Honda Passport vs Honda Prologue

Honda had started rolling out an updated design language across its lineup beginning with the 2022 Civic redesign. However, the 2024 Passport had retained much of its previous design elements. The Passport's look, featuring an upright grille and squared-off corners that were slightly tweaked in 2022, had still aligned closely with Honda's previous-generation designs.

The Passport came in three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition. Contrary to many competitors who offered lower-priced trims with basic features, every Passport trim level was richly equipped with leather seats, a power moonroof, identical touchscreens, and all-wheel drive (AWD).

The midlevel TrailSport trim we tested was made to look rugged, equipped with General Grabber A/T sport tires, tested and rated for snowy conditions, roof rails, and LED fog lights. Despite its rugged appearance, the TrailSport's practical off-road capability was somewhat limited. The faux skid plates were plastic, there were no recovery points in the bumpers, and there was no lift kit, although its approach and departure angles were more aggressive than a Subaru Outback Wilderness.

Inside, the Passport featured old-school physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen. The TrailSport trims had black leather upholstery with orange contrast stitching and an orange "TrailSport" emblem. The interior was simple and utilitarian, with ample storage space and resilient yet inexpensive plastic integrated with softer materials.

The 2024 Honda Prologue was designed to look about as normal as any EV available at the time. The base EX trim was available in five colors, with the Touring and Elite trims adding Sonic Grey and the eye-catching North Shore Pearl, a punchy turquoise. Its front end had a traditional Honda "H" logo centered on a smooth, flawless black panel, devoid of air-cooling components.

Accessories like skid plates and side cladding offered personalization options. Viewed from the side, the Prologue's low appearance was due to its length, being 3 inches longer than the Passport but 8 inches shorter, giving it a sleek look more akin to a luxurious sedan than an SUV.

The Elite trim we tested had an aesthetically pleasing brown and black interior exclusive to the top trim, with a gray and black two-tone interior available for all trims. The Prologue's dash layout resembled that of newer Honda models like the CR-V and Accord, but without the honeycomb vents. Instead, it had piano black plastic and a swath of upholstery materials spanning the dash. Overall, the Prologue's interior had an upscale yet familiar feel.

Contrary to the trend of adopting smaller, turbocharged engines or hybrid components, the 2024 Honda Passport stuck with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine. This engine, with its 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, matched or beat most of its competitors. The nine-speed automatic transmission provided smooth gear shifts with no noticeable irregular behavior.

While peak torque required revs up to 4,700 RPM due to the lack of a turbocharger, the Passport performed admirably. Fuel economy, rated at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined by the EPA, was slightly lower than turbocharged counterparts.

TrailSport trims featured wider front and rear tracks, all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels, and a suspension tuned for off-road driving. All Passports came equipped with Honda's iVTM4 AWD system and a traction-management system with normal, snow, sand, and mud settings.

Road and wind noise were noticeable at highway speeds but subdued around town. The Passport's precise steering was another highlight, offering a well-balanced and accurate feel uncommon in vehicles of this size. Towing capacity maxed out at 5,000 pounds, making it more capable than the Subaru Outback Wilderness and Hyundai Santa Fe, but less so than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Prologue offered a choice between front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). The FWD model, available on EX and Touring trims, had a single motor producing 212 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, offering a range of 296 miles. The AWD model, standard on the Elite trim and optional on EX and Touring, featured a dual-motor setup delivering 288 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque. The AWD Prologue on 21-inch wheels had a range of 273 miles, while it extended to 281 miles on 19-inch wheels.

The base range of 296 miles was best-in-class among its rivals. It may not have had longer-range versions like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y, but its standard range outperformed the most accessible trims of its competitors.

Driving dynamics were distinctly Honda, familiar and comfortable. The Prologue offered three regenerative braking settings, with the middle setting, "Normal," allowing for coasting. It also had a one-pedal drive setting for immediate deceleration and a low setting for a typical driving experience.

The Prologue's 121.8-inch wheelbase, longest in its class, ensured a smooth ride. Road and wind noise were present but emphasized the normal driving experience. In Sport mode, throttle, brake, and steering responses were heightened, making the Prologue surprisingly fun to drive on winding roads.

The Passport excelled in cargo space, leading the two-row midsize crossover segment. With 41.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and additional underfloor storage, it outperformed competitors like the Subaru Outback (32.6 cubic feet), Hyundai Santa Fe (36.4), Grand Cherokee (37.7), and Ford Edge (39.2). The 60/40-split folding rear seats expanded the cargo space to 77.7 cubic feet and sat flush with the trunk floor for easy loading.

The Passport's spacious interior comfortably accommodated five adults, though rear-seat legroom was slightly tighter than the Hyundai Santa Fe. The front seat featured a redesigned center console bin for increased storage, sacrificing some airiness but providing more storage space.

The Prologue's main cabin offered 111.7 cubic feet of passenger volume, surpassing its Cadillac platform-mate, the Lyriq. Legroom was generous with 39.4 inches in the second row and 41.4 inches in the first row. Headroom, at 39.6 inches upfront and 38.1 inches in the back seat, was less impressive but was mitigated by reclinable rear seats and a panoramic moonroof.

Standard features included heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and a hands-free power liftgate on Touring and Elite trims. The cargo area offered 25.2 cubic feet with a flat load floor, extending to 57.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. A deep compartment beneath the load floor provided additional storage, excluding frunk storage.

The Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad. Despite its sharp resolution and quick response, the small screen size was a drawback in the spacious cabin.

Turn-by-turn directions via the navigation system or smartphone connectivity were pushed to the driver's information display, though this feature could be annoying in city driving where directions changed rapidly. The TrailSport trim's seven-speaker audio system was decent but not exceptional. Audiophiles would be better served by rival systems from Jeep, Subaru, or even Honda's own Pilot.

Keyless access, wireless charging, and four USB-C ports were standard on the Prologue. The infotainment system ran an 11.3-inch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A separate 11-inch digital driver-information display and, on Elite trims, a head-up display provided additional tech options.

Google Built-In offered seamless integration with preconditioning for EV charging. Touring and Elite trims featured a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system that enhanced the Prologue's Active Sound Control for a more engaging driving experience, particularly in Sport mode.

Every Passport model came equipped with the Honda Sensing suite, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. However, its crash-test ratings were mixed, with the IIHS giving it an “Acceptable” rating for passenger-side small overlap crash tests and a “Marginal” rating for updated side-impact tests. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall but downgraded it to four stars in frontal and rollover tests.

The Prologue came with the Honda Sensing suite as standard and added new features like rear cross-traffic braking and blind-zone steering assist. Some features, like front-park assist, surround-vision, and rear pedestrian alert, were limited to higher trims. While it had yet to be rated by the IIHS or NHTSA, Honda aimed for Top Safety Pick+ and a five-star overall rating, respectively.