Compare the2026 Honda PassportVS 2025 Toyota 4Runner

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Passport have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota 4Runner doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row 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 4Runner’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 4Runner.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Passport uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The 4Runner uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Passport and the 4Runner have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 7 more horsepower (285 vs. 278) than the 4Runner’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A 10-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 4Runner.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Passport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 4Runner:

	Passport	4Runner
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.4 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 4Runner (275/60R18 vs. 265/70R17).

The Passport’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4Runner SR5’s standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 4Runner SR5.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the 4Runner (113.6 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 4Runner.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the 4Runner SR5 (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Passport is 3.4 inches shorter than the 4Runner, making the Passport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Passport’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The 4Runner doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Passport has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The 4Runner uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Passport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 4Runner doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Passport has .8 inches more front headroom, 3.1 inches more front hip room, 3.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.9 inches more rear headroom, 6.1 inches more rear legroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the 4Runner.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume than the 4Runner with its rear seat up (44 vs. 12.1 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Passport’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 4Runner doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Ergonomics

The Passport has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Passport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 4Runner doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Passport’s standard Push Button Start and Smart Entry allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key standard on the 4Runner doesn’t offer a sensor on the cargo door The Passport TrailSport Elite’s available Push Button Start and Smart Entry also allows you to unlock the doors from either rear door handle.

The Passport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The 4Runner’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 4Runner only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Passport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 4Runner doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Passport’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The 4Runner offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Passport has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the 4Runner Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro.

The Honda Passport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the 4Runner Premium/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the 4Runner TRD/Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

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

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