For most SUV buyers this is a legitimate question. I also checked out the Passport and the Pilot. Besides the obvious chassis differences for off road use there are some solid reasons to go LC over Passport/Pilot or vice versa, that a non-enthusiast might not be aware of.
I found the hard plastics, smaller dash view, anemic infotainment, lack of 360 view on the 1958 to be a deal breaker. That placed me in the $65k plus range on the LC platform. Win for the $15k less expensive Honda. However, even if you aren't planning to go offroad, the LC is built for longer service life than the Passport. I've owned several Hondas with the V6 and around 150k miles the Hondas get expensive to own. VCM issues (and I know supposedly with 2019+ that has been resolved), control arms, motor mounts, etc. Everything is packed in tighter (more efficiently?) on a Honda. The LC is built for a 250k mile service life whereas the Passport/Pilot is probably closer to 150k. And even if not an official number that's when you'll want to think about replacing. Styling inside and out, I far prefer the LC. Though the third row option in the Pilot and Highlander (and the interior space!) are really hard to ignore. The third row in the Pilot and Grand Highlander is usable, unlike that in the GX 550.
If you plan to drive beyond fire roads, LC is the one. But for many non-offroad buyers, if you aren't keeping your vehicle beyond 10 years/150k miles, you'll get better value and drive-ability on roads with a Passport or Pilot, at lower cost and less wind noise. If you think you may keep your vehicle 10 to 20 years, go LC.
Of course, vehicle preferences are usually not logical and you just buy what fits your personality. If I could have talked myself out of the LC I'd have saved some money on the Pilot! I didn't need an off road capable vehicle but now that I have one I have explored a few trails I would not take a Passport on. I also like not worrying about running over curbs at Costco.
I found the hard plastics, smaller dash view, anemic infotainment, lack of 360 view on the 1958 to be a deal breaker. That placed me in the $65k plus range on the LC platform. Win for the $15k less expensive Honda. However, even if you aren't planning to go offroad, the LC is built for longer service life than the Passport. I've owned several Hondas with the V6 and around 150k miles the Hondas get expensive to own. VCM issues (and I know supposedly with 2019+ that has been resolved), control arms, motor mounts, etc. Everything is packed in tighter (more efficiently?) on a Honda. The LC is built for a 250k mile service life whereas the Passport/Pilot is probably closer to 150k. And even if not an official number that's when you'll want to think about replacing. Styling inside and out, I far prefer the LC. Though the third row option in the Pilot and Highlander (and the interior space!) are really hard to ignore. The third row in the Pilot and Grand Highlander is usable, unlike that in the GX 550.
If you plan to drive beyond fire roads, LC is the one. But for many non-offroad buyers, if you aren't keeping your vehicle beyond 10 years/150k miles, you'll get better value and drive-ability on roads with a Passport or Pilot, at lower cost and less wind noise. If you think you may keep your vehicle 10 to 20 years, go LC.
Of course, vehicle preferences are usually not logical and you just buy what fits your personality. If I could have talked myself out of the LC I'd have saved some money on the Pilot! I didn't need an off road capable vehicle but now that I have one I have explored a few trails I would not take a Passport on. I also like not worrying about running over curbs at Costco.
