Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

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

Safety

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

The Passport has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the Passport and the Cherokee 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, 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 Honda Passport is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Passport	Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	149	204
Neck Injury Risk	28%	38.2%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	36 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	368/516 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 Jeep Cherokee:

	Passport	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	133 lbs.
Hip Force	269 lbs.	363 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	233	264
Spine Acceleration	42 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	304 lbs.	938 lbs.

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

Reliability

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Cherokee 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 18 points higher than the Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport third among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Cherokee 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 Jeep vehicles. With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Jeep.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 100 more horsepower (280 vs. 180) and 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 10 more horsepower (280 vs. 270) than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda Passport is faster than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Passport	Cherokee 4 cyl.	Cherokee Trailhawk
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	3.9 sec	3.2 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	10.9 sec	7.5 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	2.9 sec	7 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	18.2 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	78.6 MPH	91 MPH

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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

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

The Passport has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (19.5 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Passport stops shorter than the Cherokee:

	Passport	Cherokee
70 to 0 MPH	181 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	135 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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

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 Cherokee’s standard 65 series tires. The Passport EX-L/Elite’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Cherokee’s 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport TrailSport has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Cherokee. The Passport EX-L/Elite has standard 20-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 4.4 inches longer than on the Cherokee (110.9 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 3.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Cherokee.

The Passport Elite handles at .79 G’s, while the Cherokee Trailhawk pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Passport Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk (28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Passport has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Cherokee uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

The Passport has 11.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (114.9 vs. 103.5).

The Passport has .1 inches more front headroom, 5.3 inches more front hip room, 4.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 7.4 inches more rear hip room and 6.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

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

	Passport	Cherokee
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42.5”/76”	33.9”/67.6”
Max Width	52”	49.2”
Min Width	45.5”	39.4”
Height	30”	28.8”

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

Towing

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

Ergonomics

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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee can only operate 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Consumer Reports rated the Passport’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Cherokee’s headlights, which were rated “Poor” to “Good” (depending on model and options).

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

When the Passport is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Cherokee’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Passport’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Cherokee offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Passport and the Cherokee have standard heated front seats. The Passport Elite also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cherokee.

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 Cherokee Trailhawk.

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. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

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

The Honda Passport outsold the Jeep Cherokee by 984 units during 2022.