Compare the2025 Land Rover DefenderVS 2026 Honda Passport

Both the Defender 110/130 and Passport have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Defender has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Passport’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Land Rover Defender’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system is only offered on some models of the Honda Passport.

Both the Defender and Passport have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Defender has Rear Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Passport’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Defender and the Passport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Defender comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Passport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Defender’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Passport’s (6 vs. 5 years).

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Defender’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 Defender P300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 11 more horsepower (296 vs. 285) and 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Defender P400’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 110 more horsepower (395 vs. 285) and 144 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Defender P500’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 208 more horsepower (493 vs. 285) and 188 lbs.-ft. more torque (450 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Defender P525’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 233 more horsepower (518 vs. 285) and 199 lbs.-ft. more torque (461 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Defender OCTA’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid produces 341 more horsepower (626 vs. 285) and 291 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

The Defender has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Passport (23.8 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Defender’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Passport:

The Defender’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Passport are solid, not vented.

The Defender’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Passport’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Defender has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Passport. The Defender offers optional 22-inch wheels.

The Defender has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Passport. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Defender has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Passport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Defender offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Passport’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Defender has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Passport doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Defender 110’s wheelbase is 5.4 inches longer than on the Passport (119 inches vs. 113.6 inches).

The Defender’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (46.2% to 53.8%) than the Passport’s (57.8% to 42.2%). This gives the Defender more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Defender 90’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Passport’s (38 feet vs. 39 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Defender 90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Passport (8.9 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Defender to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Defender 110 OCTA’s minimum ground clearance is 4.4 inches higher than on the Passport (12.7 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Defender 130 offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Passport can only carry 5. The Defender 90 offers optional seating for 6.

The Defender 130’s cargo area provides more volume than the Passport.

The Defender’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Passport’s (7716 vs. 5000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda Passport is only 5000 pounds. The Defender offers up to a 8201 lbs. towing capacity.

The Defender uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Passport uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Defender is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Passport. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Passport, the Defender offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Defender offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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 power windows standard on both the Defender and the Passport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Defender 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 Defender’s standard Keyless Entry allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Push Button Start and Smart Entry standard on the Passport doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door. Push Button Start and Smart Entry is not available on the Passport TrailSport Elite.

The Defender’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Passport’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Defender to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Passport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Defender offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Passport doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Land Rover Defender has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Passport TrailSport.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Defender’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Passport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Defender has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Passport TrailSport Elite.

The Land Rover Defender comes in two door and four door bodystyles; the Honda Passport isn’t available as a two door.

Motor Trend selected the Defender as their 2021 Sport Utility of the Year. The Passport has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Defender as the 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Passport has never been chosen.