including wider tracks and all-terrain tires. All Passports came with Honda's torque-vectoring iVTM4 all-wheel-drive system and a traction-management system with various settings. The Passport's towing capacity was 5,000 pounds, surpassing some competitors but falling short of others like the Jeep Grand Cherokee. While the Passport's steering was well-balanced, road and wind noise were noticeable at highway speeds, though it quieted down in urban settings.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender balanced luxury and practicality, with soft-touch materials, grip handles, and rubberized floors. Seating capacity varied, with the Defender 110 offering an optional third row for children, while the Defender 130 could seat up to eight, though space was limited. Cargo capacity depended on the model, with the Defender 130 providing up to 76.1 cubic feet with seats folded, and the Defender 110 offering up to 78.8 cubic feet in the two-row version. The two-door Defender 90 offered 15.6 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 58.3 cubic feet with seats folded. The cargo area featured hard plastic surfaces, making it easy to clean.

The 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo space, offering 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 77.7 cubic feet with seats folded. The Passport's interior was spacious, accommodating five adults comfortably, with ample legroom and numerous cupholders. The 2024 model introduced a redesigned center console bin, providing more storage space, though it slightly reduced the front-seat environment's airiness. The Passport's interior was practical, with a focus on functionality and storage.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which, while smaller than some competitors, suited the Defender's utilitarian nature. The system included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo. The straightforward setup and home buttons made the system user-friendly, offering a blend of refinement and utility.

The 2024 Honda Passport, in contrast, came with an 8-inch touchscreen, which felt small given the cabin's spaciousness. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a wireless charging pad. The system's resolution and response speed were impressive, but the tech had some drawbacks, such as persistent turn-by-turn directions on the driver's display. The TrailSport trim's seven-speaker audio system was underwhelming, with better options available in other vehicles.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a comprehensive list of standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional features included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. However, the lane-departure and lane-keeping assist systems were overly sensitive, which could be jarring for drivers. As of the writing, the Defender had not been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA.

The 2024 Honda Passport was equipped with Honda Sensing, a suite of standard safety features including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Despite these features, the Passport received mixed crash test ratings, with the IIHS rating it "Acceptable" in the passenger-side small overlap crash test and "Marginal" in the updated side-impact crash tests. The NHTSA awarded the Passport five stars overall but gave it four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.