2024 Honda Passport vs 2025 Audi Q5

The 2024 Honda Passport retained much of its previous-generation design, despite Honda's recent updates to other models like the Civic and Accord. The Passport's exterior featured a more upright grille and squared-off corners, but overall, it maintained a familiar look. The TrailSport trim, which we tested, was designed to be the most rugged, equipped with all-terrain tires and roof rails. However, its rugged appearance was more aesthetic than functional, with plastic skid plates and no lift kit. Inside, the Passport offered a simple and utilitarian design with physical controls and an 8-inch touchscreen. The TrailSport trim added black leather upholstery with orange stitching, but the interior remained straightforward and practical.

The 2025 Audi Q5 embraced a more robust SUV design with a large grille, prominent air intakes, and high-mounted headlights. While the exterior design was more evolutionary than revolutionary, it gave the Q5 a facelifted appearance. The Q5 offered three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige, with features like LED headlights and OLED taillights on higher trims. The Q5 was available in both standard SUV and Sportback body styles, with the latter offering a sleeker profile. The SQ5 performance variant added sporty elements like larger air intakes and quad exhaust tips. Inside, the Q5 featured a distinctive design with top-notch materials, although the dashboard and door panel lines were somewhat discordant. The SQ5 offered sportier seats and Alcantara trim, but the interior design remained a mix of silver and black trim pieces.

The 2024 Honda Passport was equipped with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, providing smooth and unobtrusive shifts. The Passport's torque-vectoring iVTM4 all-wheel-drive system and traction-management system with various settings added value to its performance. However, the Passport's fuel economy was rated at 19 mpg city, 24 highway, and 21 combined, which was slightly lower than some competitors. The TrailSport trim featured wider tracks, off-road tires, and tuned suspension for off-road driving. The Passport's towing capacity was 5,000 pounds, surpassing some rivals but falling short of others like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The 2025 Audi Q5 offered a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. The base model featured a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine with 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, while the SQ5 had a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 with 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Despite the impressive specs, both models experienced turbo lag and rough shifts, affecting acceleration. The Q5's steel-spring suspension with passive damping provided capable handling, while the SQ5's air suspension offered sportier tuning. The Q5's Off-Road modes and air suspension adjustments made it suitable for dirt roads but not technical trails. The Q5's towing capacity was 4,400 pounds, surpassing some competitors.

The 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo space, offering 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Passport's interior was spacious, accommodating five adults comfortably, although rear-seat legroom was slightly tighter than some competitors. The front center console was redesigned for more storage, and cupholders were abundant. The Passport's utilitarian design emphasized practicality and storage space.

The 2025 Audi Q5 maintained similar dimensions to the previous model, with adequate headroom and legroom. The Q5's cargo space increased to 27.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 56.9 cubic feet with the seats folded. The Q5 offered a sliding and reclining second-row bench seat and a power tailgate. Heated front seats were standard, with additional features like a heated steering wheel and panoramic sunroof on higher trims. The Q5's towing capacity was 4,400 pounds, making it a practical choice for towing needs.

The 2024 Honda Passport featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which felt small compared to competitors. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and a wireless charging pad. However, the system's navigation display was occasionally intrusive, and the audio system on the TrailSport trim was underwhelming compared to competitors' offerings.

The 2025 Audi Q5 boasted an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen, with an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen on the Prestige trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with a cooled wireless charging pad. The Premium Plus trim added USB-C ports and a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The Q5's infotainment system was based on Android Automotive OS, offering a user-friendly experience. Additional features included a voice assistant, head-up display, and digital key connectivity.

The 2024 Honda Passport came equipped with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. However, the Passport received mixed safety ratings, with an "Acceptable" rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Audi Q5 offered standard driver-assist features such as adaptive cruise control, active front assist, lane departure warning, parking sensors, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, and traffic sign recognition. The Premium Plus trim added a 360-degree camera system and adaptive cruise assist. Safety ratings for the redesigned Q5 were not available at the time of writing, but Audi aimed to match the previous model's five-star NHTSA rating.