Honda Passport vs Ford Edge

The 2021 Ford Edge had a design that remained largely unchanged since its 2019 refresh, which successfully aligned its exterior with Ford's more recent designs. This refresh gave the Edge a cleaner look compared to the more elaborate styling of competitors like the Chevy Blazer and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Edge Titanium models featured extra chrome accents, while the ST trim boasted a blacked-out grille, 20-inch wheels, and a body kit. The ST-Line offered the same exterior styling as the ST but without the performance upgrades and higher price tag. Inside, the Edge's design showed its age, with awkward tweaks to accommodate new features like a larger touchscreen. The Titanium models had leather upholstery, and the ST models included sporty front seats with added bolstering and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with contrast stitching.

The 2022 Honda Passport's new styling closely resembled the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck from the doors forward, as both vehicles shared a platform with the Odyssey minivan and Pilot SUV. The Passport, essentially a shorter Pilot without a third-row seat, featured a new nose design aimed at giving it a tougher look. This updated design applied to all three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite, each with new wheel designs. The TrailSport trim, new for 2022, aimed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts with standard all-wheel drive, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and traction management driving modes for snowy, muddy, and sandy conditions. Despite its rugged appearance, the TrailSport was more about looks than actual off-road capability. Prices ranged from $37,870 to $45,430, with the TrailSport test vehicle priced at $44,095.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It came with standard front-wheel drive (FWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). The Edge ST performance model featured an EcoBoost twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine with 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on 93-octane fuel, standard AWD, and model-specific suspension tuning. The ST also had an option package with upgraded brakes and 21-inch wheels with summer tires. The Edge ST aimed to compete with performance SUVs like the Porsche Macan, though it fell short of that benchmark. The Edge's towing capacities were 3,958 pounds for the base FWD model, 4,122 pounds for the AWD model, and 4,525 pounds for the V6-powered ST, though competitors like the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport could tow up to 5,000 pounds.

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 EX-L trim was the only model available with FWD, while the TrailSport and Elite trims came with Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management Four (i-VTM4) AWD system, which could deliver up to 70 percent of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when necessary. The Passport's V6 engine provided smooth and satisfying acceleration, and the SUV offered a firm, communicative ride with surprisingly athletic handling. The Passport's towing capacity was 5,000 pounds, but its brakes could heat up and vibrate during mountain descents, which was concerning given its towing capabilities. The Passport averaged 21.3 mpg in various driving conditions, slightly below the EPA's combined rating of 22 mpg for FWD models and 21 mpg for AWD models.

The 2021 Ford Edge offered competitive interior space, with the most rear-seat headroom among two-row midsize crossovers and ample legroom in both rows. It had 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 73.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, trailing only the Honda Passport and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport. The Edge featured a foot-activated power liftgate on higher trims and a rotary shift knob to free up center console space, though the narrow console width limited its usefulness. The raised console provided a storage nook below, but its out-of-the-way location made it easy to forget items placed there.

The 2022 Honda Passport offered easy entry and exit, thanks to its large doors and low step-in height. The front seats were large and comfortable, with leather upholstery and heated front seats standard. The Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The Passport's rear passengers enjoyed ample room and a slightly elevated seating position, with large side windows creating an open and airy feel. The SUV had plenty of storage options, including a massive center console storage bin, door panel shelving, and rear door cupholders. Cargo space was generous, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 77.7 cubic feet with the seat folded down. The Passport's simple utility and comfort made it easy to live with and a practical choice for daily use.

The 2021 Ford Edge featured the latest Sync 4 infotainment system with a 12-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and a built-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The Edge ST models included a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Edge had four USB ports, including two rear USB ports added for the 2021 model year. Sync 4's simple graphics and straightforward menu layouts made it user-friendly, and the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were notable advantages over some competitors.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system 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 with a WiFi hotspot. The Passport's infotainment system had shortcut buttons for the Home menu, Back, screen brightness, and stereo volume/power, but lacked a stereo tuning knob. The navigation system was clunky, and Apple CarPlay was preferred for ease of use. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the Passport's overall technology was not particularly advanced.

The 2021 Ford Edge was an IIHS "Top Safety Pick," with top "Good" ratings in all crash tests and a "Superior" rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention. It received an "Advanced" rating for vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention, "Acceptable" ratings for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use, and varying headlight ratings. The NHTSA gave the Edge a five-star overall safety rating, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. Standard safety features included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, dynamic brake support, and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control and Evasive Steering Assist were standard on all but the base SE trim.

The 2022 Honda Passport came with the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. It also had 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 blind-spot monitoring warning light was poorly placed. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection in a frontal collision and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings in most respects, but it received an "Acceptable" rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.