2021 Toyota Land Cruiser vs 2021 Honda Passport

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser, in its final year of the current form, offered a Heritage Edition trim to celebrate its 65th anniversary. This edition was available in four colors, with Midnight Black being the standout choice, complemented by bronze BBS wheels and a Yakima Megawarrior roof storage basket. However, the standard Land Cruiser, which arrived for review, was dressed in Magnetic Gray paint with Terra semi-aniline premium leather upholstery. Its exterior design, reminiscent of a first-generation Toyota Highlander, featured oversized headlights and taillights, along with a chrome-heavy two-box shape. Inside, the Land Cruiser combined Toyota parts-bin switchgear with Lexus design themes, offering plush materials and a traditional hand-operated parking brake, creating a nostalgic yet luxurious atmosphere.

The 2021 Honda Passport was essentially a shortened version of the Pilot, featuring two rows of seats instead of three. Its styling closely mirrored that of the Pilot, both inside and out, with the Passport's dash layout being nearly identical. The Passport's interior boasted high-quality materials and a spacious cabin, although it shared Honda's awkward "button shifter" design. The Passport was available in four trim levels: Sport, EX-L, Touring, and Elite. The Sport trim included features like 20-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, and a seven-speaker audio system. The EX-L added leather upholstery, a power moonroof, and a power rear liftgate. The Touring trim offered front-and-rear parking sensors, a hands-free liftgate, and a WiFi hotspot, while the Elite trim included heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and wireless device charging.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser was powered by a 381-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine, shared with the Toyota Tundra. Despite its power, the engine's roar was subdued, contributing to an average fuel economy of 14.7 mpg, slightly better than the EPA rating of 14 mpg. The Land Cruiser featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case. With 90% of the engine's 401 pound-feet of torque available at 2,200 rpm, the SUV delivered unexpected thrust in first gear. Off-road capabilities were enhanced by a Torsen limited-slip differential, mud-and-snow tires, and a suite of traction control features, including Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control. On pavement, the Land Cruiser offered a refined driving experience, though its nearly 3-ton weight required some effort when maneuvering.

The 2021 Honda Passport came standard with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Passport offered front-wheel drive as standard, with all-wheel drive as an option. The V6 engine provided strong acceleration, and the automatic transmission managed power effectively. The Passport's ride was optimized for comfort and handling, with 8.1 inches of ground clearance and Intelligent Traction Management for AWD models. While not designed for extreme off-roading, the Passport could handle light off-road conditions. Towing capacity was 3,500 pounds for FWD models and 5,000 pounds for AWD models.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser's interior, despite its dated appearance, exuded luxury with plush, premium leather upholstery and heated and ventilated front seats. The SUV featured a four-zone automatic climate control system with 28 air vents, ensuring comfort for all passengers. The second-row bench seat offered ample space and heated cushions, while the third-row seat could accommodate adults if the second row was adjusted. Cargo space was limited to 16.1 cubic feet behind the third row, expandable to 41.4 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded. The maximum cargo capacity was 82.8 cubic feet with the second-row seats down.

The 2021 Honda Passport provided a generous 100.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 50.5 cubic feet with the second row in use. An additional 2.5 cubic feet of storage was available in an under-floor tray. The EX-L trim featured a power liftgate, while the Touring and Elite trims offered a hands-free power liftgate. The Passport's upright seating position provided excellent visibility, and the center console included a deep bin and an open cargo tray. Both front and rear seats had deep in-door pockets for storage. The rear seats offered ample headroom and legroom, with reclining and sliding capabilities for added comfort.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, but it lacked modern conveniences like swipe or scroll functionality. The system ran on Toyota's Entune technology, which was not particularly special for a vehicle in this price range. The Land Cruiser did not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and Bluetooth pairing was limited to one device at a time. However, it included Siri Eyes Free voice control and a three-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. The dashboard featured large buttons and knobs for easy control, while the rear-seat entertainment system, though dated, included 11.6-inch displays and a 14-speaker JBL Synthesis audio system.

The 2021 Honda Passport came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. While these features were a welcome addition, the infotainment system's graphics and menu layout were dated and confusing. The audio interface included a volume dial but lacked a tuning dial, making it less user-friendly.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser was equipped with 10 airbags and a curb weight of nearly 6,000 pounds, providing a sense of security in collisions. However, crash-test ratings were unavailable due to the vehicle's older engineering. Toyota Safety Sense (TSS-P) was standard, offering features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. However, the Land Cruiser lacked more advanced driving assistance systems, such as stop-and-go adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance.

The 2021 Honda Passport was well-equipped with advanced safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and front-and-rear parking sensors. The Passport received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and top "Good" scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in most crash tests. However, it received "Acceptable" ratings for headlights, child-seat anchor ease of use, and front crash prevention tech.