2024 Honda Passport vs 2025 Jeep Wrangler

The 2024 Honda Passport retained much of its previous-generation design, despite Honda's recent updates to other models like the Civic and Accord. The Passport's exterior featured a more upright grille and squared-off corners, but it largely maintained its familiar look. The TrailSport trim, which we tested, was designed to appear rugged with all-terrain tires and roof rails, but it lacked true off-road enhancements like metal skid plates or recovery points. Inside, the Passport offered a straightforward design with physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen. The TrailSport trim added black leather upholstery with orange stitching, maintaining a simple yet functional interior.

In contrast, the 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sport S presented a classic design rooted in its military heritage, with a focus on off-road capability. The black-on-black colour scheme of our rental was less than ideal for a tropical climate, but the Wrangler's design allowed for open-air driving with removable roof panels. The Wrangler offered several trim levels in Canada, but our Sport S model was equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a few options, bringing its price to $66,070. Despite its rugged appeal, the Wrangler's interior was basic, with a focus on function over form, and it lacked the sophistication of more modern vehicles.

The 2024 Honda Passport was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, providing smooth and unobtrusive shifts. The Passport's torque-vectoring iVTM4 all-wheel-drive system and traction-management settings enhanced its off-road capabilities, particularly in the TrailSport trim with its wider tracks and off-road-tuned suspension. However, the Passport's fuel economy was less impressive, rated at 12.5 L/100 km in the city and 9.8 on the highway. Its towing capacity of 2,268 kg was competitive, though it fell short of some larger SUVs.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler offered a choice between a 3.6-litre V6 engine with a six-speed manual transmission and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic. The latter produced 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, offering better performance at higher elevations and slightly improved fuel efficiency. Our rental achieved an average of 12.3 L/100 km over 300 km of driving. The Wrangler's off-road prowess was evident with its standard four-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and excellent approach and departure angles. However, its ride was rough, and its steering was slow and disconnected, making it less suitable for fast driving.

The 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity, offering 1,430 litres of space behind the rear seats and expanding to 2,854 litres with the rear seats folded. Its interior was spacious, accommodating five adults comfortably, though rear-seat legroom was slightly tighter than some competitors. The front-seat environment featured a redesigned centre console for improved storage, while cupholders and storage spaces were abundant throughout the cabin.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler, on the other hand, presented challenges in terms of accessibility and storage. Its high ground clearance and narrow door openings made entry and exit difficult, while storage space was limited to small bins and cupholders. The Wrangler's cargo area was accessible through a swing-out tailgate and a lift-up rear window, but its design could be cumbersome in tight spaces. Despite these limitations, the Wrangler offered a reasonable 897 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,050 litres with the rear seats folded.

The 2024 Honda Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which felt small given the vehicle's size. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad. However, the system's navigation display was intrusive, and the audio quality of the seven-speaker system was lacking compared to competitors.

In contrast, the 2025 Jeep Wrangler boasted a more advanced Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an optional nine-speaker Alpine sound system. The system was easy to use, even with the roof panels removed, and offered additional features like Jeep Connect for off-road navigation. The Convenience Group package added a 7-inch digital display and other convenience features, enhancing the Wrangler's technological appeal.

The 2024 Honda Passport came equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Despite these features, the Passport received mixed crash test ratings, with an "Acceptable" rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Jeep Wrangler introduced side curtain airbags as standard equipment, a significant safety upgrade. However, advanced driver assistance systems were mostly optional, with features like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert available in higher trims. The Wrangler's crash test ratings were incomplete, but it received a four-star frontal-impact rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS rated its side-impact protection as "Good," but the small overlap frontal-impact test resulted in a "Marginal" rating.