Honda Passport vs Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

The 2026 Honda Passport presented a bold and rugged appearance, characterized by its extra-large proportions and blocky dimensions. Its design was a modern interpretation of a rugged SUV, with a long wheelbase of 2,885 millimetres and a nearly flat hood. The lower bumper ended abruptly, enhancing its approach angle and giving it a blunt nose. The Passport featured bracket-shaped amber running lights framing the upper grille and a standard thin hood scoop above the Honda emblem. Its wider and visually stronger stance made it resemble competitors like the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee, while still maintaining a distinct Honda identity. The profile view, with a blacked-out D-pillar and large tinted rear-quarter window, drew inspiration from a backpack, though it also bore similarities to the pre-2024 Chevrolet Traverse and Land Rover Discovery. Fun features included nearly invisible rock sliders and a scratch-resistant roof panel for leaning equipment against it. The rear showcased a blocky tailgate with a two-tone design and a darkly tinted rear window, complemented by an off-silver rear bumper and standard roof rails.

In contrast, the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid pursued a conservative and familiar design path, drawing inspiration from the previous-generation RAV4. This approach resulted in a vehicle that resembled a larger RAV4, offering seating for up to eight and ample cargo space. The interior emphasized function over form, with a layer of luxury in the Platinum trim. Glossy hard plastic and unlined storage surfaces contributed to its value proposition. The climate system was simple, with large temperature adjustment knobs, while the infotainment interface had a tiny volume knob and lacked a tuning knob. The Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid Max arrived in Storm Cloud paint, a flat grayish blue, and featured a mix of leather and artificial suede upholstery in the Portobello interior. The front and second-row seats offered heating, ventilation, and supportive cushions. However, the rear doors were long and had sharp 90-degree angles, making it challenging to buckle a child into a safety seat. The second-row captain’s chairs with a removable centre console provided flexibility for accessing the third row, which offered reasonable comfort for adults and tall teens.

The 2026 Honda Passport aimed to excel both on and off-road, with improved approach and departure angles and better ground clearance. Skid plates were added, and 18-inch wheels replaced the previous 20-inch ones, enhancing ride comfort and off-road traction. The TrailSport Touring trims featured a multi-view mode with four camera angles for navigating trails. The Passport came standard with Honda’s i-VTM4 all-wheel drive system and seven distinct drive modes, including the new Sport, Trail, and Tow modes. However, it lacked locking differentials and a low-range 4WD system. The naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine produced 285 horsepower, a slight increase from the previous model, and maintained 262 pound-feet of torque. The new 10-speed automatic transmission replaced the old 9-speed unit. The Passport impressed during off-road testing, with its V6 engine providing ample power and the steering demonstrating satisfying weight at low speeds. While the all-terrain tires generated noticeable noise on highways, the cabin remained well-insulated from engine and wind noise. The Passport’s fuel economy was estimated at 12.6 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 9.9 on the highway, and 11.4 combined.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max focused on performance with a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and electronic full-time AWD with two electric motors, producing 362 net horsepower. This setup allowed the Grand Highlander to accelerate quickly, with a traditional six-speed automatic transmission avoiding the droning common in CVTs. The Hybrid Max had a fuel economy rating of 8.8 L/100 km combined, with a towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms. During testing, it achieved 9.1 L/100 km on a 50:50 city and highway route and 10.1 L/100 km on a mountainous loop. The Hybrid Max’s acceleration was rewarding, with electric motors negating turbo lag. The ride quality was soft and isolating, though undulations in the road could cause vertical bounding and lateral rocking. The Grand Highlander’s handling was secure up to a modest point, with tires scrubbing and squealing early. Outward visibility was excellent, aided by available cameras, though the front camera’s takeover of the infotainment screen was occasionally intrusive.

The 2026 Honda Passport featured a new 12.3-inch touchscreen, but otherwise retained a simple interface with physical buttons and knobs. It offered best-in-class cargo space, with 1,246 litres behind the rear seat and 2,356 litres with the seats folded down. A full-size spare tire was available, and the Passport provided ample rear-seat legroom and numerous storage cubbies. A panoramic moonroof was standard in Canada, and Touring trims added ventilated front seats. Honda planned to offer post-production option packages, including a rear cargo shelf that could be used as a table.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid offered comfortable seating in all three rows, with more than 2,700 litres of maximum cargo space. However, many storage locations were unlined, contributing to noise and vibration. The Platinum-trim test vehicle featured a Portobello interior with leather and artificial suede upholstery. The front and second-row seats had heating, ventilation, and supportive cushions. The rear doors were long and had sharp angles, making it challenging to buckle a child into a safety seat. The second-row captain’s chairs with a removable centre console provided flexibility for accessing the third row, which offered reasonable comfort for adults and tall teens. The Grand Highlander offered 586 litres of cargo space behind the third row, 1,640 litres with the third row folded, and 2,761 litres with the second row folded.

The 2026 Honda Passport featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google Built-in, offering Google Maps, Google Assistant, and other apps. It also supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a wireless phone charger. The touchscreen was easy to use, with bright colours and decent resolution. Additional tech included a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot, four USB-C charging ports, and a 10.2-inch digital driver information display. Touring trims added a 12-speaker Bose stereo system and the TrailWatch camera system.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Toyota Connected Services plans offered features like automatic collision notification and a digital voice assistant. The infotainment system was easy to use, though it lacked the ability to display multiple main-menu screens simultaneously. The Platinum test car included a colour head-up display, a camera-based digital rear-view mirror, and a JBL premium audio system.

The 2026 Honda Passport came equipped with Honda Safety Sense, including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, traffic-sign recognition, and low-speed braking control. It also featured eight standard airbags. The previous-generation Passport had less-than-stellar crash test results, and the 2026 model awaited testing by the IIHS and NHTSA.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid featured Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, with lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and Proactive Driving Assist. The safety tech operated with accuracy, though the lane keep assist system occasionally strayed too close to lane markers. The Grand Highlander earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA but fell short of the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating due to “Acceptable” ratings for headlight performance and small overlap frontal-impact protection.