2024 Honda Passport vs 2023 Volvo XC90

The 2023 Volvo XC90 marked a significant departure from Volvo's past boxy designs. It showcased a purposeful yet understated front end, with a bold but not overly flashy grille. The recognizable "Thor’s Hammer" headlights added a modern touch, while the overall shape retained a rectilinear form without resembling the toasters of the 1980s and 90s. The test vehicle, an AWD Ultimate trim, featured 21-inch wheels and a Platinum Gray paint with brown undertones, adding richness and depth. Inside, the XC90 exuded elegance with two-tone leather steering, metal Bowers and Wilkins speaker covers, an Orrefors crystal shift knob, and luxurious Nappa leather upholstery. The minimalist design was complemented by wood deco inlays, creating a clean and beautiful look.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport retained much of its previous design, despite Honda's updated design language across other models. The Passport featured a more upright grille and squared-off corners from its 2022 tweaks but still shared similarities with older designs. Available in three trims—EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition—the Passport offered leather seats, a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and AWD as standard. The TrailSport trim, designed for ruggedness, included all-terrain tires, roof rails, and LED fog lights. Inside, the Passport had old-school physical controls, an 8-inch touchscreen, and black leather upholstery with orange stitching. The interior was simple and unassuming, with a mix of resilient plastics and softer materials.

For 2023, Volvo replaced its older turbocharged engines in the XC90 with new B5 and B6 engines featuring mild-hybrid technology. The B5 engine, with a turbocharger and 48-volt mild-hybrid system, produced 247 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The B6 engine, equipped with both a supercharger and turbocharger, delivered 295 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. These mild-hybrid powertrains improved fuel efficiency and smoothness, though the gains were minimal. The XC90's driving experience was enjoyable, with quick acceleration, a responsive eight-speed automatic transmission, and excellent insulation from road and wind noise. The brakes provided a solid pedal feel, and the vehicle handled well despite its bulky dimensions. The XC90 lacked extensive off-road features, focusing instead on a straightforward driving experience.

The 2024 Honda Passport, on the other hand, stuck with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Managed by a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Passport offered smooth and unobtrusive gear shifts. The TrailSport trim featured wider tracks, 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, and a suspension tuned for off-road driving. All Passports came with Honda's torque-vectoring iVTM4 AWD system and a traction-management system with various settings. The Passport's steering was well-balanced and accurate, though road and wind noise were noticeable at highway speeds. The Passport's towing capacity maxed out at 5,000 pounds, surpassing some competitors but falling short of others.

The 2023 Volvo XC90's front seats provided a peaceful and pleasant experience, though Scandinavian minimalism led to some storage frustrations. The XC90 lacked a dedicated space for cell phones, and the center console bin was small. The second row was comfortable but challenging to adjust, and accessing the third row was difficult with the standard bench seat. Cargo space was decent, with 12.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 41.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 65.5 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The XC90 drove like a smaller car, thanks to its compact dimensions.

The 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo space, offering 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Passport's rear seats provided ample legroom, and the front center console bin was redesigned for more storage. The Passport's interior was spacious and comfortable for five adults, with plenty of cupholders and storage options. The Passport's utilitarian design was evident in its large air vents, simple controls, and abundant storage space.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 featured a 9-inch vertically positioned touchscreen running Google OS, the first standard infotainment system of its kind. Google Maps, Spotify, NPR, and Google Assistant were integrated, with natural-language recognition enhancing the user experience. However, many key functions were buried within the touchscreen interface, leading to some frustration. The minimalist design meant fewer physical buttons, which could be inconvenient for certain adjustments.

The 2024 Honda Passport, in contrast, had an 8-inch touchscreen, which felt small given the vehicle's spacious cabin. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with Bluetooth connectivity and a wireless charging pad. The screen offered sharp resolution and quick response, but the tech had some faults. Turn-by-turn directions dominated the driver’s information display in city driving, and the seven-speaker audio system on the TrailSport trim was underwhelming. Audiophiles might prefer competitors with more advanced sound systems.

The 2023 Volvo XC90 continued Volvo's legacy of safety, earning a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. Standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and Pilot Assist technology, which maintained distance from the car ahead and helped with lane-keeping. These features provided a high level of safety and convenience.

The 2024 Honda Passport came with a comprehensive list of standard safety features under the "Honda Sensing" umbrella, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. However, the Passport received mixed ratings from safety organizations. The IIHS rated it "Acceptable" in the passenger-side small overlap crash test and "Marginal" in the updated side-impact crash tests, leaving it off the Top Safety Picks list. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall but gave it four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.