Compare the2023 Toyota VenzaVS 2023 Honda Passport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Toyota Venza has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Passport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Venza has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Passport doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited has standard Rear Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Passport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Venza Limited has a standard Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Passport only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Venza’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Passport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Venza and the Passport 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.

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

	Venza	Passport
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	340/190 lbs.	478/436 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Venza is safer than the Passport:

	Venza	Passport
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	206
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	.67 in
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	2.05 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	759 lbs.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Venza is 1.4% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Passport.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Venza the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 169 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Passport last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2019.

Warranty

There are over 16 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Honda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Venza’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Venza’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Passport’s camshafts. If the Passport’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The battery on the Venza is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Venza’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Passport’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 Venza’s reliability 34 points higher than the Passport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Venza gets better fuel mileage than the Passport (40 city/37 hwy vs. 19 city/24 hwy).

The Venza can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 1.6 miles. The Passport can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Venza’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Passport doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Venza higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Passport (3). This means the Venza produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Passport every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Venza has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Passport doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Venza stops much shorter than the Passport:

	Venza	Passport
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Venza’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Passport’s (58.5% to 41.5%). This gives the Venza more stable handling and braking.

The Venza Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the Passport Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Venza Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Passport Elite (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Passport AWD’s (36.1 feet vs. 39.3 feet). The Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Passport AWD’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Passport (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Toyota Venza may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 400 pounds less than the Honda Passport.

The Venza is 5.6 inches narrower than the Passport, making the Venza easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The front grille of the Venza uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Passport doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Ergonomics

The Venza Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Passport doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Venza’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Passport’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Venza and the Passport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Venza is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Passport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Venza’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Passport’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Venza’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Passport’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Venza as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Venza third among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Passport isn’t in the top three.

The Toyota Venza outsold the Honda Passport by 73% during the 2022 model year.