Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2023 Mazda CX-50

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 CX-50 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 CX-50’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Passport and the CX-50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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.

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. Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-50.

There are almost 2 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mazda 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 CX-50 have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport third among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The CX-50 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 93 more horsepower (280 vs. 187) and 76 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 186) than the CX-50’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 24 more horsepower (280 vs. 256) than the CX-50’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda Passport is faster than the Mazda CX-50 4 cyl.:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CX-50 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Passport has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-50 (19.5 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-50.

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

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 CX-50’s standard 65 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 CX-50.

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 CX-50 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Passport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mazda CX-50 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Passport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Passport flat and controlled during cornering. The CX-50’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the CX-50.

The Passport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-50 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Passport Elite is quieter than the CX-50 2.5 Turbo:

The Passport has 14.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-50 (114.9 vs. 100.3).

The Passport has .4 inches more front headroom, 5.5 inches more front hip room, 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear hip room and 8.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-50.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Passport’s rear seats recline. The CX-50’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-50 with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 31.4 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-50 with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 56.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Passport. The CX-50 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Passport Elite’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CX-50’s (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Passport uses 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. The CX-50 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Passport has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-50 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 CX-50 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 CX-50 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Passport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The CX-50 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Passport’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-50 Preferred/Premium/Turbo.

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 is only available on the CX-50 Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo.

Both the Passport and the CX-50 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Passport has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-50 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 CX-50.

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 CX-50 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Passport and the Mazda CX-50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda Passport outsold the Mazda CX-50 by almost two to one during 2022.