Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2023 Mercedes GLE

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
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 GLE 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 GLE’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 GLE.

The Passport’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.

Both the Passport and the GLE 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, 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 Mercedes GLE:

	Passport	GLE
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	208 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	301/184 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 Mercedes GLE:

	Passport	GLE
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	151 lbs.
Hip Force	269 lbs.	287 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	304 lbs.	677 lbs.

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

Warranty

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLE. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 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. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLE.

There are almost 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

Reliability

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the GLE 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 48 points higher than the GLE.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport third among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The GLE 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 Mercedes vehicles. With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Mercedes.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 19 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 25 more horsepower (280 vs. 255) than the GLE 350’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Passport is faster than the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Passport	GLE
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	87.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Passport gets better fuel mileage than the GLE 580 4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid (19 city/24 hwy vs. 16 city/21 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The GLE 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 GLE requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 GLE doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Tires and Wheels

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 GLE doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the GLE.

The Passport Elite handles at .79 G’s, while the GLE 350 4MATIC pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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

Chassis

The Honda Passport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1000 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The Passport is 5.2 inches shorter than the GLE, making the Passport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 GLE uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

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

Passenger Space

The Passport has .6 inches more front legroom, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLE.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLE with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 33.3 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLE with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 74.9 cubic feet).

Towing

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 GLE.

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Passport has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLE only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Passport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Passport will cost $3660 to $8300 less than the GLE over a five-year period.

The Passport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Passport will retain 50.47% to 51.56% of its original price after five years, while the GLE only retains 42.92% to 45.8%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Passport will be $22302 to $42531 less than for the Mercedes GLE.

Recommendations

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

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