2024 Honda Passport vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Honda Passport retained much of its familiar design, despite Honda's recent updates to other models in its lineup. While it received some minor tweaks in 2022, such as a more upright grille and squared-off corners, the overall aesthetic remained consistent with previous-generation designs. The Passport offered three trim levels in Canada: Sport, TrailSport, and Black Edition, all equipped with a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and all-wheel drive. The TrailSport trim, tested for its rugged appeal, featured genuine all-terrain tires and standard roof rails and LED fog lights in Canada. However, its rugged appearance was more for show, with plastic faux skid plates and no recovery points or lift kit. Inside, the Passport maintained a simple and utilitarian design with physical controls, an 8-inch touchscreen, and black leather upholstery with orange accents in the TrailSport trim.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier SUV design within the Range Rover family, with a taller stance and a shorter wheelbase for a more athletic appearance. The SV Edition Two, the highest-performance model, featured 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels and a carbon-fibre hood. Despite its subtle exterior, the interior boasted red leather upholstery, sport seats with light-up "SV" inserts, and illuminated steering-wheel paddle shifters. The minimalist dashboard design included a touchscreen, stubby shifter, and engine start button, creating a cockpit-like feel. Material quality was high, though the use of reflective piano black plastic was noted. The Range Rover Sport's interior offered a luxurious and sporty experience, albeit with a slightly cramped front-seat feel due to the high console and dash.

The 2024 Honda Passport was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine, delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, provided adequate acceleration for its size. The Passport's drivetrain was smooth, with peak torque arriving at 4,700 RPM. Fuel economy was rated at 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 9.8 on the highway, and 11.3 combined. The TrailSport trim featured wider tracks, 18-inch wheels with A/T tires, and off-road-tuned suspension. 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 its towing capacity reached 2,268 kilograms, surpassing some competitors but falling short of others.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard 4WD. The base Dynamic SE model featured a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in hybrid variant produced 454 hp and 487 lb-ft, while the Autobiography model increased output to 543 hp and 590 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two, with a twin-turbo BMW V8, delivered 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 290 km/h. The Range Rover Sport's sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring enhanced agility and comfort. Off-road capabilities included the Terrain Response system, hill descent control, and ascent control, with varying ground clearance and approach angles.

The 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity, offering 1,430 litres behind the rear seats and expanding to 2,854 litres with the rear seats folded. It accommodated five adults comfortably, with ample rear-seat legroom and numerous cupholders. The front-seat environment featured a redesigned centre console bin for increased storage. The Passport's interior was practical and spacious, making it ideal for those needing significant cargo space without a third row of seats.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Velar and full-size Range Rover, offered a midsize two-row configuration. Front-seat occupants enjoyed similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs, with standard reclining rear seats and 20-way power-adjustable front seats. Cargo space measured 835 litres behind the second row, expanding to 1,860 litres with the seats folded. The Sport's towing capacity reached 3,500 kilograms for turbo-six and V8 models, with plug-in hybrids rated at 3,000 kilograms. The interior featured deep door pockets and large centre console cupholders, enhancing practicality.

The 2024 Honda Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, smaller than most competitors. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad. The system's resolution and response speed were commendable, but the turn-by-turn directions on the driver's display were a minor annoyance. The TrailSport trim's seven-speaker audio system was adequate, but audiophiles might prefer upgraded systems in other models.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport boasted a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The minimalist design had functional limitations, with most controls requiring touchscreen interaction. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition Two featured "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers, offering a unique audio experience.

The 2024 Honda Passport came equipped with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control as standard. Despite these features, the Passport received mixed crash test ratings, with an "Acceptable" rating from the IIHS and five stars overall from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver attention monitor. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of writing.