Compare the2026 Honda PassportVS 2025 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Passport are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Passport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 X3’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Passport’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The X3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Passport and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 and available around view monitors.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. BMW is ranked 8th.

The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 30 more horsepower (285 vs. 255) than the X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The X3 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X3 M50 xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Passport has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (18.5 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW X3 (6 to 7). This means the Passport produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X3 every 15,000 miles.

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 X3.

For better stopping power the Passport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the X3 (265/60R18 vs. 245/50R19). The Passport TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (275/60R18 vs. 255/40R21).

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 X3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Passport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 4.3 inches wider in the front and 3.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

For better maneuverability, the Passport’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the X3’s (39 feet vs. 40 feet).

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 X3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Passport has 17.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (119.1 vs. 101.4).

The Passport has .9 inches more front legroom, 4 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear headroom, 4.6 inches more rear legroom and 6 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 with its rear seat up (44 vs. 31.5 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 67.1 cubic feet).

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 X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 costs extra on the X3.

The Passport TrailSport has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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