2026 Nissan Murano vs 2026 Honda Passport

Midsize SUVs are incredibly popular thanks to their versatile combination of space, comfort, performance, and efficiency. SUVs like the Nissan Murano and Honda Passport meet the needs of everyday life in the modern era quite well, which is why many drivers find that they’re the best fit for all their habits.

But not all SUVs are created equal, and that is the case in the head-to-head 2026 Nissan Murano vs 2026 Honda Passport face-off. When considering interior comfort and luxury, advanced infotainment and driver-assistance tech, and overall value, it’s clear that the Murano does a superior job of delivering the features and capabilities that modern drivers most desire.

Interior Comfort and Luxury

For those who spend long stretches behind the wheel while commuting or traveling, interior refinement and cabin comfort are two critical considerations. On both accounts, the Murano wins out over the Passport because its redesigned interior offers more luxurious features than the Passport, and its upscale cabin provides a more enjoyable ride.

Intuitive Design, Premium Materials

While the Passport leans into a more utilitarian interior aesthetic, the Murano’s redesigned interior offers premium features and world-class comfort that ensure an enjoyable driving experience.

Inside the sleek cabin, the Murano is strides ahead of the Passport in terms of quality materials and intuitive design. The digital controls are easy to access for drivers and passengers alike, and the open design provides panoramic views and excellent visibility that improve driver safety. Many drivers report a lack of interior flair in the Passport, as its design and analog controls emphasize practicality over opulence despite its higher starting price point.

With quality construction and modern design, the Murano also beats the Passport in the types of materials used in the interior construction. Its premium soft-touch materials, ambient LED lighting, and advanced noise-canceling technology give the interior a refined feel, which is a departure from the basic, utilitarian materials and features found in the Passport.

Top-Tier Comfort

Getting into the Murano is like falling into the seat of a luxury SUV, as its comfort-focused design provides an opulent feel and fatigue-reducing features that ensure drivers and passengers are relaxed and rejuvenated, even on longer drives.

The Murano’s seats alone provide unmatched comfort on daily drives into work or long-distance summer road trips. The NASA-inspired Zero Gravity seats are standard on every trim, and they offer fatigue-reducing capabilities you won’t find in the Passport. The ergonomic front seats mimic a weightless neutral posture with articulated support over 14 pressure points to help improve blood flow and align the spine during longer drives.

There’s also exquisite semi-aniline quilted leather seating, along with available massage capability in the front for an even more comfortable ride. The rear seats offer available outboard heating so that passengers remain comfortable even when the mercury drops.

There’s even a 64-color ambient light feature available that creates a high-end environment inside the cabin. Its standard active noise cancellation gives occupants a serene ride free from road roar and noise, so drivers can enjoy the ride in peace.

The Passport’s functional but basic seating isn’t nearly as comfortable as the Murano’s, and many drivers find that it lacks the interior flair of its Nissan rival, with a basic design and less refinement in its construction.

Modern Tech and Visibility

Any midsize SUV worthy of consideration leverages the most modern, cutting-edge technology in its design. Both the Murano and the Passport feature state-of-the-art tech, but the Murano tops the Passport when it comes to innovative hardware and seamless software.

Infotainment Hardware and Connectivity

The Murano is the clear favorite when it comes to innovative technology, as it offers not only improved hardware but also a more modern, intuitive layout.

The Murano’s Monolith Display offers an advantage over the Passport, as its clean, uncluttered display features two 12.3-inch screens under one piece of glass. It provides a seamless, easy-to-read look and includes not only infotainment functions, but also critical driver information. Honda’s more traditional infotainment display includes a 12.3-inch center console display paired with a separate 10.2-inch digital driver gauge cluster.

Both the Murano and Passport offer standard audio systems in their base package, with available Bose Premium audio setups available in upper trim tiers. Both the Murano and Passport utilize Google built-in integration to provide easy access to native Google apps like Maps and Assistant, and both feature wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with wireless device charging.

Driver Assistance and Hands-Free Tech

Both the Murano and Passport offer strong safety features and proven driver assistance suites, with the Murano utilizing the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite and the Passport incorporating the well-known Honda Sensing lineup of features.

However, the Murano distinguishes itself from the Passport through the available ProPILOT Assist hands-free driving system, an innovative feature that appears in the Murano’s Platinum trim. It allows for single-lane hands-free highway driving, and the Passport offers no equivalent capability on any trim.

Improved Visibility

The Murano features an advanced 360-degree camera view thanks to its Around View Monitor, as well as an Invisible Hood View camera that allows the driver to virtually see through the hood and engine bay to more easily navigate tight spots and curves.

The Passport’s visibility features are far more limited. The systems in the Passport are focused mainly on standard driver-assistance technology for collision mitigation and off-road trail-cam views that are available in select off-road-focused trim levels.

Drivability

The Murano and Passport both offer practical, reliable, and pleasant driveability, which is a must in a midsize SUV that will likely split time between commuter duty and highway travel. Both have upscale features like standard AWD across all trim levels, but only the Murano goes the extra mile with a turbocharged engine and amenities that improve handling and ride quality.

Powertrains

The Passport is powered by a traditional naturally-aspirated 3.5-liter V6 that is paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission and provides solid horsepower and torque output. It is reliable but unspectacular in terms of performance, and can feel sluggish under some driving conditions.

While the Passport utilizes a tried-and-true option for power, the Murano’s powertrain takes a decidedly more modern approach to exciting performance. It uses an intercooled 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 and a newly integrated 9-speed automatic transmission, which offers improved shifting and seamless acceleration compared to the previously used CVT.

The Murano displays lower engine noise at cruising speeds, better acceleration on grades such as freeway on-ramps, and ideal tuning for everyday driving and refined drivability.

Handling

In addition to power and quickness, the Murano adds design and engineering notes that produce a vehicle offering increased agility and better handling than the Passport.

The Murano’s tuned chassis is intended to deliver a more refined and composed ride across a wider variety of driving surfaces. The tight suspension cruises right over expansion joints and rough patches in the road without the traditional bump-and-roll feel exhibited by other midsize SUVs.

While the Passport’s specialized trim levels have suspensions well-suited to off-road travel, for drivers who spend most of their time on urban streets and suburban byways, the Murano’s refined ride quality is better suited to the job. The Murano is ideally suited for modern life in the city and suburbs, as it corners tightly and delivers precise performance for navigating the rigors of daily driving.

Value and Fuel Efficiency

The Murano beats the Passport as the ideal modern midsize SUV when it comes to price point and operational costs. The Murano offers more high-end features at a lower price when compared to the Passport, and it wins hands-down at the pump when it comes to fuel efficiency.

Fuel Economy

The turbocharged I-4 in the Murano produces incredible performance without sacrificing fuel economy. It has an EPA-estimated fuel efficiency rating of 21 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highway, which overshadows the fuel efficiency of the Passport’s traditional 3.5-liter V6. The Passport’s EPA-estimated fuel efficiency is 19 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway.

The difference in fuel economy is important for those who commute or drive their SUV daily. Despite volatile fuel prices, Murano drivers can expect fewer stops at the pump and lower fuel costs compared to Passport drivers.

Pricing

In addition to the lower operational costs enjoyed by Murano owners, the SUV also wins with a lower initial purchase price. Though top-tier trims of both the Passport and Murano come in at just under $50,000, the base trim in the Murano lineup is around $3,000 less than the base Passport model. ^[a] This means not only a lower price point up front, but slightly lower insurance premiums on the less-expensive lower trims.