2024 Honda Passport vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2024 Nissan Rogue and the 2024 Honda Passport both strived to offer compelling aesthetic and functional design touches, though in different ways.

For the 2024 Nissan Rogue, this model year marked a noteworthy styling update since its last major overhaul that came with the 2021 model. The Rogue lineup remained consistent with trim levels labeled as S, SV, SL, and Platinum. The first visual change that caught the eye was the larger grille blending seamlessly with its stacked headlights and daytime running lights, contributing to the Rogue’s distinct identity. Nissan also redesigned the inner taillight elements and added satin-finish exterior badging, which added a modern touch. The Rogue SV trim came with a new 18-inch wheel design, while the Rogue Platinum showcased a fresh 19-inch wheel with a machined finish. Further, the Platinum trim incorporated more black exterior trim and an optional black roof, which enhanced its upscale appearance.

Interior updates were just as significant. The dashboard was updated to accommodate a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, which was a boost for its premium feel compared to competitors. The Rogue SV models featured new materials across its interior, encompassing door panels, seats, center console, and dashboard surfaces. Higher trims included dual-zone automatic climate control, and the Platinum trim particularly stood out with leather seats available in a new Chestnut brown color and quilted stitching, ensuring a luxurious cabin experience.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport largely preserved its earlier design, following minor updates since 2022. The Passport continued its alignment with Honda’s older design ethos despite recent fresh looks for models like the Civic and Accord. The vehicle featured a more upright grille and squared-off corners, maintaining a rugged appearance but sharing much with Honda’s previous-generation designs.

Trim levels were simple: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition. Unlike many competitors, even the base model Passport EX-L included leather seats, a power moonroof, and AWD across all trims. Our test vehicle, the mid-level TrailSport, emphasized ruggedness with genuine all-terrain tires, roof rails, and LED fog lights. Although its exterior conveyed rugged charm, the TrailSport's plastic skid plates and the absence of recovery points indicated more aesthetic ruggedness than functional off-roading prowess.

Inside, the Passport opted for practicality with physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen. Touches like black leather upholstery with orange contrast stitching and TrailSport emblems adorned the interior, balancing practicality with subtle sophistication. Despite its simple and resilient plastic-dominated design, the interior was functional and comfortable with large air vents and ample storage space.

Performance-wise, these two SUVs catered to distinct eating habits and driving experiences.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured an engineering marvel in its 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. As one of Nissan’s VC-Turbo engines, it could vary its compression ratio to prioritize either power or efficiency, a unique and noteworthy feature. This engine delivered 201 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, outperforming many competitors with similar displacements. Despite this, the continuously variable transmission (CVT) used in the Rogue often fell short, struggling to effectively transfer the engine’s power to the wheels, resulting in a sub-par driving experience. It offered both FWD and AWD variants, though its suspension felt firmer than rivals, impacting the ride quality without providing a proportional benefit in handling.

Conversely, the 2024 Honda Passport retained its tried-and-true 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine, boasting 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission that seamlessly managed gear shifts, offering a robust and reliable performance. The Passport made up for its fuel economy, rated at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined by the EPA, with higher torque outputs ideal for towing and off-road drives. Its TrailSport trim further enhanced its off-road credentials with a wider front and rear track, 18-inch wheels with A/T tires, and a suspension tuned for off-road driving. The iVTM4 AWD system with multiple traction settings cemented its capability across different terrains. However, road noise at highway speeds was noticeable but improved around town, and it provided a well-balanced and accurate steering response.

When considering interior space and cargo capacity, the 2024 Nissan Rogue and the 2024 Honda Passport each had unique merits.

The Rogue offered competitive passenger space in a segment known for similar dimensions. It provided 36.5 cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, expandable to 74.1 cubic feet with them folded down. While this was slightly less than what you’d find in a Honda CR-V or Hyundai Tucson, it bested the Subaru Forester. The Divide-N-Hide cargo system allowed for smart space management with options for a flat floor with hidden storage or an extended vertical cargo area. Nevertheless, accessing the lower console storage was awkward.

On the other hand, the 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity, leading its segment. It offered a hefty 41.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, expandable to 77.7 cubic feet when the rear seats, which fold flat, were down. This capacity surpassed rivals like the Subaru Outback Wilderness, Hyundai Santa Fe, Grand Cherokee, and Ford Edge. The Passport comfortably accommodated five adults, and the center console received a significant update for 2024 with a taller, deeper storage bin and padded armrest, though it slightly confined the front-seat airiness. The abundant cupholders and generous storage space made the Passport highly utilitarian.

In terms of technological features, both models offered a comprehensive package, albeit with notable differences in execution.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue equipped its lower trims, S and SV, with an 8-inch touchscreen, whereas the higher trims, SL and Platinum, boasted a 12.3-inch display. The latter models also featured wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and Amazon Alexa connectivity. Unique to the Rogue was the Google built-in software, integrating Google Maps, Assistant, and Play Store directly into the vehicle’s infotainment, albeit free for the first five years only. The Rogue included ample charging options, with multiple USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad on higher trims. Extended free trial periods for the Nissan Connect Services, now up to three years, added to the convenience.

The 2024 Honda Passport, despite being poised in a spacious cabin, only offered an 8-inch touchscreen, which appeared diminutive against its rivals and even some of Honda’s own compact models. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity, with higher trims like the Black Edition offering a 10-speaker audio upgrade. Issues arose with the native navigation and third-party apps repetitively displaying turn-by-turn instructions on the driver’s information display, an irksome quirk. Moreover, the TrailSport’s seven-speaker system felt underwhelming, especially when compared to premium offerings in the segment like the Harman Kardon and McIntosh sound systems from other brands.

Safety was paramount for both the Rogue and the Passport but came with different outlooks from safety organizations.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue fared well with safety ratings. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded it top scores in numerous crash tests and an overall five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), though with four stars in frontal and rollover tests. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic emergency braking. The ProPilot Assist, available on higher trims, provided enhanced driver assistance, including lane centering and adaptive cruise control.

Conversely, the 2024 Honda Passport integrated an extensive suite of standard safety features under the Honda Sensing package. This included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Despite this comprehensive array of assistive technologies, the Passport struggled with crash test ratings. It earned lower marks from the IIHS in significant tests and was left off the Top Safety Picks list, and while it achieved five stars overall from the NHTSA, its frontal crash and rollover tests received four stars.