2024 Toyota Sequoia vs 2024 Honda Passport

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia closely aligned with its Tundra pickup sibling, sharing striking design elements such as hexagonal grilles, pronounced wheel arches, and muscular stances. This design consistency created a robust and formidable appearance. The exterior color dramatically altered the Sequoia's visual identity. Our Capstone trim tester, adorned in Celestial Silver, featured a considerable amount of chrome, giving it a somewhat dated and "cop car" vibe. However, in more vibrant colors like Solar Octane orange, complemented by black accents, the Sequoia transformed into a bold, toy-like "Tonka truck," adding a playful element to its tough look.

Inside, the Sequoia echoed the Tundra's design ethos, characterized by a blocky, geometric dashboard layout, robust physical controls for volume and climate, and an overall utilitarian feel. The Capstone's luxurious semi-aniline leather upholstery distinguished it from other trims, which ranged from fabric in the base SR5 to leather in the Platinum. The interior also boasted an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat across all models, with higher trims offering additional comfort features. Every Sequoia was equipped with a power moonroof, adding an airy feel to the cabin, with upper trims like the Platinum and Capstone featuring a panoramic version.

Conversely, the 2024 Honda Passport maintained its familiar design language, with minor updates like an upright grille and squared-off corners introduced in 2022. Despite the tweaks, the Passport’s look remained reminiscent of previous Honda generations. The Passport's simplicity extended to its trim structure, with three distinct versions: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition. The TrailSport trim, intended for ruggedness, featured all-terrain tires, roof rails, and LED fog lights, distinguishing it from the base EX-L.

While the TrailSport projected a rugged exterior, its off-road capabilities were somewhat superficial. It featured plastic skid plates and lacked substantial recovery points or a lift kit. However, the approach and departure angles were respectable, slightly better than a Subaru Outback Wilderness. Inside, the Passport utilized straightforward physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen, giving it a traditional and uncluttered vibe. The TrailSport trim added a black leather interior with orange stitching, adding a touch of flair to the otherwise pragmatic cabin.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia exclusively utilized Toyota’s iForce MAX hybrid powertrain, combining a twin-turbo V6 with an electric motor. This combination delivered an impressive 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. Compared to its V8 predecessor, this newer version offered both improved power and fuel economy, with a rating of 20 mpg combined for the 4WD model. Off-road enthusiasts could opt for the TRD Pro, which included 4WD with a selectable 4Hi, 4Lo, and 2WD modes, as well as a skid plate. The TRD Off-Road package, available on select trims, further enhanced the Sequoia’s adventure-readiness with all-terrain tires, a skid plate, and specialized suspension components, boosting its off-road credentials.

The Sequoia also excelled in towing capacity, managing up to 9,520 pounds with the SR5 RWD configuration, significantly higher than the previous generation's 7,400 pounds. This model offered a 10-speed automatic transmission, noted for its smooth operation. Though heavier towing-related options like the Tow Technology Package and power-extending trailer mirrors were beneficial, their design sometimes obstructed visibility for shorter drivers.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Honda Passport stuck with a trusty, naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, offered respectable acceleration and unobtrusive shifts. The lack of turbocharging meant drivers had to push higher into the rev range to access peak torque, which affected its fuel economy, rated at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined.

The TrailSport trim added mechanical tweaks like wider front and rear tracks and off-road-tuned suspension. All Passports came standard with Honda’s torque-vectoring iVTM4 all-wheel-drive system and a traction-management system that included various terrain settings. Despite the additional off-road features in the TrailSport, the Passport’s ride could become noisy at highway speeds, although it quieted down significantly in urban settings. Towing capacity topped out at 5,000 pounds, placing it below the Sequoia but competitive within its crossover segment.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia boasted a maximum cargo capacity of 86.9 cubic feet with both the second and third-row seats folded down. Behind the second row, it offered 49 cubic feet of space, and the third row provided between 11.5 and 22.3 cubic feet, depending on seat positioning. While accessing the third row was straightforward due to easily maneuverable second-row seats, the folded seats did not create a flat load floor due to the battery placement, reducing headroom and increasing knee elevation for third-row passengers. The legroom ranged from 28.1 to 33.7 inches in the third row, 39.2 inches in the second row, and 41.2 inches up front.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo space for a midsize two-row crossover. It offered an impressive 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 77.7 cubic feet with the seats folded flat, including underfloor storage. This capacity was superior to competitors like the Subaru Outback, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. While rear-seat legroom was slightly tighter compared to some rivals, the overall interior was spacious, comfortably seating five adults. The Passport's front storage compartment changes provided additional storage space, although reducing the airy feel of the cabin slightly.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia Capstone trim featured a host of advanced technologies, starting with a standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available on an 8-inch or 14-inch touchscreen, depending on the trim. The interface, managed by Toyota Audio Multimedia, was user-friendly despite its simplistic design. Every Sequoia also came with a full-color 12.3-inch driver-information display and a Panoramic View monitor, enhancing visibility and ease of use. High-end features like a 10-inch head-up display and a 14-speaker JBL Premium Audio system were standard on the Capstone and available on lower trims.

The 2024 Honda Passport, however, only offered an 8-inch touchscreen across all trims, which felt small considering the cabin's spaciousness. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad. Although the screen's resolution and responsiveness were commendable, the tech showed limitations. Frequent turn-by-turn navigation could dominate the driver’s information display, causing frustration. Additionally, the TrailSport's standard seven-speaker audio lacked depth, suggesting that potential buyers might prefer the Black Edition’s upgraded 10-speaker system or consider competitors with better sound systems.

Toyota equipped every 2024 Sequoia with the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.5 suite, encompassing features like a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, adaptive cruise control, and road-sign recognition. The Sequoia also came standard with front and rear parking sensors with automatic braking and blind-spot monitoring enhanced by Trailer Merge Warning. Optional safety features, bundled in the Tow Technology Package, included a digital rearview mirror and trailer backup guide with Straight-Path Assist. Although official crash test ratings were unavailable, the mechanically similar Toyota Tundra’s Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS bodes well for the Sequoia.

The Honda Passport also featured a comprehensive safety suite under Honda Sensing, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Nevertheless, the Passport had mixed crash test results. It received an "Acceptable" rating in the passenger-side small overlap crash test and a "Marginal" in the updated side-impact tests from the IIHS, missing the Top Safety Pick list. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall, but four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.