Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2023 Volvo XC60

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Passport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The XC60 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Passport. But it costs extra on the XC60.

Both the Passport and the XC60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

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 Volvo XC60:

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 Volvo XC60:

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

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the XC60 have 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 35 points higher than the XC60.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport third among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The XC60 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 73 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Volvo.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 26 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 9 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 33 more horsepower (280 vs. 247) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the XC60 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Passport is faster than the Volvo XC60:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The XC60 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Both the Passport and the XC60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Passports have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The XC60 T8 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XC60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the XC60.

The Passport stops shorter than the XC60:

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the XC60 (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18).

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The XC60 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The front and rear suspension of the Passport uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the XC60.

The Passport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The XC60 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Passport has 11.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC60 (114.9 vs. 103).

The Passport has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front hip room, 3.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom, 1.9 inches more rear hip room and 5.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the XC60.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Passport’s rear seats recline. The XC60’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC60 with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC60 with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

The Passport’s cargo area is larger than the XC60’s in almost every dimension:

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Passport’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The XC60 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XC60’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

A Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Passport, using the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the XC60.

The Passport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The XC60 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Passport has standard extendable sun visors. The XC60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Passport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XC60 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the XC60.

The Passport TrailSport/Elite has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XC60 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volvo XC60 isn't recommended.

The Honda Passport outsold the Volvo XC60 by 14% during 2022.