2023 Lincoln Navigator vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Honda Passport bore a striking resemblance to the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, especially from the front, sharing a platform with the Ridgeline, Odyssey minivan, and Pilot SUV. This design choice gave the Passport a more rugged appearance, particularly with its new nose styling aimed at adding attitude. The Passport was available in three trims: Sport, TrailSport, and Touring, each featuring new wheel designs. The TrailSport trim, introduced in 2022, was designed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts, although it was more about aesthetics than actual off-road capability. The TrailSport offered 20.5 centimetres of ground clearance and traction management modes for various conditions, making it more capable than expected off the pavement. The Passport's pricing ranged from $45,570 to $52,170, with the TrailSport trim priced at $49,270 in Canada.

In contrast, the 2023 Lincoln Navigator, a full-size luxury SUV, maintained its design from the 2018 redesign and 2022 refresh. The Navigator Reserve, the sole trim available in Canada, featured a triple-black exterior with the Monochromatic Package, adding black 22-inch wheels and body-colour trim. The Navigator's cabin was upscale, with a black interior accented by real wood and chrome. The ambient lighting from the 201A package added character to the interior. Despite its luxurious appearance, some chrome plastic switchgear detracted from the overall sense of luxury. The Navigator's MSRP reached $131,614, including a destination charge and federal luxury tax, making it a high-end option in the SUV market.

The 2022 Honda Passport retained its 3.5-litre V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive in Canada. The V6 engine was smooth and felt more powerful than its ratings suggested, delivering a combined fuel economy of 11.3 litres per 100 kilometres, with the TrailSport trim averaging 11.0 L/100 km. The Passport's AWD system, Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management Four (i-VTM4), provided mechanical torque vectoring, distributing up to 70% of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when needed. While the Passport excelled on paved roads with its firm ride and athletic handling, its off-road capabilities were limited by wheel articulation. The brakes, however, were a concern, as they could heat up and vibrate during mountain descents, affecting confidence in their performance.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator was powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and 4WD drivetrain. The Navigator's fuel economy was rated at 13.2 L/100 km in combined driving, but it averaged 15.0 L/100 km during testing. The SUV offered five Lincoln Drive Modes, including Conserve, Normal, Excite, Slippery, and Deep Conditions, with Hill Climb available with the towing package. The adaptive damping suspension with Road Preview aimed to enhance ride quality, but the Navigator's ride was inconsistent, feeling truck-like over smaller bumps and floating over larger ones. Excite mode improved handling on mountain roads but negatively impacted fuel efficiency. The Navigator's size posed challenges in urban environments, making parking and manoeuvring difficult.

The 2022 Honda Passport offered easy access with large doors and a low step-in height. Inside, it featured spacious and comfortable front seats with adjustable armrests and supportive cushions. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel were standard, with the TrailSport trim adding heated rear seats and the Touring trim offering ventilated front seats. The Passport's triple-zone automatic climate control system ensured comfort for all passengers, with the Touring trim providing additional controls for rear passengers. The second row offered ample legroom and headroom, with large windows creating an open and airy feel. The Passport excelled in storage, with a massive centre console bin, door panel shelving, and rear door cupholders. Cargo space was generous, with 1,430 litres behind the rear seat and 2,854 litres with the rear seat folded.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator prioritized functionality with roomy seats across all three rows and an available extended body style for increased cargo capacity. Power-deploying running boards facilitated entry and exit, while the 30-way Perfect Position front seats with heating, ventilation, and massage ensured comfort. The second-row captain's chairs provided a pass-through to the third row, accommodating taller adults comfortably. However, the front seats' numerous adjustments could be overwhelming, requiring frequent adjustments to find the perfect position. Storage was abundant, with large trays and covered compartments maintaining a clean interior look. The Navigator L model offered significantly more cargo space, with 971 litres behind the third row, 2,075 litres behind the second row, and 3,403 litres with the front seats folded.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system met basic modern standards with an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Satellite radio was available on the TrailSport trim, while the Touring trim added a navigation system, a 10-speaker premium audio system, and HondaLink connected services with WiFi hotspot access. The system featured shortcut buttons and a volume knob but lacked a tuning knob. Apple CarPlay was preferred over the clunky navigation system, which required specific voice command pathways. Wireless smartphone charging was standard on all but the base Sport trim, but the Passport was not technologically advanced, which some users might appreciate.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator featured a 12-inch digital instrumentation display, a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and an available widescreen head-up display. The Sync 4 infotainment system included Bluetooth, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Lincoln Connect services, a navigation system with enhanced voice recognition, and Alexa Built-in. The digital assistant performed well, accurately responding to commands. The Navigator's wireless smartphone charger, however, caused the phone to overheat. The 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D Audio System provided excellent sound quality. Lincoln Play offered rear-seat passengers dual touchscreens, but teenagers preferred using their smartphones. The Lincoln Way app and Phone As A Key technology allowed digital key access.

The 2022 Honda Passport came equipped 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-centring assist. Additional features included 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-centring assist functions were intrusive, prompting drivers to disable them. The adaptive cruise control was not smooth in heavy traffic, and the blind-spot monitoring warning light was poorly positioned. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection and rollover resistance. The IIHS rated it highly, with an Acceptable rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.

The 2023 Lincoln Navigator was equipped with the Co-Pilot360 suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. Unique features included Evasive Steering Assist, Intersection Assist, and BlueCruise, a hands-free driving assist system for designated Hands-Free Blue Zones. BlueCruise required regular driver intervention, struggling with curves, mixed surfaces, and construction zones. It also lacked a lane-change assist function. In testing, BlueCruise reacted poorly to sudden lane changes by other drivers, causing excessive braking and suspension dive. The Navigator received a 5-star side-impact protection rating and a 4-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA, but no full crashworthiness assessment was available.