The Passport is that rugged Honda SUV that everybody wanted, but can it be something more, can it be fast as well? We're about to find out as it races two direct rivals.
The Nissan Murano is not the most popular SUV out there, but it looks sharp, and it just got a 2019 update. It's also worth pointing out that it starts at the same price as the Honda, under $32,000 without destination charge.
Under the hood is a 3.5-liter DOHC V6 from the VQ family. This puts out 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque. The bad news, at least from a drag racing perspective, is that a CVT stands between it and the AWD system.
Our money would probably be riding on the 2019 Ford Edge were it not for the engine, which is a 2-liter turbo with 245 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. Still, Ford makes some pretty good engines, plus they used the latest 8-speed automatic gearbox. Remember, TFL does its races in the Colorado mountains, at high elevation, where forced induction has an advantage.
Meanwhile, the Passport feels like it can't lose because its V6 has VTEC. Oh, and it makes 280 horsepower plus 262 lb-ft of torque.
The first race is between Honda and Nissan. VTEC kicks in before the CVT even gets to move the Murano's tired body off the line. This is a convincing victory if we've ever seen one.
Weirdly, the Edge, which is the least potent crossover here, is also the most expensive. The top-trim Honda Passport is $44,000, but Ford wants $48,000 for a Titanium model with options. But can it do anything in a drag race?
Yes, yes it can. It pulls away cleanly at the line, thanks to its better low-end torque. This just goes to show you can't judge a book by its horsepower.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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