Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 Model Y 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 Model Y’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Passport’s standard Cross Traffic Monitor uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Passport Elite has standard HondaLink Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Passport and the Model Y 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 and rearview cameras.

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 Tesla Model Y:

	Passport	Model Y
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	210 lbs.
Neck Compression	36 lbs.	68 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	298/427 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 Tesla Model Y:

	Passport	Model Y
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	145 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	233	358
Spine Acceleration	42 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	304 lbs.	567 lbs.

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

Warranty

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. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model Y.

There are over 7 times as many Honda dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

Reliability

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 33 points higher than the Model Y.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport third among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Model Y 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 Tesla vehicles. With 43 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 14 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport EX-L/Elite’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model Y (265/45R20 vs. 255/35R21).

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 Model Y doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Passport has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model Y; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Passport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Passport flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’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 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model Y.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (8.1 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

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

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Passport Elite is quieter than the Model Y Long Range (65 vs. 68 dB).

Passenger Space

The Passport has 8.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Model Y (114.9 vs. 106).

The Passport has 5.3 inches more front hip room, 5.6 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 6.7 inches more rear hip room and 7.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Model Y with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 16.9 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Model Y with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 76.2 cubic feet).

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 Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Model Y’s (5000 vs. 3500 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 Model Y doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Passport to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, brake pad replacement, and transmission fluid replacement, based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Passport has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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

The Passport’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

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 Model Y 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 Model Y doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Passport Elite keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Passport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Passport will cost $3620 to $4575 less than the Model Y over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Passport will be $6094 to $11565 less than for the Tesla Model Y.

Recommendations

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