GM and Honda came up with the same idea at around the same time: bring back an old body-on-frame SUV and make it into a midsize crossover. The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer and Honda Passport go on sale early next year to compete with segment stalwarts including the Ford Edge, Nissan Murano, Subaru Outback, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Honda and Chevrolet may have both revived storied nameplates, but beyond that, how do the two new models compare? Let’s take a look.
Styling
GM deserves props for injecting just the right amount of Camaro design into the Blazer. The Camaro-like grille, sculpted body lines, and bold floating roof give the Blazer an athletic stance and distinguish it from other GM crossovers. Honda took a more subdued approach with the Passport, making it look like a shrunken Pilot—which is essentially what it is.
Both models offer optional equipment that sharpens up the exterior. The Blazer RS adds blacked-out exterior elements, and the Premier trim boasts lots of bright chrome. The Passport offers two accessory packages. The Adventure package brings a roof basket, running boards, and a trailer hitch, and the Urban package gets you underbody spoilers, roof rails, and crossbars.
Drivetrain
Blazer buyers have the option of two powertrains, the first one being a 2.5-liter inline-four with 193 hp and 188 lb-ft of torque. The other option is a 3.6-liter V-6 that pumps out 305 hp and 269 lb-ft. The 2019 Honda Passport splits the difference with a 280-hp, 262-lb-ft 3.5-liter V-6 that serves the only engine option. Both the Blazer and Passport come standard with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and they offer a choice between front- and all-wheel drive.
Towing
Passport wins. Honda’s entry can tow up to 5,000 pounds when paired with all-wheel drive. Towing maxes out at 4,500 pounds on the V-6 Blazer.
Off-road capability
We have yet to drive either crossover, let alone evaluate them off-road. But given the adventure-rich history behind the badges they wear, we should at least look at the 2019 Honda Passport and 2019 Chevrolet Blazer’s on-paper four-wheeling specs. Both crossovers offer all-wheel-drive systems with torque vectoring capability, which should aid traction on the trails.
Honda intentionally gave the Passport more ground clearance than the Pilot and CR-V to help differentiate it, and as such the new midsizer benefits from 1.1 inches of additional ground clearance (8.4 inches) compared to its three-row sibling when equipped with all-wheel drive. The Passport was also given shorter front and rear overhangs to improve approach (21.4 degrees with AWD), departure (27.6 degrees), and breakover angles. A Chevy rep told us the above specs aren’t available for the Blazer yet. But even if we did have them, numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. We look forward to testing both crossovers off the beaten path soon and will reserve judgment until then.
Cargo space
GM says the Blazer offers 64.2 cubic feet of space with the second row folded, less than the Passport’s 77.9 cubic feet. Chevrolet has not yet released full interior measurements on the Blazer, so we don’t know how the two compare in terms of passenger volume.
Safety
Honda Sensing is standard on every Passport. This package bundles together collision mitigation braking with forward collision warning, road departure mitigation with lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. Unfortunately, you won’t get all of this on the base Blazer. Features such as forward collision warning, lane keep with lane departure, automatic braking, and adaptive cruise control are available for extra coin.
Interior
Both vehicles have modern, uncluttered cabins. They both offer 8.0-inch touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, although this isn’t standard on the base Passport as it is on the base Blazer. Drivers can choose different traction modes to fit the surface on which they’re driving. While the Blazer has a traditional gear stalk, the Passport has an electronic push-button gear selector. Both models offer heated seats, ventilated front seats, and wireless phone charging among other goodies.
Price
Although Chevrolet hasn’t released full pricing information, we do know the Blazer starts at $29,995. Honda hasn’t divulged any prices, but expect the Passport to start a bit higher than that. The CR-V is priced from $25,345 while the Pilot goes for $32,445, meaning the midsize Passport will slot somewhere in between.
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