2024 Honda Passport vs 2024 Lexus TX

The 2024 Lexus TX was established on the foundation of the Toyota Grand Highlander, yet it distinguished itself thoroughly as a luxury SUV. While the Grand Highlander had a resemblance to an enlarged RAV4, the Lexus TX exuded upscale elegance. On the Luxury trim, the Lexus sported notable 22-inch wheels with a silver finish, a high-cost option that significantly enhanced its visual appeal and on-road presence. These design choices underscored the TX's luxurious impression.

Moreover, compared to other Lexus models, the TX's styling leaned towards conservatism, providing a more traditional look that could attract buyers who were previously put off by Lexus's often aggressive designs. The 2024 TX came in several series—TX 350, TX 500h F Sport Performance, and TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid—offering a price range from $55,050 to approximately $69,350, depending on the selected model and features.

For comparison, the 2024 Honda Passport maintained much of its established style, albeit with some updates introduced in 2022. The Passport sported a rugged look, particularly in the TrailSport trim, featuring all-terrain tires and additional off-road-oriented equipment like roof rails and LED fog lights. The Passport’s design adhered heavily to Honda’s older design language, making it somewhat of a throwback compared to newer Honda models.

Although slight changes in the grille and corners were noted, the Passport carried forward a utilitarian aesthetic. Every trim level—from EX-L to TrailSport and Black Edition—offered leather seats, a power moonroof, and AWD. Our test of the midlevel TrailSport model revealed a rugged exterior, though elements like plastic skid plates indicated a focus more on appearance than on hardcore off-roading utility.

The Lexus TX 350 was equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. This setup purportedly enabled an 8-second sprint to 60 mph (or 7.8 seconds with AWD), though the perceived acceleration felt quicker. However, the engine's noise and torque steer under FWD marred its otherwise competent performance. The EPA rated the TX 350 FWD at a combined 23 mpg, but our test vehicle averaged 20.4 mpg. The TX’s ride and handling struck a balance between firmness and comfort, giving a commendable sense of control and a quiet highway ride.

Conversely, the Honda Passport stayed true to its roots with a robust 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This traditional, naturally aspirated engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport's V6 provided enough punch for confident acceleration, although drivers needed higher revs to access peak torque. The fuel economy, EPA-rated at 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, was slightly lower than the Lexus but acceptable for its class.

TrailSport trims saw minor mechanical enhancements to improve off-road performance, such as wider front and rear tracks and specially tuned suspension. Honda’s inclusion of a torque-vectoring AWD system with multiple traction modes enhanced the Passport’s off-road versatility. However, the rugged appeal was sometimes undercut by elevated road noise at high speeds, an issue less significant during city driving.

The new 2024 Lexus TX rectified past missteps associated with Lexus’s three-row SUVs. Its predecessors, like the GX and LX, suffered from off-road-oriented designs that compromised on-road comfort and usability, while the RX L was too small. The TX offered a spacious and practical interior, augmented by high-grade materials like semi-aniline leather and artificial suede. The second-row bench seat in our test model was comfortable, equipped with heated seats and climate controls, while the third-row seat was surprisingly roomy and suitable for adults.

Cargo space in the Lexus TX was competitive, with 20.2 cubic feet available behind the third-row seats. This expanded to 57.4 cubic feet with the third row folded and an impressive 97 cubic feet with both rear rows down, surpassing other Lexus SUVs and many competitors in its class.

The Honda Passport’s strength lay in its utility. Lacking a third row, it maximized cargo space, offering 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and up to 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. This easily outclassed several rivals like the Subaru Outback and Hyundai Santa Fe. The inclusion of underfloor storage added to the Passport’s pragmatic appeal. The front seating area saw an update with a taller center console providing more storage, though it slightly compromised the airy feel.

Both vehicles offered excellent headroom and legroom across their seating rows, with the Passport’s two-row configuration affording more dedicated space to rear passengers. Strategic placement of cupholders and storage bins added to the practicality of both interiors.

The Lexus TX’s optional Technology Package significantly enhanced its tech-savvy appeal, featuring a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, and a semi-autonomous parking assist system. However, this package also introduced dual-purpose steering wheel controls that necessitated frequent referencing of the head-up display, a drawback for those wearing polarized sunglasses.

The Lexus Interface infotainment system was anchored by a 14-inch touchscreen, providing intuitive access to functions complimented by a 3-year Drive Connect subscription, which included a cloud-based navigation system and a digital assistant. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were seamless, and the 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system stood out for sound quality.

In contrast, the Honda Passport's technology seemed a bit dated. Its 8-inch touchscreen, standard across trims, felt small relative to the vehicle's size. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and a wireless charging pad. However, the display’s limited size and the conduct of its navigation systems, which were overly prominent on the driver information display during city driving, detracted from its overall effectiveness. The Passport’s seven-speaker audio system on the TrailSport trim also fell short compared to higher-end competitors.

Safety was a strong suit for the Lexus TX, courtesy of the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, which amalgamated several advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). These included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and assist, lane-centering, road sign assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Proactive Drive Assist added further safety, although its operations were sometimes less than transparent, leading to occasional disengagement. Additionally, features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and safe exit assist were standard, while front and rear parking sensors, front cross-traffic alert, and traffic jam assist were optional.

The safety package in the 2024 Honda Passport, marketed under the “Honda Sensing” umbrella, was comprehensive and standard across all trims. It included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and cross-traffic alert. Despite this, the Passport received less-than-stellar safety ratings from the IIHS, especially in updated side-impact tests, resulting in the exclusion from the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick list. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall but rated it four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.