Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2023 GMC Terrain

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Passport are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Terrain’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Passport. But it costs extra on the Terrain.

The Passport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Terrain’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Passport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Terrain.

Both the Passport and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Honda Passport weighs 534 to 843 pounds more than the GMC Terrain. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Passport is safer than the GMC Terrain:

	Passport	Terrain
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	159
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	190 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	363/349 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Passport is safer than the GMC Terrain:

	Passport	Terrain
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	109	109
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	195 lbs.
Hip Force	269 lbs.	357 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	233	288
Spine Acceleration	42 G’s	55 G’s
Hip Force	304 lbs.	630 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Passport’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Passport for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Terrain.

Reliability

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Terrain has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Passport’s reliability 25 points higher than the Terrain.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 16 places higher in reliability than GMC.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 105 more horsepower (280 vs. 175) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Terrain doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Passport has 4.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank (19.5 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Passport has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Terrain AWD’s standard fuel tank (19.5 vs. 15.6 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Passport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Terrain:

	Passport	Terrain
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.3 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Terrain (245/60R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Passport EX-L/Elite’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Terrain (265/45R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The Passport TrailSport’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Terrain SLE/AT4’s standard 65 series tires. The Passport EX-L/Elite’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Terrain’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport TrailSport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Terrain SLE/AT4. The Passport EX-L/Elite’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Terrain.

Suspension and Handling

The Passport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Passport flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than on the Terrain (110.9 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 4.6 inches wider in the front and 4.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Terrain.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.1 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Passport’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches).

Passenger Space

The Passport has 11.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Terrain (114.9 vs. 103.2).

The Passport has 4.7 inches more front hip room, 4.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear hip room and 6.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Terrain.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Passport. The Terrain doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Terrain’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Passport’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Passport the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Terrain can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Passport has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Terrain doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Passport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Terrain’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Passport Elite’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Consumer Reports rated the Passport’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Terrain’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Passport’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Terrain’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Passport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Terrain doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Passport has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Terrain.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Terrain Denali offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The GMC Terrain isn't recommended.