Hyundai Tucson vs Honda Passport

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson, part of the fourth generation first introduced in 2022, remained a standout in its segment thanks to its innovative and modern design. Featuring taut angles and unique design elements, such as headlights seamlessly integrated into the grille, the Tucson maintained an aggressive yet handsome look. Even in white—a color often considered bland for photography—the Tucson managed to look sharp and stylish. Hyundai excelled in creating a unique identity for each of its vehicles, avoiding the temptation to merely scale designs up or down as many luxury brands do. Trim levels included the SE, SEL, XRT, and Limited, each offering specific features like 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails for the SE, 19-inch alloy wheels for the SEL, and unique black 19-inch alloy wheels and functional roof racks for the XRT. The Limited trim added dark chrome grilles and upgraded headlights.

Inside, the Tucson continued its excellent design execution with a modern and refined cabin. The tech-forward interior felt approachable, although some details like missing volume dials—replaced by touch-capacitive buttons and a steering wheel toggle—were less user-friendly. The layout cleverly centralized controls near the shifter and cupholders, and standard features on the base SE trim included two USB ports, a manual adjustable driver’s seat, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims added more luxurious features, with the Limited trim coming extremely well-equipped with ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a premium stereo system.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport maintained much of its previous design ethos despite overall styling updates in other Honda models. The Passport, alongside the Honda Ridgeline, received some tweaks in 2022 that included a more upright grille and squared-off corners but still shared a lot with previous-generation designs. The Passport kept things straightforward with three trims: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition. Every Passport trim came with leather seats, a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and all-wheel drive (AWD), setting a higher standard for base features compared to competitors.

The TrailSport trim aimed to be the rugged option of the lineup, equipped with all-terrain tires, roof rails, and LED fog lights. Despite this rugged appearance, it had more "show" than "go," with plastic rather than metal skid plates and no recovery points in the bumpers. The Passport's interior leaned toward functionality with old-school physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen. TrailSport trims were highlighted with black leather upholstery, orange contrast stitching, and an orange "TrailSport" emblem, but the overall design remained simple and practical, with sturdy materials and plenty of storage.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson was powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Available in front-wheel drive (FWD) or optional AWD, this was the sole non-hybrid option. While adequate for city driving, the Tucson’s powertrain struggled with highway acceleration and passing maneuvers, making significant noise when pushed to higher speeds. For those seeking better performance, Hyundai offered hybrid models with higher horsepower—226 for the Tucson Hybrid and 261 for the Plug-In Hybrid—although these came with a unique button-style shifter design found only on the Limited trim.

Where the Tucson excelled was in handling and ride quality. Its suspension provided a comfortable ride that absorbed road bumps well, ideal for long trips or daily commutes. The Tucson’s steering was well-weighted and precise, offering a balanced driving experience that, while not as athletic as a Mazda CX-5, was well-rounded and competent.

The 2024 Honda Passport, bucking the trend toward smaller turbocharged engines and hybrids, stuck with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, provided robust acceleration for a vehicle of its size. The Passport’s powertrain behaved predictably and smoothly, although peak torque occurred at a higher RPM of 4,700, necessitating higher revs for maximum power. Fuel economy was modest at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined.

The TrailSport trim included additional mechanical tweaks for off-road capability, with slightly wider front and rear tracks, all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels, and a specially tuned suspension. All Passports came equipped with Honda’s iVTM4 AWD system and a traction-management system for various terrains. Though road and wind noise were noticeable at highway speeds, the Passport’s steering was impressively accurate, and its towing capacity maxed out at 5,000 pounds, surpassing many competitors.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson offered impressive cargo space for a compact SUV, providing up to 74.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded and 38.7 cubic feet with the seats in use. Only the Honda CR-V surpassed these numbers within the segment. The Tucson SE featured a manual liftgate, while higher trims included a hands-free power liftgate. This innovative system required only proximity to the rear bumper to activate, making it highly practical for loading when your hands were full.

The Tucson comfortably accommodated five passengers, with generous headroom and legroom in both rows. The front seats offered slightly more space, ensuring comfort during longer trips. Storage solutions in the Tucson were well thought out, with multiple deep cup holders and practical storage areas, including a wireless charging pad in the center tray.

The 2024 Honda Passport reigned supreme in cargo capacity among two-row midsize crossovers, offering 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and an impressive 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. With additional underfloor storage and the convenience of flush-folding rear seats, the Passport made loading long items seamless. The Passport was spacious enough for five adults, though rear-seat legroom slightly lagged behind some competitors like the Hyundai Santa Fe.

For 2024, the Passport’s front center console saw a redesign, transitioning from a long, low storage unit to a deeper bin with a padded armrest, enhancing storage at the expense of a slightly less airy front-seat environment. The repositioning of the cupholders allowed for a more functional cubby below the dashboard, rounding out a very utilitarian interior.

The standard infotainment system in the 2024 Hyundai Tucson featured an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, praised for its user-friendly interface and straightforward operation. Upgraded trims, including the SEL Convenience Package, XRT, and Limited, boasted a fully digital instrument panel and a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen. However, these trims lacked wireless connectivity for CarPlay and Android Auto, and the haptic volume controls were less intuitive than traditional dials. Still, the ability to use the touchscreen with gloves was a significant advantage in colder climates.

Hyundai’s remote start system also saw improvements, allowing seamless engine start and immediate drive-away once the key fob was detected inside the vehicle.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport came only with an 8-inch display, which felt small given the vehicle's spacious interior. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad were standard. However, the infotainment system had its quirks, particularly the persistence of turn-by-turn navigation in the driver’s display during city driving, preventing a return to preferred screens. Additionally, while higher trims offered a 10-speaker audio system, the 7-speaker setup on the TrailSport was somewhat underwhelming.

The 2024 Hyundai Tucson delivered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trims like the Limited added advanced features such as front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system, and Hyundai’s Smart Park remote-parking feature. The Tucson earned high marks in safety tests, with the IIHS giving it a “Good” rating in most tests, though its standard headlights were rated “Acceptable”.

The 2024 Honda Passport also came well-equipped with safety technology, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Despite these features, the Passport's safety scores were less impressive, receiving an “Acceptable” rating in the IIHS passenger-side small overlap crash test and a “Marginal” rating in the updated side-impact crash tests. It did, however, earn five stars overall from the NHTSA, though it received four stars in frontal and rollover tests.