2024 Honda Passport vs 2024 Lexus GX

The 2024 Lexus GX 550 dramatically departed from the softer, more rounded corners of its 2023 GX 470 predecessor. The redesigned midsize SUV adopted a more geometric styling, prominently visible from the headlight to the taillight. While the brand’s trademark “spindle” grille remained, it became noticeably less pronounced in this new generation. Triple-beam LED headlights flanked the grille, aligned with the squared-off upper edge of the GX’s front fascia, giving the SUV a significantly more aggressive look. The front end stood more vertically, with a stiffened chin, contrasting the second-generation GX’s softer design. The otherwise flat hood rose on the left and right, creating humps above each front wheel to aid drivers in maintaining positional awareness during off-road adventures.

The side profile of the GX appeared as if carved from solid metal, with minimal character lines that maintained a relatively horizontal path across the SUV’s body. The low window beltline enhanced visibility and awareness when navigating off-road terrains. The lower edge of the window frame kicked up before the C-pillar, continuing horizontally to the vehicle’s rear. Standard running boards added to the design, with powered units available on the Luxury+ trim. The new GX was offered in six trims: Premium, Premium+, Luxury, Luxury+, Overtrail, and Overtrail+. The Premium+ trim was expected to be the top seller, but the Luxury+ and Overtrail+ trims showcased the SUV’s best features.

The Luxury models focused on opulence, with features such as 22-inch wheels, illuminated doorsills, and ambient interior lighting, while the Overtrail trims emphasized off-roading with 18-inch wheels and 33-inch all-terrain tires. The Overtrail also featured robust Nuluxe leatherette upholstery and legitimate off-roading hardware beneath the exterior.

Inside, the GX blended luxury and utility seamlessly. Standard heated and ventilated front seats, robust polyurethane-derived touchpoints, and a flat, upright dashboard defined its interior. A prominent 14-inch touchscreen took center stage, with physical controls for climate and off-road features positioned below.

The 2024 GX’s interior felt less luxurious than a Land Rover Defender or a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, but it exuded a premium quality prepared for extensive, rugged use.

Starting with the 2022 Civic redesign, Honda began updating its design language across its lineup, covering models like the Accord, CR-V, and Pilot. However, the 2024 Honda Passport retained much of its previous design language. Tweaked in 2022 to feature a more upright grille and squared-off corners, the overall look still resonated with Honda’s prior generations.

The Passport came in three trims: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition. Honda opted against offering a lower-priced, entry-level trim with basic features, instead equipping every Passport with leather seats, a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and all-wheel drive (AWD). The TrailSport, aimed at ruggedness, boasted General Grabber A/T sport tires with the three-peak mountain snowflake emblem. TrailSport, like the Black Edition, came standard with roof rails and LED fog lights, highlighting its off-road appeal.

Despite its rugged look, the TrailSport offered more appearance than performance enhancements, with plastic faux skid plates and no recovery points in the bumpers. However, it had decent approach and departure angles of 21.1 and 24.4 degrees, respectively.

Inside, the Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen, old-school physical controls, and black leather upholstery with orange contrast stitching in the TrailSport trim. The interior was simple and unassuming, with plenty of plastic integrated with softer materials, underscoring its utilitarian approach.

The previous Lexus GX model was essentially a fancier Toyota 4Runner with a naturally aspirated V8 engine. The 2024 GX, however, transitioned to a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6, delivering 349 horsepower and a significant 479 pound-feet of torque. This new powertrain offered more power than the outgoing V8, with torque available lower in the rev range, making off-road driving easier.

Built on the GA-F truck platform, shared with models like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX, the 2024 GX boasted a sturdier chassis, enhancing stability both on-road and off-road. Its 10-speed automatic transmission, paired with standard full-time 4WD, offered confident and assertive performance without the constant gear searching seen in other vehicles. The Overtrail trims added a locking rear differential and Lexus’s Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS), optimizing off-road wheel articulation and on-road stability.

The GX performed admirably during test drives, with smooth acceleration and effective braking. On-road behavior showcased minimal body roll, a significant improvement over older models, while off-road capabilities remained robust, albeit tested under less aggressive conditions due to weather constraints.

Unlike many manufacturers adopting smaller turbocharged or hybrid powertrains, Honda retained a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine for the 2024 Passport. With 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, this engine matched or surpassed much of the Passport’s competition. The nine-speed automatic transmission offered smooth and unobtrusive shifting, although peak torque arrived higher in the rev range at 4,700 RPM, requiring higher revs during acceleration compared to turbocharged models.

The TrailSport trim featured a slightly wider front and rear track, 18-inch wheels with A/T tires, and a tuned suspension for off-road articulation. All Passports came with Honda’s iVTM4 torque-vectoring AWD system and a traction-management system with multiple settings for different terrains.

During testing, road and wind noise were noticeable at highway speeds, but reduced significantly in town. The Passport’s steering was precise and well-balanced, with minimal play. The towing capacity reached 5,000 pounds, outperforming rivals like the Subaru Outback Wilderness and Hyundai Santa Fe.

The 2024 GX’s interior underwent a significant transformation, becoming more minimalist and sophisticated. Physical controls for climate and off-roading features were retained, framed around the central touchscreen. There was ample passenger space for six-foot-tall adults in the first two rows, with 41.2 inches of front legroom and 36.7 inches in the second row. However, the optional third row in Premium and Luxury models was tight, suitable only for children.

Comparing the GX to its main competitor, the Land Rover Defender 110, the GX was more spacious in the front and broader in the second row but just as cramped in the third row. The GX lead in cargo space, offering 10.3 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 40.2 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a total of 76.9 cubic feet. The Overtrail models, minus the third row, offered 45.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 90.5 cubic feet overall.

The two-row 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity within its segment. It provided 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats, outpacing rivals like the Subaru Outback, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford Edge. With the 60/40 split-folding rear seats down, the space increased to 77.7 cubic feet, with seats folding flat to ease the loading of long items.

The Passport comfortably accommodated five adults, although rear-seat legroom was slightly tighter than in the Hyundai Santa Fe but comparable to other segment competitors. Enhanced front storage included a deep center console bin with an integrated armrest.

A stylishly integrated 14-inch touchscreen dominated the GX’s dashboard, accompanied by multiple USB-C ports and an available wireless charging pad. Overtrail models included additional USB-C ports for the back seats and a 120-volt wall-style AC electrical outlet in the trunk.

The Lexus Interface infotainment system featured Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with intelligent voice assistant capabilities via the Drive Connect subscription. Remote Connect also enabled remote locking, unlocking, ignition, and diagnostics, with a free initial three-year subscription. The standard audio system included 10 speakers, while Luxury and Overtrail+ trims offered a premium 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

While the Lexus Interface was user-friendly, post-trial subscription costs for certain features were a consideration for long-term ownership.

The Passport’s infotainment system featured only an 8-inch display, smaller than those available in rival models. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad. Although the screen offered sharp resolution and quick response, its small size was a drawback in the Passport’s spacious cabin.

Navigation software and turn-by-turn directions were useful but often stayed on the driver’s information display longer than desired, particularly in city driving. The TrailSport trim’s seven-speaker audio system felt thin, with higher-quality sound systems available in rival models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Subaru Outback.

Safety was a notable concern in previous GX models, which received low ratings from CarGurus. However, the 2024 GX addressed this with the inclusion of Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 as standard, offering pre-collision detection, braking systems, adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing assist, lane-departure warning with steering assist, and road-sign recognition. Proactive driving assist enhanced safety during adaptive cruise control.

Crash test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were pending, but the GX’s modern GA-F architecture and enhanced safety features inspired confidence in its safety offerings.

Honda equipped every Passport with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. These features, bundled under “Honda Sensing,” provided peace of mind but did not compensate for subpar crash test ratings.

The IIHS rated the Passport as “Acceptable” in passenger-side small overlap crash tests and “Marginal” in updated side-impact tests, removing it from the list of Top Safety Picks. The NHTSA gave the Passport five stars overall but four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.