Honda Passport vs Cadillac XT6

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 Premium Luxury test vehicle arrived with polished 20-inch alloy wheels, Stellar Black paint, and a Jet Black semi-aniline premium leather interior. It exuded a sense of sophistication, making us feel like we should be dressed in formal attire, ready to chauffeur someone important. The XT6's design was attractive but somewhat bland, with towering front running lights that made it appear too tall and narrow. The rear taillights were reminiscent of GMC's design, and while the XT6's overall proportions and details conveyed a conservatively tailored image, it didn't stand out in a crowd.

In contrast, the 2022 Honda Passport's new styling closely resembled the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, sharing a vehicle platform with the Ridgeline, Odyssey minivan, and Pilot three-row SUV. The Passport's new nose design aimed to give it a tougher look, and Honda applied this updated design to all three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite. The TrailSport trim, in particular, was designed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts, featuring unique 18-inch wheels, a purposeful-looking roof rack, and simulated skid plates. Inside, the Passport boasted one of the largest interiors in the two-row midsize SUV segment, with quality materials and thoughtful design elements like orange contrast stitching and amber ambient lighting in the TrailSport trim.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 employed the same engines as the GMC Acadia. The base model featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain was less potent than the base versions of the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90. The Premium Luxury and Sport trims came with a 3.6-liter V6 engine delivering 310 horsepower and 271 pound-feet of torque. While the V6 provided sufficient power, it lacked the turbocharging found in some competitors. The XT6 offered all-wheel drive (AWD) as an option, and our test vehicle featured an adaptive-damping performance suspension upgrade, making it surprisingly athletic on twisty roads. However, the XT6's driving experience leaned more toward serenity than excitement, with smooth steering and responsive brakes. The EPA rated the XT6 V6 with AWD at 21 mpg in combined driving, but our test vehicle returned 19.5 mpg.

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. The Passport offered front-wheel drive (FWD) or AWD, with the TrailSport and Elite trims featuring Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management Four (i-VTM4) AWD system. This system provided mechanical torque vectoring and could deliver up to 70 percent of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when needed. The Passport's V6 engine felt stronger than its power ratings suggested, and it offered a firm, communicative ride with surprisingly athletic handling. The EPA rated the Passport at 22 mpg in combined driving with FWD and 21 mpg with AWD. Our TrailSport test vehicle averaged 21.3 mpg over various driving conditions. While the Passport excelled on streets and highways, its brakes could heat up and vibrate during mountain descents, which was a concern given its 5,000-pound towing capacity.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6's interior felt unexpectedly narrow, with power-adjustable seats that were comfortable but lacked the range of adjustment and massage functions found in some rivals. The second-row captain's chairs offered good legroom when slid to their rearmost position, but the third-row seat was cramped and difficult to access. The XT6 provided 12.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 43.1 cubic feet with the third row folded and a maximum of 78.7 cubic feet with all seats down. Storage space was decent but unremarkable, with small cubbies and bins.

The 2022 Honda Passport, on the other hand, offered easy entry and exit, with large, comfortable seats and a standard triple-zone automatic climate control system. The Passport Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. Rear passengers enjoyed ample legroom, headroom, and a slightly elevated seating position, with large side windows creating an open and airy feel. The Passport excelled in storage, with a massive center console storage bin, door panel shelving, and rear door panel cupholders. Cargo space was generous, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and a maximum of 77.7 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 offered impressive features like a digital rearview mirror, Night Vision system, and Super Cruise hands-free highway driving-assistance system. However, it fell short in terms of instrumentation, head-up display, and infotainment system. The XT6 lacked digital gauges, featuring analog gauges instead. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system was smaller than competitors' displays but offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, connected services, and an available navigation system. The intuitive natural voice recognition technology was a highlight, but some usability issues, such as touch-sensing buttons and counterintuitive indicator lights, detracted from the experience. The available Bose Performance Series premium audio system sounded great, but the head-up display was less impressive.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system met modern standards but needed an upgrade. Every trim level 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 Passport's infotainment system included shortcut buttons and a stereo volume knob, but it lacked a tuning knob. Apple CarPlay and Siri provided a better navigation experience than the Passport's clunky system. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the Passport was not technologically advanced, which might be a blessing for some.

The 2022 Cadillac XT6 test vehicle, equipped with the Platinum Package, featured a comprehensive list of driving-assistance and collision-avoidance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. The star of the show was the Super Cruise system, allowing hands-free highway driving on approved roads. However, Super Cruise had limitations, such as inconsistent lane-keeping and braking behavior. The XT6 received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and five-star ratings from the NHTSA in all crash-test evaluations, with a four-star rollover resistance rating.

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. Additional features included 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 in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings in most respects, with an Acceptable rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.