2024 Honda Passport vs 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ was a striking vehicle with a design that commanded attention. Its exterior styling was reminiscent of a long sedan, with a long hood and low ground clearance, drawing inspiration from the classic Seville Elegante of the early 1980s. The LYRIQ featured vertical light bars with nine LED headlights that performed a light show upon unlocking, surrounded by a solid grille with lighting effects. The Sport trim, in particular, stood out with its dark triangular motif and 22-inch wheels, although the standard 20-inch wheels diminished its imposing presence. Inside, the LYRIQ boasted luxurious details, including leather-wrapped seats, polished window switches, and a sweeping 33-inch OLED display. However, the floating center console offered limited functionality, and some elements seemed cobbled together.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport maintained a familiar design, with minor updates since 2022. It featured a more upright grille and squared-off corners, but its overall look remained consistent with previous generations. The Passport offered three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Black Edition, all equipped with leather seats, a power moonroof, and all-wheel drive. The TrailSport trim, designed for ruggedness, included all-terrain tires, roof rails, and LED fog lights. While it appeared rugged, the Passport's off-road capabilities were more show than go, with plastic skid plates and no lift kit. Inside, the Passport featured old-school physical controls, an 8-inch touchscreen, and a simple, utilitarian design with black leather upholstery and orange contrast stitching.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ delivered a smooth and comfortable ride, excelling on the interstate with its calm and poised demeanor. It featured two Chinese-sourced motors producing 500 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque for continuous all-wheel drive, with a standard single rear motor option offering 340 horsepower. The LYRIQ's 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack provided a claimed range of 314 miles with rear-wheel drive and 307 miles with all-wheel drive, though real-world testing showed closer to 260 miles. Charging was efficient, with the battery topping up to 80 percent in about 30 to 35 minutes. However, the LYRIQ's handling was hindered by its weight, resulting in understeer and uninspiring steering feel. Despite strong braking, the LYRIQ's chassis needed improvement.

The 2024 Honda Passport, on the other hand, featured a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Managed by a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Passport offered smooth acceleration and unobtrusive gear shifts. The TrailSport trim received mechanical changes for off-road driving, including wider tracks and tuned suspension. All Passports came with Honda's torque-vectoring iVTM4 all-wheel-drive system and a traction-management system with various settings. While road and wind noise were noticeable at highway speeds, the Passport's steering was well-balanced and accurate. With a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, the Passport outperformed some competitors but fell short of others.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ faced challenges with build quality and functionality. Misaligned rear fenders, a loose charging port, and a problematic pull-out tray in the dash were notable issues. The glovebox was difficult to access while driving, and the floating console offered limited space. The rotary selector for the touchscreen was less intuitive than direct touch, and drive mode selection required navigating multiple menus. Despite these drawbacks, the LYRIQ provided generous headroom and legroom, though its cargo space was limited to 28 cubic feet behind the seats and 60.8 cubic feet when folded.

In contrast, the 2024 Honda Passport excelled in cargo capacity, offering 41.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, with additional underfloor storage. The cargo space expanded to 77.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, providing ample room for long items. The Passport comfortably accommodated five adults, with rear-seat legroom on par with competitors. The front center console bin was redesigned for more storage, though it reduced the airy feel of the cabin. Overall, the Passport's interior was practical and spacious, with well-placed cupholders and storage options.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ featured a 33-inch OLED screen divided into three sections, with touch-enabled controls for lighting and gauge cluster layouts. While lacking augmented reality video feed, the instrument cluster was large and legible. The infotainment system ran native Google Maps and Google Assistant, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The Super Cruise system provided excellent hands-free driving capabilities, and the 19-speaker AKG stereo offered variable surround sound modes.

In comparison, the 2024 Honda Passport came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which felt small given the cabin's spaciousness. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with Bluetooth connectivity and a wireless charging pad. The screen offered sharp resolution and quick response, but the navigation system's turn-by-turn directions were intrusive in city driving. The TrailSport trim's seven-speaker audio system was underwhelming, with better options available in other vehicles.

The 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ had not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS at the time of writing. It came standard with forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and Cadillac's Safety Alert Seat. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, and rear emergency braking.

The 2024 Honda Passport, on the other hand, offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features under the "Honda Sensing" umbrella. These included 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 crash test ratings, with the IIHS rating it "Acceptable" in the passenger-side small overlap crash test and "Marginal" in the updated side-impact crash tests. The NHTSA awarded it five stars overall but four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests.