Honda Passport vs Subaru Ascent

Honda's design philosophy for the Passport in 2024 continued to reflect its historical evolution. Despite Honda's bold redesign moves with the Civic, Accord, CR-V, and Pilot, the Passport maintained much of its traditional look from previous years. The tweaks introduced in 2022, such as the more upright grille and squared-off corners, were preserved. These changes added a touch of modernity, although the overall design remained reminiscent of Honda's previous-generation models.

The Honda Passport was available in three distinct trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition. Unlike many rivals, Honda did not offer a lower-priced entry level with fewer features. Instead, all trims boasted leather seats, a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and all-wheel drive (AWD). The TrailSport, which we tested, stood out for its rugged appeal. It came fitted with General Grabber A/T sport tires, certified for snow performance, roof rails, and LED fog lights. Despite its rugged appearance, the TrailSport was more oriented towards visual appeal than actual off-road prowess, featuring plastic faux skid plates and no lift kit.

Inside, the Passport offered a blend of old-school physical controls and a smaller, 8-inch touchscreen. The TrailSport trim featured black leather upholstery with vibrant orange stitching and a "TrailSport" emblem on the front headrests. The interior design was simple and utilitarian, with a mix of resilient plastics and more upscale materials, underscoring its practical nature.

Subaru’s knack for functional, albeit unconventional, styling was evident in the 2024 Ascent. The designers had introduced some divisive elements in the previous refresh, including pronounced tusks and an obtrusive spear embedded in the front grille. The 2024 model retained those features, dividing opinions on its aesthetic appeal.

The Ascent lineup remained unchanged with several trims: Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring. Prices ranged from $34,395 to $48,695, plus a destination charge. Our test vehicle in the Touring trim included premium Nappa leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, a comprehensive navigation system, a robust 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a camera-based rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera.

The interior design, while functional and practical, did not exude the same level of sophistication seen in some competitors. It comprised large, modular components that, while useful, lacked modernity in their appearance. Despite this, the materials used were of good quality, and the Touring trim exuded a certain level of luxury with its array of high-end features.

The 2024 Honda Passport retained its naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering a solid 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a smooth nine-speed automatic transmission, which provided satisfactory acceleration and unobtrusive shifting. However, the absence of turbochargers meant peak torque kicked in at 4,700 RPM, requiring higher revs for brisk acceleration from a standstill.

Fuel economy figures for the Passport stood at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined, reflecting the trade-off for its non-turbocharged, V6 engine. Notably, the TrailSport trim featured mechanical tweaks, such as slightly wider tracks and 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, enhancing its off-road capability.

The torque-vectoring iVTM4 AWD system and a traction-management system with multiple driving modes (normal, snow, sand, and mud) were standard across all trims, boosting the Passport's versatility. Despite some road and wind noise at highway speeds due to its size and tires, the Passport exhibited balanced and accurate steering, a trait often missing in vehicles of this size. Its towing capacity maxed out at 5,000 pounds, outperforming some of its peers.

The Subaru Ascent’s 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine produced 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. This engine was coupled with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and standard AWD with active torque vectoring. Subaru claimed a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds for the Ascent, similar to the Passport’s capability.

The Ascent excelled across a variety of driving environments, from city streets to rugged rural paths. It handled speed bumps and uneven terrain smoothly, offering a driving experience that resonated with Subaru’s rally car heritage. However, the Ascent struggled on twisty mountain roads due to its weight and softly tuned suspension. Furthermore, its fuel economy was underwhelming, officially rated at 19 mpg city, 25 highway, and 21 combined. Our tests showed lower results, with 16.7 mpg in the city and 18.6 mpg overall.

The Ascent featured an elevated driving experience but lacked agility in more dynamic driving conditions. Its platform and suspension settings, while providing comfort, limited its spirited driving performance compared to other SUVs.

The Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity, leading its segment with 41.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, and expanding to 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. An additional underfloor storage compartment further enhanced its practicality. This cargo space exceeded that of several rivals, such as the Outback, Santa Fe, Grand Cherokee, and Ford Edge.

The Passport was spacious enough to accommodate five adults comfortably. While rear-seat legroom was marginally tighter compared to the Hyundai Santa Fe, it remained competitive with others in the segment. Six cupholders in the back added to its practicality. Honda also redesigned the center console bin for 2024, opting for a taller, deeper storage unit with an integrated armrest, enhancing front-seat storage and comfort.

Subaru’s Ascent focused heavily on function, integrating practical features such as a dashboard shelf, large rear door cupholders, and second-row seatback pegs for backpacks. It prioritized ease of use, with nearly 90-degree opening rear doors and 700-pound load-capable roof rails. The heated second-row captain’s chairs were comfortable, though the Ascent offered less legroom compared to some competitors.

The third-row seats provided acceptable comfort for short trips and included air conditioning vents and ample storage, making them a hit with kids. Cargo space measured 17.8 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 43.5 cubic feet with the third row folded, and up to 75.6 cubic feet with the second row down. However, these figures slightly decreased with the panoramic sunroof option.

The Honda Passport’s technology offerings included an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, complemented by Bluetooth connectivity and a wireless charging pad. Despite its sharp resolution and responsive interface, the screen felt small for the vehicle's spacious cabin.

Turn-by-turn navigation, both native and via smartphone integration, displayed on the driver’s information cluster but often dominated the screen in city driving, becoming an annoyance. The TrailSport came with a seven-speaker audio system, which was serviceable but not impressive compared to premium systems available in rivals.

The Subaru Ascent was equipped with the latest Starlink infotainment system, featuring a prominent 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. Standard features included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Higher trims offered enhanced Starlink connected services, a navigation system, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

Subaru's Starlink included physical controls for essential functions, which was a boon. Features like a surround-view camera and a camera-based rearview mirror were available, adding to the hands-on technology experience, although the display could wash out in direct sunlight. The voice recognition system was less reliable, making smartphone integration preferable.

Honda offered an extensive list of standard active safety features under its 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. Despite this, the Passport's crash-test performance was mixed. The IIHS rated it “Acceptable” for passenger-side small overlap crash tests, and “Marginal” for side-impact tests, excluding it from the Top Safety Picks. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall, though with four stars on frontal and rollover tests.

The Subaru Ascent shined in its safety reputation. It boasted high marks from the NHTSA, with five-star ratings in all tests except rollover resistance, which earned four stars. The IIHS awarded it a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2023.

Standard safety features in the Ascent included EyeSight’s suite of forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Premium trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver monitoring systems. However, lane-centering assist performance was inconsistent, occasionally causing steering conflicts on complex roads.