Compare the2024 Honda PassportVS 2024 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Passport are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 X5’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 X5.

Both the Passport and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are BMW 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 X5 have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Passport gets better fuel mileage than the X5 M60i running its gasoline engine (19 city/24 hwy vs. 17 city/22 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The X5 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 X5 M60i xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 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 X5 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 an eight-speed automatic is available for the X5.

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 X5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Passport AWD’s turning circle is .1 feet tighter than the X5 M60i xDrive’s (39.3 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Passport AWD’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X5’s (39.3 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Honda Passport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 1300 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The Passport is 5.1 inches shorter than the X5, making the Passport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Passport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Passport has 1.1 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X5 with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 33.9 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X5 with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 72.3 cubic feet).

The Passport’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in almost every dimension:

The Passport’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

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 X5.

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 X5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Passport, based on reliability, safety and performance.