2022 Buick Enclave vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Buick Enclave represented a significant shift in Buick's design philosophy, moving away from its traditionally conservative styling to embrace a more modern and upscale aesthetic. This transformation was evident in the Enclave's exterior, which featured a refreshed grille, updated fascias, and new headlamp and taillamp designs. The Avenir trim, in particular, stood out with its unique grille and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave offered a luxurious experience with upgraded materials, a restyled centre console, and climate-controlled seating options. The Avenir trim further enhanced the interior with exclusive seat stitching and a split sunroof, providing a comfortable and visually appealing environment.

In contrast, the 2022 Honda Passport adopted a rugged and bold design, closely resembling the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. This shared platform with the Ridgeline, Odyssey, and Pilot resulted in a shorter, two-row SUV with a distinctive front end. The Passport's TrailSport trim aimed to attract adventure-seekers with its off-road-inspired looks, including unique wheels, skid plates, and a roof rack. Inside, the Passport offered a spacious cabin with quality materials and thoughtful design elements like orange contrast stitching and ambient lighting. The TrailSport trim added a touch of ruggedness, making it an appealing choice for those seeking a more adventurous SUV.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine, delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. In Canada, all Enclave trims came standard with all-wheel drive, providing a smooth and quiet ride, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. The Enclave's suspension, especially with the Avenir Technology package, offered a premium ride, handling various terrains with ease. Despite its size, the Enclave's powertrain was surprisingly responsive, offering good acceleration and a pleasant engine sound.

The 2022 Honda Passport featured a 3.5-litre V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, also mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport's Intelligent Variable Torque Management Four (i-VTM4) AWD system provided mechanical torque vectoring, enhancing its performance on twisty roads. While the Passport excelled in on-road driving, offering a firm and communicative ride, its off-road capabilities were limited. The Passport's brakes, however, showed some weaknesses during mountain descents, affecting driver confidence. Despite these issues, the Passport delivered satisfying acceleration and handling, making it a reliable choice for everyday driving.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered a spacious and comfortable interior, with easy ingress and egress, thanks to its large windshield and window openings. The Enclave's cabin provided ample room for passengers in all three rows, with standard second-row captain's chairs for added convenience. The restyled centre console featured push-button transmission gears, enhancing accessibility to USB ports and the wireless phone charging pad. The Enclave also boasted impressive cargo space, with 668 litres behind the third row and up to 2,758 litres with both rows folded, making it a practical choice for families.

The 2022 Honda Passport provided easy access with its large doors and low step-in height. Inside, the Passport featured comfortable seats with adjustable armrests and standard leather upholstery. The TrailSport trim added heated rear seats, while the Touring trim offered ventilated front seats. The Passport's cabin was spacious, with plenty of storage options, including a massive centre console bin and door panel shelving. Cargo space was generous, with 1,430 litres behind the rear seat and up to 2,854 litres with the back seat folded, making it a versatile SUV for various needs.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came equipped with a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. The Enclave's infotainment system supported up to 10 devices, with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot for added connectivity. The system's interface was user-friendly, though some graphics appeared dated. The Enclave also featured advanced safety technologies, including adaptive cruise control and a head-up display, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen display with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The TrailSport trim added satellite radio, while the Touring trim offered a navigation system and a 10-speaker premium audio system. The Passport's infotainment system was straightforward, with shortcut buttons and a volume knob for easy operation. However, the navigation system was clunky, prompting users to rely on Apple CarPlay for a smoother experience. Wireless smartphone charging was standard on all but the base Sport trim, providing added convenience.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package as standard, offering a comprehensive suite of safety technologies, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and lane-keep assist. The Enclave received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings from the IIHS, except for an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test. The Enclave's safety features were effective, with no false alarms experienced during testing.

The 2022 Honda Passport came with the Honda Sensing suite, providing adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and lane-keeping assist. However, some functions, like lane-departure warning and lane-centring assist, were less refined, prompting drivers to disable them. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rating for front passenger protection in a frontal-impact collision. The IIHS gave the Passport top ratings, with an "Acceptable" rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.