There was no Voice Over Narration in this video, I decided to just roll with it. So, another BIG reason I’m not interested in trading in the Honda of a 4WD or even the new 2023 Pilot Trailsport with an even better AWD system is because vehicles are SOOOOOO dang expensive now! For example, a Rav4 TRD Off-road with a 4 cylinder and a more basic AWD system goes for $44K! The New Pilot Trailsport is $50K! The all new Lexus GX550 will be $70K+ for the off-road trim. Jeebus!!!! Also, another thing I wanted to mention is my plan has always been to keep this vehicle for 8 to 10 years. I’m 4.5 years into ownership 128K miles on the odometer (140k driven because of taller tires) and it drives like a dream and with its Pseudo Low range, it TRULY drives to most places I want to go.
yea man, things have gotten out of control in the car market. There's going to be a lot of people running their rigs til the wheels fall off because of $70k new awd/4wds now
And your making new avenues with what your doing to the pilot you own that teaches others what options are available for them. You have created new options that honda saw and they wanted you to help them. Your honda is an amazing vehicle jon even back when I was there with u a few years ago and you honda was more stock then and she was still performing beautiful.
That’s why I bought a 2022 Ridgeline, I knew newer vehicles were going to be more expensive. I understand you because my Ridgeline gets the job done and fills my needs , have a 2019 fwd Pilot for traveling .
I have a 2019 Tacoma 4wd with just a simple lift, 32's, and sliders. I hate rock crawling. Its the most boring, destructive hobby to me. I've tried it and was just agitated the whole time with other agitated people spotting me telling me passenger, driver, passenger, too slow, too fast, backup and try again, and repeat. I still offroad a lot though but just on mild to moderate trails, and have had lots of fun just seeing nature. I've never broken anything in about 5 years of offroading. If something looks really sketchy I just turn back. I dont have an ego to feed to show off what an amazing offroader I am. I rather spend my money on investments for my retirement than on mod after mod, and repair after repair. Trails like Toquerville falls are what I love. They're easy and get you to beautiful places. I watch your channel because ITS NOT rock crawling. Its just pure love for nature with no ego about how bad ass your rig is and how its so much more "capable" than anybody else's. Some of those other rock crawler guys who spend a fortune on their vehicles and show off how many thins they've broken can get very annoying. Pardon the long essay.
Hehe! That’s one way to put it. I think that’s quite accurate too! I understand the people that are into it. Every activity and sport always has the hardcore side. LOL at your description of “agitation” 😂🤣😂, good stuff!
I was going to post something like this. Rented Wranglers in Moab with friends. I liked the Jeep. Had fun driving on sketchy roads, and dried streambeds, etc, loved the places we went. Hated the time we spent on some official rock crawling trail. Slow tedious, needing spotters etc... I just want something like the Honda Platform that can go on sketchy forest roads, zero interest in Rock Crawling.
I’m going to tag on with your comment because I like it so much. I’ve never been a part of the off-road hobby. At this point, I’m 40, married with 6 and 8 year old boys. I have a pension and my retirement account is maxed out. This year I’ll be debt free (minus my mortgage) at which point it will be time to buy I’m ready for some adventure. I DO NOT want to off-road competitively, I do not want to rock crawl (unless it’s necessary to reach the destination). I’m in SoCal and I want as many of these off-road trails open to me as possible. If I was ready to buy today, I’d go with the ford ranger.
i agree when people think offroading they think devils butthole in moab lol or looking at sky while driving most of the time for me i just want to go where most normal SUVs would have a hard time and get some awesome views
Totally agree with you Jon. I started watching you 3 years ago when I was interested in getting an SUV. You had the Forester at the time and inspired me to get one. I have a 19 Forester Touring with a few modifications and many more planned for the future. I am constantly impressed with the capabilities of the Forester and most of all its gas mileage. I use it mostly for daily driving. Many years ago had a 90' YJ with extensive modifications and loved it. Someday I may go back. Keep up the great videos.
Your rig is incredibly capable and does exactly what you want it to. I love my LX470 and it’s capability but I am envious of the MPGs other overlanding vehicles get!
Thanks man! Your Landcruiser 100 is more capable and that thing is built like a tank, so that’s definitely a plus! In alot of cases, there’s trade off, so it’s just a matter of getting into something that fits us best. Enjoy your ride and adventures!!
I totally agree with you. I always believed that heavy mods will still get you stuck, only waaay deeper and at a place where it'd be difficult to get you out. I drive a real 4WD only because it's what I already have, and I don't go out in the dirt often enough to buy another vehicle. Yes, I only get 12 mpg but it's mine, and I can buy a ton of gas with how much these new vehicles cost LOL, and my 40 gal tank can take me to a lot of places. Most of all, it's a vehicle I'm familiar with and know how to fix and maintain.
Well said Robbie! Especially the last part about your Landcruiser being the vehicle that you’re familiar with and know how to fix. My Honda had 1 issue, the transfer case failed. I learned that the 0.45L of gear oil just isn’t enough for a 30k mile interval so now I change the fluid at a 15K interval. Easy fix! The transfer case is also just an easy bolt on that I can swap out with simple hand tools and a ratchet strap to hold up the drive shaft, so the issue is still reasonable to me. If the engine or transmission blows up, that will be a different story. That’s another thing about your platform, you know that the engine will last for a long long time!
Great video Jon! My wife an I weren't even considering off road performance when we picked up our 2007 Pilot. We just needed a cheap, reliable, family hauler. I was pleasantly surprised by what it could do and eventually modded it to "go further". For now we will stick with it because we are frugal and don't won't to dish out more money. I like our clutch based systems because they are less likely to break axles.
I love your honda, Jon. I have been a follower for a long time. My wife was gifted a 2013 crosstrek around the tail end of 2019. I started taking it on a trail in Santa Barbara and fell in love with overlanding. We were very surpised how capable it was and started adding some mods like aluminum skids 2inch lift and rear locker, we loved that ride until the transmission gave out. We were out of an offroad vehicle for a while until last december. We just bought ourselves a 4th gen 4runner 4wd with the 4.7, the shocks were shot so we're replacing xreas with new bilstein 5100s. I cant wait to get out into the wilderness again! Thanks for showing us all the cool trails in california and sharing your love for overlanding with us!
Totally agree! I have a Jeep TJ. I purposely bought the 4 cylinder because it’s lighter. It has a 2.5” lift and I run 33’s with the original Dana 30 & 35 regeared to 4.88 with lockers. People told me it was ridiculous to not upgrade the axels because they would break. I live in the desert and deal with sand and minor rock crawling. The 33’s give me enough clearance and do not put too much stress on my axles or gears. The light weight helps me float over nearly everything. I am out in the middle of nowhere alone a lot due to my landscape photography. I have no need to rock crawl up a vertical face. I need to be able to get out there and get back.
What's not usually mentioned is how a suspension lift kit can have a different spring rate and how it effects the ride. I picked up a 4.0 '87 XJ Pioneer that had it's kit half installed, and I'm finishing it as a project. At highway tire pressures I swear I can feel every pebble I run over. Meanwhile my girlfriends 4.0 '89 XJ Pioneer rides smooth as a Cadi ay highway tire pressure.
@@Mauser1965 definitely! I don’t like the spring setup on mine, but overall it’s not that bad. It actually handles surprisingly well on the highway. I wouldn’t mind a smoother ride, but off road it’s great.
The best upgrade I ever put on my bronco is taking multiple training courses on how to better drive it, not anything I did to it. My brother tagged along as well, he drives a forester, he has told me multiple times, just doing some training has saved his butt in his forester, even though it is a different truck.
Professional training can only be a good thing for sure! Also, experience is one of the best teachers. There's so many scenarios that a training course won't cover, BUT that training course will have you better prepared. Adventure on!
I bought a 2019 Passport Touring model, the second month they were released, I too live in So. Cal. and have seen Jon @ Costco getting gas before. I bought mine for driving around town and camping in the Sierra's. I upgraded to 18" Black Rhino Wheels and AT tires and they are much better than the lame 20" low-profile tires that Honda originally offered. I also did a few upgrades to my stereo, but overall agree that the Passport is a wonderful vehicle, very versatile and dynamic, super comfy (I drove two BMW's for 16 years prior) and very much recommend them to anyone interested. They are not super flashy, so they stay under the radar... Cheers!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I did say hi, the problem was I was NOT in my Passport, I was gassing up my wife's Lexus... (LOL) But I'll keep an eye out for next time...! I really want to show (play) you my $15k stereo upgrade...!
Geeat video, and great explanation also. I drive a 2005 Mitsubishi Montero Limited with only a few mods (2.5 inch lift, 33 inch tires and 4.9 gearing with rear Hybrid-LSD from a 2001 Montero XLS) and although I don't get to wheel it as much as I'd like, it is a near unstoppable beast in the Minnesota snow. I've decided whenever it goes out, I'll either purchase a 2023/24 4Runner Limited (the full-time 4wd option is best for the winters) or the new Pilot Trailsport. Either one will fit my needs, my only hope is that someone will make a lift kit for the Pilot as ground clearance seems to be the only problem with it, otherwise it looks to be exceedingly capable.
I think the best overland rig from the factory is the Jeep Gladiator MOJAVE, the stock suspension is one of the best and would not have to lift it. Comes with rear locker. And the truck bed you want.
While I agree with most of your reasoning, I think as overlanding continues to become more popular, having a more capable rig will allow you to get away from tons of other campers. At least here in Cali, it seems like you have to get further into the trails and even then there is still a chance you won't find seclusion. I enjoy your videos, keep em coming and keep adventuring!
Thanks Joey! There's a fine line between getting away from the crowds and breaking things 😃. I think the Moderate 4WD trail difficulty sits in that perfect spot. Some trails require 4LO, and the Honda is able to get to those spots because of the aggressive gearing. In the upcoming Gunnison Colorado episode, you will see that! A Honda Ridgeline with only a 6 (14.3:1) speed transmission couldn't get to where my 9 speed (20.4:1) would go, and the transmission is the only difference between our vehicles! The lack of 4LO or aggressive gearing makes such a difference!
I love your channel, man! Inspired me to turn my GX460 into an overland capable rig. With Honda releasing Trailsport trims for their SUVs, I honestly wouldnt be surprised if they got that idea from you!
Right on Jon. I really like your videos. I also have a Passport but don't take it in the places you do. And yes, 100% anything will break and get stuck. The cost of ownership of anything off road is very expensive if you are inexperienced or have a heavy foot.
I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of your dirt bike adventures! I’ve seen so many failures, and I know the average person is going to have a different idea vs. reality.
Fantastic segment. Just subscribed. Your practical, non egotistical, non brand specific and experience based insight as well as hands on knowledge is refreshing. You are positive even while discussing brands and transmissions that don't work for you. Somehow, eventhough you don't have kids yet, you've arrived at what I call Grandpa Wisdom. Not that you sound or look old. It's just your patient and thoughtfully deliberate way of expressing what's worked, what hasn't...and why. I watched the segment with the Honda Rep regarding the Passport Trailsport and instantly saw why they asked for your presence and input to be there for the reveal and breakdown/walkthrough. Strange the "Trailsport" doesn't have more ground clearance but not a dealbreaker. Funny how you mentioned interest in a Frontier. I too have considered a 2024 Frontier and a 2024 Passport Trailsport. Torn between to two. Frontier S = more extra $$ from a lower msrp for a Moonlander campershell or small teardrop. But the Passport!!!!! Both having a Naturally Aspirated V6 make it easy to narrow down to those two. Thankyou for your content and being real in your thoughts and what you share for us all. Safe and happy travels Sir.
I'm in complete agreement with you. Your vehicle should meet your individual/family needs and financial capability. I personally am not really into rock crawling. Its really expensive to fix things, easy to get stuck for prolonged periods of time and tedious. For me, I'd rather hit a cool trail pulling my opus and find an epic campsite, open a beer, laugh with friends and family, and relax. I do have friends that love wheelin' and getting thier badges which is totally cool. I just dont have the passion for it. Be safe out there.
In my Honda, a moderate 4WD trail is plenty exciting 😂 where as it could be boring to an experienced rock crawler. There’s a lot of iconic trails that are of moderate difficulty, so I’m okay with that. Like yourself, I much more enjoy the places I “visit” with friends and family, rather than the trail and obstacles it takes to get there. I also live in the city, but love outdoor recreation, so getting out on a trip is an opportunity to do activities that I love like hiking, snowboarding and kayaking
Offroading is what you do.. not what you drive. I'm actually hoping you get the next gen Rav4 one day... that should be right uo your alley... 2.4LTHM with an e-axle in the rear for electric 4wd.
One of your videos has the perfect explanation about the difference between Overlanding and Off-roading. First, I want to reference the definition of overlanding according to the Overland Journal: "Overlanding describes self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal." If I remember correctly, you said "Off-roading is more about the "TRAIL" not the destination". Overlanding is more about the "destination", NOT the trail". Quite honestly... IMO... you describe things much more accurate!!! With that said, if I can't fit into a Toyota Tacoma, there's no way I'm fitting into a Rav4. I sat shotgun, and my eyes were basically in the head liner 🤣. The Honda Passport is massive. It's noticeably larger than the new Lexus GX 550 (I was checking them out at Overland Expo PNW). Thanks for stopping by! I've been watching your coverage of the new land cruiser, good stuff!!
*we live offroad for 12 years in the desert... anything and everything gets stuck. Us included in a GX. We've also pulled out countless F150s, 250s and 350s... any real offroader gets stuck. As soon as someone starts yapping about lockers, lifts, and light bars it means they dont actually offroad.*
That's a good subject to discuss. IMHO, it depends on what or where our enjoyment at. Some people likes overlanding only, and some loves rock crawling and overlanding; and I respect anyone's preferences. I, myself, configured my Taco for anything comes up on my trailing. I am not a rock crawler, but when situation comes up and the only way to reach my objective is to go through that rocky trail, my Taco with 35s, front and rear locker, and winch, I would be comfortably safe to go through. Be safe, enjoy, and always try to protect our rig, it's the only one that can take us back home safely. 😊👍
I mentioned the Frontier just for you! haha! JK! Normally aspirated 3.8L V6 and a 9 speed transmission. Yes please?? If they just made it do 0-60 in 6 seconds, I'd have no reason to keep the Passport 😂
The ability to daily drive and hit the trails for adventures as well as fuel mileage is why I traded in the Ford Focus RS for the Bronco Sport. However, when it came time to look at being able to tow a tiny trailer and sleep in the Bronco Sport because I didn’t wanna rooftop tent, I needed something bigger. I literally drove around to every dealer in my area trying to find somebody that would give me what I wanted out of the Broncosport that I could sleep inside of and tow; I accidentally stumbled upon the Jeep Grand Cherokee WK2’s it is served all of my needs and before I put the heavy duty LT 34 1/2 inch tires on it got excellent fuel economy. The fact that can I also get my recumbent trike in the back of the Jeep Grand Cherokee with all my gear is even a larger bonus.
The WK2 sounds like another vehicle that is a good compromise between onroad and offroad. My friends Nick and Nancy really enjoy theirs, and I can only imagine how fun it would be to drive the WK2 TrackHawk 😂. Hope to cross paths one day, thanks for stopping by to comment.
I would say that simply ignoring those people who left you toxic comments. They watched and you earned views. Any toxic comments is not avoidable nowadays. Your channel is way different from others like Trailrecon or litebrite. You and Donald’s channel are showing light overland though you did challenge some Jeep-rated trail. But that also sent everyone message that what you can do what you can’t do given certain capable vehicles. Keep going man. Wish doing trail tour with guys one day in future.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, I really do appreciate the toxic commenters. I feel like my "stuck" video attracted alot of trolls, people that were waiting for the moment. I also suspect that they may have been connected to this unethical company that I had to severe ties with, who knows. BUT, I really did appreciate those comments. Any comment, good or bad is "engagement" and they helped that video reach more people. I didn't release that video as an open invite to get "roasted" 😂, the majority of viewers knew what I was doing. I made that video as a lesson, so that people can learn from my mistakes. I had my Honda Passport tilted 35 to 40 degrees 75% up my 33" tires in clay mud. In this video I show a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon on 37s with tires buried 30% and it took a hard yank to get him unstuck. The internet is a crazy place!!! 🤣Thanks for your support!!!!
Great topic and one that needs to be covered more so folks who want to get out have a reference. Like so many things, as I explain to my nephews who want a PC. Usage defines the hardware, which is very applicable with a vehicle. It will change as equipment changes. Jon here chooses a "all-in-one" solution and nothing wrong with that. I've been playing around here in NW Washington all year round, and the gear we have is modular. I got a couple of cases that have simple core gear and a dry bag. We've got a cargo carrier that can be installed in the class III hitch to "roll heavy". We don't rock crawl, but we get around most places in a 4.0 '89 XJ Pioneer with General Grabber AT2's that's not lifted that has over 300,000 miles on it. That same gear can be dropped into my 2.0 '01 Escape XLS that has highway tires. There's young gal on TH-cam that gets around in a Honda Element. This is also where I need to mention that some are not going to be getting out during winter. Few years ago around late December we spent 5 days above the snow line in the highlands with an average snow depth of 2 feet. But we were equipped. Do and get what suites your use and needs. It's starts with basic shelter, food, water and gear which includes things for safety. There are wolves, bears and cougars. Your not in the city park anymore. ✌
You definitely have to think about your needs and wants. I had a Ram 1500 when I started off-roading. I liked it, but it was too big for a daily and not capable for technical trails. When it came time to replace it I still wanted a pickup, but nothing full-size. I got a JT because, in my opinion, it was the most capable off-road midsize truck. It’s been my daily and weekend warrior for 2 plus years on 39s with a 4.5 lift. I camp, do trails from easy to hard, haul items for home improvement, etc… I love the thing for my lifestyle.
The Gladiator is a good Rig. In many of my videos, I ran with a Gobi Desert one. The driver (Nori) taught me so much about tackling moderate 4WD terrain. We got about the same MPGs when he ran 35s, performance was similar. The only complaints were the loud wind noise on the highway and the narrow cabin room. I mentioned it in another comment, but it would be perfect if the cab was widened about 4 inches (or more! 😃) and they had a trim that was fully enclosed, making for a totally silent cabin.
That’s a fabulous vehicle you have there! The places you’ve gone are gorgeous. Thank you. Oh and Hondas are great dependable vehicles. I am an owner of the Subaru Forester Wilderness. I am not a turbo fan period.
Thank you so much 🙏. Out of the wilderness models, I really like the Forester wilderness! A guy was going to join us for an imogene pass attempt on August 24th but he can’t make it. If you want to join us, let me know! 😃
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I really would’ve loved that. I’m just wayyyy to far from you all. I live in Virginia. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I was closer 😁. Meanwhile, I’ll live vicariously through your videos. If I had a trailer to hitch up to my forester to travel with my two big four legged boys I would have traveled and made my way out that way. Truly breathtaking areas out west. But as you did state, everything is so darn EXPENSIVE now. FYI…..Jon, love color of your Passport too. My forester is nearly same color. Love your color choice :)🙌🏼
Great vid and great topic, Mr Deez! I can't believe you didn't fit in a Tacoma. I'm 6'5" and 300. I had a regular cab for many years and now have an access cab. The reg cab had a larger door and was easier for me to get in and out of, but once I am in the AC, it is pretty comfy. It could also be that once you are over 6' tall, you just get used to a certain level of discomfort lol. I really enjoy watching what your Pilot can do. Haters are always going to hate. One of my best friends drives a Frontier. Every now and then he'll admit that he should have gotten a Tacoma, but he likes to be different. It is one of the things that I like about him. They just don't have as much aftermarket support. If you ever do get one, get a pop up topper for it. It will change your life!
You have to buy what you need. I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness. I didn't really buy it go go off roading. I got it for ground clearance and the skid plate. That might sound weird for some people but when you live here in Arizona and your having to go over blow tires and all kinds of debris on the freeway the peace of mind of that skip plate and ground clearance are worth it. One day we got detoured down a dirt road because of a big accident on the i17. You could tell people in there Mid sized and even full sized SUV where still having to be careful going down this road. Again by what you need.
Your're Right! It's just that trying to figure out what one needs can be an almost impossible task. I went through 5 vehicles in 6 years before I finally found a good fit in the Honda Passport. Like myself, many people will have to ping pong until they find something that fits them. Some are willing to settle. I basically went from a FJ Cruier to a Forester XT and then what I consider to be somewhere in the middle, I ended up with the Passport. Well kinda, I was instantly sold on the Passports performance. I couldn't believe the thing was normally aspirated because it was so quick. I went in to buy a Toyota Tacoma, went home that same night with a Passport 😂
The first GX in this video had an aftermarket rear diff installed if i'm not mistaker. The GX is fully capable with 4LO, factory center diff, MTS, and crawl control (GX460); I'm sure of it. Unreliability presents itself when we try to take engineering into our own hands without proper research. Love the passport and the Pilot as I have one of them (Pilot). My Pilot is also in factory form and it has never let me down. Great video. Thank you for sharing.
It was probably stock, it's a known weakness with the 8" diff on the 470 and usually occurs when people are gunning it like he did. When the back wheels are spinning and suddenly gain traction it can grenade the rear diff like it did in the video. Most people think its was an oversight by Toyota not taking into account the V8. Thankfully you can just bolt in the 8.2" rear diff from a 2010+ FJ, 5th gen 4runner or GX 460, bonus points if it's got the factory e-locker.
Jon, great conversation as always. FWIW I’ve timed my ‘19 Passport Elite at 6.3 0-60 on 87 octane fuel, at ~1,100 ft of elevation, and that’s just flooring it, no brake launch or sport mode. I love my PP, no complaints, excellent road tripper! I reserved a new Land Cruiser last week. It’d be my road-trip vehicle as I live in Virginia and visit Colorado often. I’d rarely take it off-road and no further than a medium rock garden. Considering it’s highway focused usage and price retention, I think it’d be a smart purchase, however I’m hesitant on the turbo four for the same reasons you mentioned. I’m eager to see test drive reviews. Thoughts?
Why wouldn't you try S Mode? (NOTE: It is not called a Sport Mode by Honda, they call it: "Sequential Shift Mode". My PP seems much faster off the line in S Mode...
Yes I’m sure “S” mode may be officially faster. I was implying that Motor Trend’s 6.3 second time is repeatedly achievable without much effort, or even higher octane gasoline.
@@WhereBrentWent The Landcruiser will be a 4 cylinder Turbo + Hybrid with 320HP/465TQ or something like that. I'm actually really hesitant and I'd much rather see it as a V6 Hybrid, or at the very least a V6 turbo Hybrid. From my experiences and observations, once you add A/T tires and roof mods and increase friction and wind drag, the 4 cylinder won't be able to keep up and will perpetually stay in boost which will suck lots of fuel. Will the hybrid system be able to keep up or offer any benefit at highway speeds? I think most people will think not, but Maybe Toyota made something special. We will have to see!
Well, the iVTM4 platform encompasses all 3 vehicles (Passport/Pilot/Ridgeline). I already have a Passport, so it doesn't make sense for me to switch to the other vehicles on this platform.
I know this comment is a year late but I’ve just discovered your videos and have been enjoying them. I hope you still have your passport but even if not, you’ve had a lot of experience with one. Recently, August 2024, I bought a 2021 passport sport with 25k miles. I actually bought it for my everyday driver/work vehicle. I drive on average 4-500 miles a week, consistently. Some of my clients live in rural areas in the mountains and up dirt roads. Im constantly driving over passes as well. Im a bigger guy so i need the room for myself and all the materials I carry with me. I love the cargo space. I did want to ask if you’ve had any issues with the timing belt and the transmission. TFL did a video where the AWD warning light came on and said it was overheating. Does that happen to you often? Im hopping this will be a good vehicle for me for at least 200k. Thanks for your videos and i look forward to watching more of them. Safe travels and happy trails!
Ah hah! Here’s that longer comment you mentioned! In 157K miles on the odometer now. Still going strong. At this point, my Passport is even more modified. Double spring system, 3rd gen Toyota Tundra rear shocks, super charger cooler. Raised the rear another 2” or so. Removed sway bars front and rear and my Passport drives like a dream because of the upgraded shocks and dual springs (progressive and linear = best of both worlds). Now I’ll be concentrating on getting my MPG and performance back to stock. Will have it regeared and I’ll be returning to a stock front bumper for better Aerodynamics. Now that I have more than enough clearance I need, there’s no point in the cut front bumper.
Awesome! I’m really happy that I found your channel. You’re really explaining a lot to me in Your videos and they’re cool to watch too! I’m going subscribe for sure and will continue to watch! Thanks for all the content you put out for these passports. Honestly helps me feel more confident about my purchase.
Anyone can buy a 4Runner TRD Pro and push buttons to get through difficult obstacles. I enjoy your channel because you push the envelope using a vehicle more realistic and useful for the average person.
Good talk 👍 my buddies trading in his Taco for a Forester for the exact reasons you just talked about so we’ll see. We’re bound to run into each other out on the trails sooner or later 😎
It's absolutely about where you want to go. If you aren't interested in hard trails, don't spend the money on a 4x4 with low range transfer case. BUT you can drive hard trails without "constantly breaking stuff" **if** you build your rig SMART (IMO starts with a Solid Front Axle, D44+ with RCVs, = Wrangler/Gladiator/pickup typically) AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, or at the very least ride with those that do. Having said that, it does generally cost significantly more $ to ride the hard trails and not break. If you're willing to spend somewhat more money (doesn't need to be too crazy) you can go to many stunning places that no vehicle without a low range transfer case could dream of going. Ultimately it depends on where you're satisfied with going, and how much you're willing to pay to play. Ignoring things like surprise weather, where people tend to get in trouble is when they take a rig on a trail or obstacle for which it's not suited, or their skills are not suited, often getting stuck or broken. But that goes for *any* vehicle, regardless of how it's built. Nature always has terreain that can stymie any vehicle. But the point here is it's entirely possible to be successful in a built rig, or any rig, without "constantly breaking" if you know what you're doing.
Thanks for the detailed “breakdown”, no pun intended 😉. You know I don’t have experience driving a real 4WD on a difficult trail, so I appreciate the explanation.
At the end of the day, it is all personal preference. The question I have is at what point is your Honda old enough to warranty replacement? I feel like these newer vehicles with all of their electronics get riskier the older they get on trails. We replaced our '16 Pilot AWD for that reason. Good trade in, got the '23 Pilot. That one will stay stock, maybe. I know at 120k miles, our Pilot still had a lot of life left but just didn't want to deal with issues. We also got a '21 Ranger Tremor and I just don't ever want to off-road in a crossover anymore. The Pilot was my gateway into off-road and am so thankful for it. The Ranger Tremor is so much smoother with those Fox shocks. Made our Pilot feel like a sedan off-road. With 35k miles on the Ranger now, probably 5-6k of them towing our travel trailer, I love the thing. I did read in forums about trans issues but think it might have been earlier years. The transmission is used on SO MANY vehicles, the failures seem low when you think about how many they put in cars. Even the mustang uses the 10spd. Sure there are over a million of them on the road between Ford and Chevy so the handful of people on the forums don't seem too bad. To each their own though! Drive what you love!
So, I have two friends and 1 co-worker with that Ford/Chevy 10 speed that failed, and I don't know overland with too many people with Ford and Chevy's. The failures just happened to be in 2018 models. 2 Ford F-150 and 1 Chevy Silverado 1500. I search the internet and seems to be an issue. The crazy thing is I don't have any other friends that have vehicles with automatic transmissions that have ever failed, I thought the issue was exclusive to CVTs (we're just talking about friends and people I know). I hear you about the difference suspension makes. The Passport rides so much better with the eibach springs, Flex mods and now the Bilstein 5100s in the rear. I'm sure the Tremor Ranger handles alot better than a stock one.
I’m giving you a shout out in my next video. I never saw this one tho. I prefer difficult trails and have not broken anything in nearly 25 years of doing this offroad thing. If you build it right, drive it well, you should be ok. Just wanted to give you that side of this topic. I do agree with anything can and will get stuck tho.
Ford Edge with AT tires used to get me around much of the woods without issue until deep snow. Rear diff went out. Shopped Tacoma & Bronco, but long story short ended up with new(then) Ranger FX4. I don’t off-road, but when in deep snow on uneven terrain + ice I’ve gotten stuck. Proper 4x4s gets stuck all the time(why we carry recovery boards, hooks/ropes, compressor, etc.). While I love Ford Ranger, I am worried about the 10spd transmission. Great performing transmission, but I am hearing about them failing at least online. I even installed Ford Performance tune before I knew about the problems. 😭
That's a really good point you made. But with that said, if I had traction boards or a winch, I'm 99% sure i would have gotten unstuck :P my fault for not having them!
5:20 It's like the joke about "You don't have to outrun the bear, just your buddy!" It doesn't have to be more capable than another vehicle, just more capable than your desired trail requires.
Great video Jon! You touched on the reasons I have not moved from my Passport to a 4Runner.. (5-speed transmission is bullet-proof but gear-hunting on the highway just going up hills gets old quick - I've owned 2 of them)... I always look forward to your next adventure brother. Keep up the great work, and the great attitude. Quick question / request for you: could you possibly find the time to remove your front fender liner and show us "exactly" how much you cut? I am at 2" of lift now running 30.5" all terrains, but I will be moving up to 31.6" tires soon. I refuse to shove my axle forward (axle relocation), and I will not have the money for the 3" lift kit... but I can sure as heck cut a square hole and use a heat gun to shape the fender liner back out of the way! If you make a quick explanation video of your cut, please post it to your TH-cam channel as there are many who do not have Instagram accounts (Me). I know you have a quick video in high-speed showing you doing the cutting, but it would be nice to have something more comprehensive of "what" you did. Again, thank you for your channel!
Thanks James! Yes, I can put something together when I visit @k20nartpro. Going to get my Honda tuned up for another Colorado trip at the end of this month.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring That would be awesome! Thank you for your willingness to help out the "soft roader" / overlanding community! I look forward to the video.
Beautiful Scenery!! Beautiful!!! I'm proud of you and the Mighty Passport. I love mine 4 years in. Still drives so extremally well! Jon... You never answered your own question early in the video... Would you buy your Passport again if you had to do it all over again? ( I think I know the answer)
9:08 is the answer. Moving onto something else would be a sacrifice in onroad handling and performance, and that’s just so important to me 😃. If I ever got into an accident and had all this money to buy a new rig, honestly, I’d probably get the next midsized Honda. It’s such a solid all around platform!
Hey Jon. A hater's gonna hate... I will say that before I met up with you out in Colorado two summers ago and actually saw first hand how capable your rig is, I wouldn't have ever thought you could do the things you do with the Passport/Pilot/Ridgeline platform. I watched You and Ian get through every trail we ran with relative ease, Neither of you ever got stuck or hung up anywhere and we didn't run easy trails either. The only ones in our group that had any trouble were the first gen Pilots, and that was mostly due to gearing and being down on power because of the high altitude. Your Passport, Ian's Ridgeline and even the two first gen pilots proved to be far more capable than I would have ever thought previously. I have seen Aaron's Pilot get through trails that I had to see to believe. I have enjoyed my Xterra, it has been good to me. I have been seriously looking at selling it and maybe doing a very mild build on my other vehicle, a 2019 Frontier SV 4x4. Maybe a 2" lift, skid plates, sliders, some type of rack. I would do the skid plates and sliders just to protect the undercarriage and body. I'm not going to ever build it into a rock crawler or serious off-roader, that's not what I am into... I like exploring, just like our group did out in Colorado. At this point in my life the Frontier is just a better fit for me overall. The bottom line is, everyone should just run whatever vehicle fits them the best and will get the job at hand done with the most comfort and reliability.
IMHO…… Nissan made a massive mistake killing the Xterra. One heck of a rugged SUV. I had one of the first models and that was such an underpowered engine they had in it for that vehicle and constant heat shield rattle issues. When they came out with it with the 4.0 in it it was a gem and a good looking and very competent vehicle. I loved the look of the Xterra.
@@gagags1115 I agree. I had a first gen (2001) for 8 years until it was totalled by a stop sign runner. The 3.3 was definitely underpowered, but it was most noticed on the top end. Off the line it was ok, but trying to pass somebody on the highway could be down right scary. Both my 2010 Xterra Off-Road and my Frontier have the 4.0 and it is the best of both worlds. Night and day difference compared to the 3.3l. There's just something about the Xterra. It is a really fun vehicle to drive. That is probably why I have a hard time parting with mine.
Well said @Mike.D.84 ! I too think the Frontier is an excellent vehicle. If you haven't checked out @softroadingthewest his channel is now based around the 2nd gen Frontier. He's actually my first overlanding friend I ran into online. I like the idea of a truck bed because I would want to run a pop up camper. It just seems like such an awesome way to camp out. I see it as one of the BEST COMPROMISES between an off-road rig and a RV. Small enough to get around on most 4WD trails and enough of a living space. I appreciate the comments. I'm always looking forward to these Eastcoast + Westcoast meetups. Hopefully you can make it for 2024.
@@gagags1115 I agree!! They need to bring back the Xterra STAT!!!!!! Their new Pathfinder is pretty much a clone of my Honda Passport (same ZF9 transmission, similar twin clutch rear diff), they need to position themselves as a serious Toyota alternative and a true 4WD vehicle is needed! BRING IT BACK NISSAN!
I agree big time here even though i have 4x4 Nissan Frontier. Im not interested in rock crawling much anymore cause its just too risky. I have a leveling kit, bilsteins, stock size tires, and a hard shell to sleep in the bed. Access cab is perfect size for me and my dog. I dont commute so gas milage isnt a big deal, but it is comfy for road tripping still. It also snows where i live so its great for that. Perfect for me right now
Just vinyl stickers. I made own little design, but bought the mando sticker off Amazon in shiny gold. That sensor is designed to work through bug guts, so no, it does not affect the sensor
The new passports have such a wide range of gears in the 8 speed autos. That's so perfect for various tire sizes. First gear is nearly a 5.00 ratio so slap big tires on it and dont worry about regearing
I also have a 2019 Honda Passport. Just like you, the only vehicle I would consider trading it in for is the Lexus GX460. The only thing that worries me is the smaller backseat in the Lexus for my 3 kids.
the GX460 is a good vehicle. It will still be a trade off in on-road handling and performance. If I could afford it, I'd love to pick up a Rivian R1S 😀
Hi Cindy, are you asking about what lift kit and wheels/tires to go with? I recommend the Traxda lift kit. They have a 2” kit and a 3.5” kit. I recommend the 3.5” kit because it gives the Passport enough clearance to keep me out of trouble. Less trail damage = money saved. The 3.5” kit is about 5x the cost, but to have a reputable garage install the kit will cost about the same. So total cost is really more like 2x the cost when going with the 3.5” kit. Traxda is also working on things like “high clearance lower control arms, and more robust brackets, as well as other products. They make really cool things for this platform. As far as tires, I highly recommend the Toyo open country AT3. They have good lateral grip. I previously ran a popular tire called the Falken Wildpeak AT3W ( 3 sets ), and while they look cool, they aren’t very good when you push them.
-You like to be different -You amassed a following of 20k viewers which offers monetary compensation -You can't undo years of talking up the passport -you found a niche -you fell in love with car -when you do an obstacle with a less capable vehicle it makes you feel superior to an offroad (ego) -if you do an obstacle where a 4x4 failed due to driver error, your ego feels even more better. lol, all fun jabs, keep the content coming.
All true to some extent.........for everyone. That's why we mod vehicles, to make it more capable and unique that the other vehicles. Some people build it, some people buy it. We put our personalities into it for people to see. Whether driving to work with traction boards on the roof or making up a trail that some 4wd vehicles have trouble on, we get personal satisfaction from our purchase and hobbies. That's the whole point isn't it? The same reason some people commute in their raptors and 4runners and never take it offroad, to be showing off their perceived self-image on the highway.
I’m not taking any kind of offense to your comment, but I have to tell you that only one of your assumptions is correct, and that’s that “I fell in love with your car”. Okay, fun jabs, but I have to clarify nonetheless. 1.). As mentioned many times in previous videos and in this one, I went in to buy a Toyota Tacoma. I couldn’t fit in one and that was a deal breaker. Put the Passport next to a lifted Tacoma on 33s, and the Tacoma has both more ground clearance and LESS roof height. The mid sized Hondas are massive, and the interior is closer to half ton truck size rather than midsize truck size. 2.) I INSTANTLY lost 300 subscribers when I traded in my Subaru for the Honda. I can only imagine how many subscribers I would have today if I would have a Subaru or another popular vehicles like that Toyota Tacoma I couldn’t fit in. 3.) I’ve been very honest and critical of the Honda. I remind people that it’s not a true 4WD for the first 3 years of ownership. I feel that people either forgot or jumped on this Train late and don’t remember all that. 4.) I found a niche - yes, I suppose I did, but I feel that not enough people realize how capable this platform truly is. 5.) yes, I love this car. It’s ridiculously well rounded. 6.) not true at all. I did the Old Dale road trail on my 2015 Forester XT (twice) and it was not fun. I felt like I was barely getting by. Doing it in the more capable Honda Passport it was easier going and just had more peace of mind. No ego. 7.) Actually, not going to lie about this one 🤣🤣🤣. But in all honestly, the Passport will do better than an open front/rear diff on some obstacles because of the twin clutch rear diff. The only open diff I have is the front, and with the BALL system I don’t have any open diffs (but not mechanical lockers and much less flex). In simple loose gravel or sandy hills where an open front/rear diff 4WD will just crawl up, my Passport will spin tires because I don’t have that Mechanical rotational lock that a T-case provides. All good on the fun Jabs, apparently you’re not the only one that feels that way ✌️
@@autoduel well said @autoduel (Steve is that you?) You know my history, I don’t drive a Passport because I want to be different 🤣. What other midsized SUVs do 0-60 in 5.8 seconds (stock) on 87 octane? Passport fits my fat butt too 🤣
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I’ve owned Subaru for years. I still follow you. It wasn’t because of the Subie that I followed but because of your honesty about overlanding and capabilities and lessons learned along the way. Let’s not forget the breathtaking scenery of your adventures either! 😊
@gagags1115 Thanks ! The response from some of the Subaru community was sad panda times! What hurt the most was getting facebook defriended from people I met in person and (thought I) became friends with. The realization that to some people a car brand is more important, had me questioning where humanity was headed. Haha! Just kinda kidding! Kinda Not :( Until this day, I see it. I go on trips with people that don't mention me or others in their instagram posts unless they drive a Subaru. It's strange phenomena. I hope that we have less of the division and make it more about the people. I actually have a little facebook page were alot of us coordinate to get together. We don't identify as a "GROUP" but only as a facebook page of like minded adventurers. It's about the people, not the car brands and that's why you see so much vehicular diversity in alot of these videos :P
Honda is almost there with the ridge line for me, if it just had a little better crawl ration and was able to put 32” tires without a lift I’d be there with cash today. Lifting independent suspensions sucks as you lose your droop with the increased height.
Yes! The #1 thing is MPG. When a turbo engine boosts, it literally SUCKS... a lot of gasoline! If left stock, a turbo vehicle get the MPGs they were designed for. Add larger all-terrain tires (increased friction) and roof mods like a cargo platform, cargo box or roof top tent (increased wind drag) and now that Turbo Charged engine is having to compensate and will be in perpetual boost on the highway. My 2015 Subaru Forester XT was rated for 28 MPG highway. With a light trail tire (yokohamer G015) that number dropped to 25. When I added a little roof cargo basket, that number dropped to 19 mpg. To put this all in perspective, my 3.5" lifted 2019 Honda Passport with a 3.5L V6 with 33" aggressive A/Ts, a XL roof top tent, that weighs 2000 lbs more than my Forester XT gets the same 19 MPG (it was getting 20.5 mpg highway in the previous configuration (32" tires, smaller roof top tent), and it was getting 22-23 mpg when I had lighter trail tires (cooper discovery AT3W). When I first bought my Honda Passport, I threw that same roof cargo basket on top to carry the spare tire and there was no noticeable effect on the MPGs. Boost really sucks MPGS. Also, the #1 thing part 2 is reliability. I owned 3 turbo vehicles (Nissan Juke, Subaru WRX, Subaru FXT) and all of them were pay to play. Every 3 months or so, I was going back to the dealership to get sensors replaced, turbo impellars replaced, etc. My WRX had the short block blow up twice. Look up the issues with the Ford Ecoboost. Every 100K miles things start leaking. My naturally aspirated vehicles have been worry free. Are there any Pros to a Turbo? Yes, they have good mid range power. They're tunable if you're into that. But IMO, there's really NO advantages for off-road / overlanding and despite the rumors about turbo engines performing better at high altitudes, it's gearing that makes the real difference for off-road / overlanding. From a stop, a turbo engine will stall out at high altitudes. With all that said, Toyota is going all in on turbo charging. They're mixing in a Hybrid system in as well and if done right that can make for an amazing platform. Only time will tell if it ends up performing. One more thing I'd like to touch on. I feel like quad motor electric will be the future and the Rivians are a good preview of what's to come. Super Car performance and off-road capability to conquer Hell's gate in Moab stock! My hope is to keep my Honda long enough to buy a quad motor EV with 500 to 600 mile range.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks so much for all this info. Yeah I’m not completely sold on the new tacoma engines and like you said only time will tell if they will be as reliable as Toyota has been. Like you said about full EV , I think it’s best to wait for the range to get a lot better. Thank you John
Love my NA Subaru 3.6. After owning several turbo... I'm kind of in the same point as you. I can still keep my Subaru completely daily drivable and go anywhere I would want to go with it in complete comfort and maintain highway travel and good mpg. Might get pushed on the west coast though! But we'll find out soon, huh?
Looking forward to our trip!!!! It’s many many years in the making!!! We’re going to up as a team so there will be a really good support group! Super excited!
Have you considered/looked into the Touareg/Cayenne platform? Out the box it’s more luxurious, capable off-road, and a better on road driver. I’m 2 years into Touareg TDI ownership and it’s been incredible both on and off-road. *BTW- It HANDLED Gold Mountain with nothing but 265/70-R17s and a 2-inch lift. If great turbo-diesel torque & gas mileage isn’t your style… there’s always the Cayenne V8s 😁
That is amazing, everyone I have known that has owned VW's - has had trouble with them trouble with dealers and hated them enough to dump them (ASAP), Maybe they have turned a corners...
After I bought my Passport the TFL episodes about the Touareg came out. I've learned quite a bit about the platform. I roll with a buddy that has the Cayenne Turbo S. That thing is quick! It's definitely capable! The Passports onroad handling is really trick though. Alot of people don't know that it the system seamlessly overspins the rear outside tires when aggressively turning. The same system has an LSD effect when offroad. BUT yeah... the Touareg is ridiculously capable! Especially that ones with the rear locker. I've seen them in person and I'm impressed. VW really made something special back in the day. The one down side that I hear about are the lower control arm bushings. I hear they have to be replaced every 10-15K miles.
There is too much elitistism with off road rigs cliques. Drive something you like and set it up to your needs and wants. Its nice to see other types of rigs other than Jeeps, Tacomas, 4Runners, Broncos ,etc etc beinf used to enjoy trails and adventures.
I’m planning on buying the new Pilot Trailsport that I think will be able to handle most of what my locality can throw at it (Western PA, and West Virginia)
It’s one of those really important episodes and I want to do it the justice. 2 lessons. 1.) you need the gearing of a ZF9 Passport or 10 spd Honda, or of course 4LO. The Honda 6 speed can’t handle the high elevation or steep grades and neither will other AWDs. 2.) the difference was night and day. My Passport and the 2023 Pilot Trailsport even tried to intentionally climb at 1mph. Our transmission were getting a work out, but we didn’t stall. The Honda 6 speed, even with a running start and pedal to the metal would stall out. 3.) we had a brake failure on one of our 4WDs. It caused the vehicle to lose brake pressure cutting off all brakes! The driver did what he could to stop his vehicle. It involved ramming a tree at 10 mph.
You don’t need 4low till you do! For me it’s a peace of mind given my remote location and unpredictable wash outs, you could say I don’t leave home without it 😅
An overlanding rig needs to be capable of being a daily driver/commuter because when you stop and think about it,overlanding is long distance commuting/multiday driving. A typical commute to work is say 20min-1hr daily...an overland trip could be anywhere from 4-16hr per day..i feel like most people "start" with a lifted beater jeep with locked diff and mud tires..and after one multiday trip,they "upgrade" to a lighter,more comfortable,fuel efficient vehicle.
I experienced this with a 2008 FJ cruiser, and that’s how I found out I didn’t want to deal with it. this was back in 2012 when gas was $5.00 a gallon and that thing was getting about 10-13 mpg highway. I hated the steering dead zone and all the floatiness on the highway. Around town it was fine.
You have to be careful with turbos off roading and know a little bit how they respond in tricky situations on big rocks and some medium rocks they make you lunge maybe break something
The Passport has been an amazing vehicle. Mine isn’t quite as tricked out as yours, but for all the off-roading I do it tackles it all like a dream. The other 95% of my driving is on pavement and it excels at that better than any 4WD.
I never got the chance to offroad the 2008 FJ cruiser I use to drive, but I’m very sure it would do quite a bit better. The on-road aspect of the Passport and the large cabin is just too good!
i think i'm following the right person. i want to just explore off road/overlanding with my family and camp. what's your personal opinion with 4runners? i'm considering trading our 2019 crv exl for a 4runner or a honda passport. i don't really consider buying a truck.
A 4runner is ready to hit level 3-4 moderate 4WD trails right off the lot as long as you have basic offroad skills like left foot braking and knowing how to choose a line and utilize the 16” of rocker clearance. A stock Honda like mine only has 8.1” of centerline clearance and 12.8” of rocker clearance. To be safe, I’m wouldn’t recommend anything more technical than a level 2 easy trail. You say you want to get out and explore with the family. It sounds like you’ll be driving long distances on highways until you get to your point of interest. In that case, a midsized Honda would be a better choice. A 2023 Pilot TrailSport would be even better. Take your time deciding and decide carefully. I think you should see how you do in the CRV and go from there.
To be honest. I simply don't know and it's questionable. Does Toyota make mistakes? Absolutely, look at the 3rd gen Tacoma. I couldn't even freakin fit in one 😂! Is a 4 cylinder turbo a bad idea for off-roading? The Jeep 2.0 Turbo guys think so. I can't tell you how many of them traded in their turbo jeeps to go to the V6. Can Toyota make it work? Yeah, absolutely! Watch the @lexus Gx offroad TH-cam channel, he does a good job at breaking it down. He mentions the land cruiser will have special batteries to power the hybrid system. The electric motors may seamlessly compensate for the Turbo 4 cylinders shortcomings and they might be able to have a net charge while highway cruising. Right now, these turbo hybrids have no benefit while on the highway. Actually, they suffer from the same shortcomings as non hybrid turbo 4 cylinders. They end up getting much worse MPGs when outfitted for overlanding. IMO, the landcruiser should have a V6 hybrid. I just don't understand why the turbo has to be apart of this equation.
Thanks for this episode. I’m stuck with my purchase decision. My whole goal is to get off the beaten track on class 2-3 roads to get to cool camping areas. I’ve reviewed many of the crossovers that exist out there, and all of them seem to pretty much fail if you throw anything at them other than the Honda passport and perhaps the outback wilderness edition. High on my list was a consideration for the GX 460 but in my test drive I just found even driving around the neighborhood that I could feel literally every bump on the road and I would be concerned that a four or 5 Hour drive to a location would just be exhausting not to mention expensive due to fuel. The Honda and outback are a little better in terms of fuel (Outback taking the win), and much better in terms of ride. I have a daily driver as well, but I’m still very stuck in my decision. Any thoughts from your side? Also, I basically don’t wanna do any modifications I just wanna buy it and essentially head out to the trails.
I have a lot of input for you as I use to drive a turbo Subaru and have many friends with the Outback Wilderness. First of all, don’t buy a Turbo 4 cylinder if you plan on running all terrain tire and / or roof mods, your MPGs will plummet, more so than in a Normally aspirated vehicle. Run the same mods I have on my Passport (you can’t fit 33 inch tires on a wilderness) and you could expect about around 9-12 mpg on the highway in a head wind. My Passport gets about 15-17 in a head wind. You’ll have to watch my upcoming video of Gunnison Colorado. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to complete the episode, but hopefully sometime soon. We drive to some steep hills at high altitude (10-12k feet) and my friends Honda Ridgeline on the same platform, same AWD system and same engine could not get up these steep hills. My Passport just cruised up with a light tap on the gas pedal. Just to show you all how much of a difference gearing makes, I drove up the hill at 1 mph on purpose, just to show that the Passport I have with the ZF948HP transmission is like having a Pseudo Low range. The reason the Ridgeline didn’t make it is because he has a Honda 6 speed transmission which would be geared similar to the outback wilderness. Also, the outback wilderness has a CVT. Chains simply perform different than real gears. You’ll have to “send it” to get over obstacles, and you’ll break things, where as in a ZF9 or Honda10 equipped Honda you can just crawl over obstacles. Watch the TH-cam channel Native Nomads, he’s honest about the capabilities of his Outback wilderness. He will say it has no problem with capability, but then listen carefully and he will also tell you that you don’t want to take the outback wilderness on more technical trails. The trails he speaks of are the places I take my “modified”Passport. So, quite honestly, if you want a vehicle that can handle level 3 moderate trails that’s AWD, you’ll have to go with the all new 2023 Honda Pilot trailsport, upcoming 2024 Passport/Ridgeline, Ford Bronco Sport (badlands is very capable), or Jeep crossovers with the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk being the most supreme. Good Luck on your purchase, and hope I helped you Dodge a bullet. If you really want to go Subaru, I’d pick the Forester Wilderness over the OBW, it has better gearing and better offroad angles.
Also, from what you told me (you don’t want to mod), I’d highly recommend a body on frame 4WD. The problem with most crossovers, is they lack the ground clearance that’s the most important, which is “rocker clearance”. The Hondas have some of the best stock rocker clearance, so even with 8.1” of ground clearance, they have 12.8” of rocker clearance. A 4runner has 16”. The Outback wilderness has 11”.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks for your thoughtful reply. I did watch Native Nomads vids. It seemed like the Sub. handled them ok albeit with a lot of pain. I'll keep researching the ones you mentioned and perhaps get a better sense for what a level 3 is really like.
The newer Gen is supppse to address alot of the complaints from the previous Gen (seating position, gear hunting). The only thing that most people are worried about is the 4 cylinder turbo. The turbo engine is a deal breaker for me, that’s why I said I’d consider the Nissan Frontier
@@iyot1020 if you can, wait a little bit to see what other power train options they offer. I would be more comfortable with the V6 turbo like the Tundra and Lexus GX550 has. When turbo engines “boost” they burn ALOT of fuel. The 3.2L V6 will do most of the work. The turbo is there to supplement power/torque. In a wheezy 4 cyclinder, the engine does the least amount of work, so the turbo has to compensate, and that’s going to burn a tremendous amount of fuel. I have the perfect example for you. We had 3 vehicles, my passport and 2 Jeep JLs. One had the pentastar V6 and the other a 2.0 Turbo. The V6 Jeep and I both got 18.5 mpg highway driving into a head wind through Arizona at 85mph. The 2.0 turbo Jeep got 11 mpg. With only a 21.5 gallon gas tank, 11 MPGs will seriously impact range. All our vehicles had roof mods. If you *keep* the truck stock and nothing on the roof, you should be able to get the MPGs a turbo Tacoma is rated for. Throw on bigger tires (more traction) and a Roof top tent (increased wind drag) and it’s going to suck, literally 😖
My Europeyan perspective is that Americans want to drive places that should be hiked :) My Forester did less miles off-road that I walked in the mountains. Still great vehicle and I would love to replace it one day with Delica D:5 - because AWD minivans are f awesome. I have similar opinion to what you've mentioned. Greetings from Tokyo, Jp. Forester hybrid owner :)
Haha! That's a good observation!! I like driving through moderate 4wd trails. The difficult ones, I see hiking as a really good option, in alot of cases it's faster! In other cases, after rock crawling you can just continue on the adventure.
@@CYNADF it’s a Mythosaur from Star Wars / Mandolorian. When I did the DIY vinyl wrap on the car, I thought it looked Boba Fett - ish. The emblem is a combination of a gold vinyl sticker and green and black vinyl wrap. I should have done this earlier to preserve the design from the elements, but now everything is locked in with Xpel paint protection film.
It's so complicated to choose a vehicle. You want as overbuilt and capable as possible to prevent issues on trail, but then fuel.... Or being tempted to do dumb stuff and show off. Which leads to dedicated off road toys that have to be trailers out. But then you're just in the desert, and not the pretty scenic areas
It’s very complicated to choose a vehicle, and I think a first time buyer listening to professional car reviewers, especially the ones that are biased or only concentrate on the onroad aspect will steer people into the wrong direction. There simply isn’t something that is 10/10 onroad or 10/10 offroad. Something like a Rivian EV is basically a super car that can do 0-60 in 3 seconds and is capable of climbing up Hells Gate stock, but …. You know, it’s an EV and the infrastructure just isn’t quite there yet… which is a DEAL BREAKER. Then there’s a Jeep JL Rubicon Wrangler/Gladiator with the 3.6 pentastar. It’s 10/10 offroad capable, and actually handles pretty darn good onroad, but…. Even with a hard top it sounds like my Honda with the windows down on the highway. It’s also a bit narrow… I won’t even bring up reliability because the Pentastar and ZF8 transmission are reliable, but it’s just the other things that end up breaking. But, road noise and size would be a deal breaker for me. If the Jeeps just came in a solid serene cabin and just widened the cab by about 4 inches wouldn’t that be the ultimate vehicle? Imo, the new Toyotas would be perceived to be perfect, but…. They’re turbo charging everything….. I’ll *bet* $3000 that if they kept the same V6 and V8 power trains and paired them to the new Aisin 10 speed transmission…. There would be better MPGs. There’s just too many vehicles with “deal breakers”, especially in the midsized segment. It’s nice to see midsized 4WDs getting bigger though!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring 👍 and then the whole SUV vs pickup thing... I need to just get something, and get out there 💪 I did see a lot of Teslas out in Death Valley, now that's some crazy risk taking 💀
I feel like anything gets stuck less than my Honda trail 125. I had a Lexus gx 460. I definitely got stuck but only because I wanted to push it way beyond its limit. I liked getting myself unstuck with the Lexus but I hate it with my motorcycle now 😂 I disagree about gx460 over 470. 470 is better. I’ve had them both. All the upgraded parts from 460 can be put on 470 One thing people forget about is gas mileage. Something like the gx is going to suck in that regard. Gas mileage is so important for this kind of travel! It makes everything more affordable
Haha!!!!! ARASH!!! what's up buddy??? I can't argue with you about the 470 vs. 460 since I've never owned them. The 460 is so nice and refined though. Curious as to what makes the 470 better
@@JonDZ_Adventuring for starters, the front armrest is better on the 470. I nearly broke my elbow a bunch of times with the 460. That style is definitely a safety issue. Parts on 470 are much cheaper for the same quality. Gas mileage is basically the same once you’re loaded at gvm. The rear of the gx470 is much easier & cheaper to build since the 3rd row isn’t integrated, & it has more vertical space. The seats are easier to remove on 470 & the drivetrain is definitely more reliable too! the approach & departure angles are better on the 470. It’s much cheaper to buy & much cheaper to insure! 470 also has a tape player & 6 disc cd changed which the 460 doesn’t have.
I both hate and love cars/trucks/SUVs. I constantly want something new but I also want my currently 4runner to see 200-300K miles. I love my 4runner but am always tempted by new/different vehicles for various reasons. The cheapest car to own and run is the one you currently have especially if paid off. That is the main reason why I don't change vehicles often. That said getting a new vehicle sure is darn fun right?
To be honest, I just want to finish my build. I feel like I'm just about there. I've spent so much time with the Passport, getting it dialed in. I just want to enjoy it! The Passport is the 6th vehicle in a 6 year period, so I did go through alot of vehicles before I finally landed on a platform I felt was worth while building upon (I drove the FJ for a couple of years, but it was owned by my Brother, and I didn't even off-road the thing so not talking about that rig). 😀
What I also think is that people don’t understand is that there will never be a true “one size fits all” off-road vehicle. 4x4 trucks and 4x4 “trucks” can only go so far before all the mods will destroy any and all road capability. Get an atv or SxS if you’re serious about rock crawling or high speed trail riding.
I enjoy your channel. I ran a 2019 Passport for four years as my daily driver, on forest roads, and on moderately difficult trails. It was a spectacular vehicle overall. However, I sold it and got the Bronco Wildtrak that finally arrived after a 1000 day wait. The Bronco exceeds my expectations in all ways. I just returned from a month long trip to Nevada rock crawling and at high speed on desert roads. Performance was awesome and fuel economy was 20.5 mpg for the entirety of the 7500 mile trip. Should you decide to change platform, give Bronco a serious look.
Those are some good numbers! I’m sure the 2.7TT is pretty quick too. So I’ve replied to a few comments now. The wind noise from the Bronco, JL and JT would probably bug me. There’s always some kind of deal breaker for me, there’s just no PERFECT vehicle. What do you feel about the noise from the cabin? Is it something you get use to? Turn on the radio louder?
No shame in saying that CVT transmissions are garbage. I have a Ram 1500 that has been solid but I'm finding the size to be awkward on certain trails. I might consider a Frontier in the next year or so.
Think hard about it. I don't fan boy about my Honda and I want you to get into the vehicle that fits you best. If you want to go on moderate 4WD adventures, both will have to be modified. They both don't have the ground clearance. The GX has a much much higher off-road capability cap, the Honda Passport has a much much higher on-road handling advantage (they actually rally raced a stock honda passport and it podiumed a> few times in the ARA). Think long and hard about it. IN A 6 YEAR PERIOD I WENT FROM A Toyota Celica < FJ Cruiser < Nissan Juke < Subaru WRX < and finally to my Honda Passport. We all have different needs, and finding the vehicle that fits you best isn't easy. Good luck!
@JonDZ_Adventuring OH believe me, I've put a lot of thought into it. Currently driving a lifted Yaris, so anything will fit my life better than my current vehicle. Honestly don't care about "offroading" or "overlanding" at all.... Torn because I don't want to be limited by my vehicle, pushing me towards the GX, being the more capable offroader. However, I do road trip a lot, and 90% of what I do (hunting, fishing, backpacking, etc) the Passport would be a more comfortable fit, especially looking at fuel economy. But then again, some of where I go in my buddies truck in our hunting adventures the passport might not get me to. Coming from Toyota, reliability is an absolute must, again making it a tuff choice. Then there's space and creature comforts. Either way, I'm waiting for the used car market to hopefully come down some day before I make the leap
@JonDZ_Adventuring I will say, though, the PP probably wouldn't have ever been on my radar if it wasn't for me somehow stumbling across your channel. So thanks for that!
@calebsiemens5067 another thing about the Lexus GX460 is it has a 23 gallon gas tank vs. the Passports 19.5 gal. The Lexus GX in this video was getting 13.8 mpg highway and I was getting 18.7 mpg. Do the math and range is: Lexus GX460 = 316.94 Honda Passport = 364.65 Hmmmmm, thought the math would be different. Well, anyways with a lighter loadout, and pizza cutter tires 255mm wide. A Lexus GX can get 17 mpg. Multiply by 23 and range is 391 gallons. Another thing to point out is that I observe my vehicle to burn more fuel than a 4WD when I’m remote and driving on moderate 4WD trails. The passport has to work harder, which turns into more fuel being burned. It sounds like you’re going to need that extra capability. The 329 lb-ft torque from the V8 is awesome to have for getting over moderate rock gardens.
I like your channel because you are overlanding. I do not consider overlanding hard core off roading. You need 4 wheel drive to travel on these routes but not specialized hard core off road upgrades. If I won't be able to navigate the trail with a stock vehicle, it is not for me.
I don't think anyone has forgotten. If you read some of my other comments, I think the JL/JT is an excellent platform, but to me, the wind noise and the narrow cabin doesn't make it a good fit for me. I think a variant with an fully enclosed cabin and 4 inches more cabin width would make the vehicle perfect. It's already fuel efficient (20-23 mpg highway), handles good onroad. I bet there's alot of people out there that would trade in the hard top for a serene cabin. Us bigger guys could use some hip room too.
While I respect your opinion, I don't agree with your initial thoughts that you will get a real 4wd and you are going to break stuff. There is plenty of trail information out there, if you do your homework you will know what you are getting into. There are places were having a 4lo is a great help. We are not talking about rock crawling that a whole different thing, and it think you are mixing concepts here. Rock Crawling is not the same as camping or "overlanding", Another thing, you don't buy a 4x4 and modify it thinking about fuel economy, or 0 to 60 times. Every modification will negatively impact those figures, as you add more weight.
In this video I explain why I don’t see a need to move to a 4WD since I’m not rock crawling and don’t want to rock crawl. Edit: I have too many friends that start breaking things the next level up, and I’m just not interested in that.
@@durtyflyadventures I tell you I like the Tremor trim of the outgoing Ranger but the dashboard is what I can’t stand. The new Ranger and the Raptor trim should really be more of a turn key ready to go anywhere model?
Honestly, I'd love to see it on Black Bear pass. But if you don't feel good about it, don't go, don't feel pressured by my stupid comment. Anyways, SO CLOSE TO 20K!!!!!
Haha!! I'm actually going back to Colorado next week. I have some friends that were planning on doing black bear, and they may have been able to talk me into it, but I hear there was a recent crash and the trail is closed. To be honest, I really don't want to attempt it with a 180 lb. roof top tent on top of my Honda, haha!
@@FullsendOffroad Ooop! I stand corrected. I read this article about a red 4runner from texas getting stuck. The article started mentioned a bunch of crashes. www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-online-post-colorado-sheriff-warns-complete-ass-clowns-to-not-drive-up-black-bear-pass
@@FullsendOffroad there’s a sticker that says “Texas Overland” and “Downhill Dragon Tuning”. Geez! Talk about getting out on Blast! 🤣 the sheriff called them “complete ass clowns”. Another story I’m hearing is that these drivers checked with the Locals and they were given the green light.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yeah I'm really not sure. I was even supposed to take Imogene pass in my Land Cruiser but it closed the day I was going, so i took a part of the alpine loop like Engineer Pass. Sadly though, because of time, I couldn't get to Lake City, or do Cinammon pass.
Hard 4x4 (rock crawling) is an expensive hobby. I don't have any interest in that mostly because I'm cheap. If I had the money I would definitely get a beat up LC and put 37's on and go to places where I should be hiking.
I do too buddy. I'm sorry, I have alot going on right now. Between all the Expos, My Brother's Bachelor Party, another Colorado trip and my wedding anniversary, and doing this all while working a full time job, I'm absolutely swamped right now. I'll try to get one pumped out, I just don't have much free time.
There was no Voice Over Narration in this video, I decided to just roll with it. So, another BIG reason I’m not interested in trading in the Honda of a 4WD or even the new 2023 Pilot Trailsport with an even better AWD system is because vehicles are SOOOOOO dang expensive now! For example, a Rav4 TRD Off-road with a 4 cylinder and a more basic AWD system goes for $44K! The New Pilot Trailsport is $50K! The all new Lexus GX550 will be $70K+ for the off-road trim. Jeebus!!!! Also, another thing I wanted to mention is my plan has always been to keep this vehicle for 8 to 10 years. I’m 4.5 years into ownership 128K miles on the odometer (140k driven because of taller tires) and it drives like a dream and with its Pseudo Low range, it TRULY drives to most places I want to go.
Was just going to say that haha, they are crazy expensive
yea man, things have gotten out of control in the car market. There's going to be a lot of people running their rigs til the wheels fall off because of $70k new awd/4wds now
And your making new avenues with what your doing to the pilot you own that teaches others what options are available for them. You have created new options that honda saw and they wanted you to help them. Your honda is an amazing vehicle jon even back when I was there with u a few years ago and you honda was more stock then and she was still performing beautiful.
That’s why I bought a 2022 Ridgeline, I knew newer vehicles were going to be more expensive.
I understand you because my Ridgeline gets the job done and fills my needs , have a 2019 fwd Pilot for traveling .
What campground in this video? I want to go fishing there
I have a 2019 Tacoma 4wd with just a simple lift, 32's, and sliders. I hate rock crawling. Its the most boring, destructive hobby to me. I've tried it and was just agitated the whole time with other agitated people spotting me telling me passenger, driver, passenger, too slow, too fast, backup and try again, and repeat. I still offroad a lot though but just on mild to moderate trails, and have had lots of fun just seeing nature. I've never broken anything in about 5 years of offroading. If something looks really sketchy I just turn back. I dont have an ego to feed to show off what an amazing offroader I am. I rather spend my money on investments for my retirement than on mod after mod, and repair after repair. Trails like Toquerville falls are what I love. They're easy and get you to beautiful places. I watch your channel because ITS NOT rock crawling. Its just pure love for nature with no ego about how bad ass your rig is and how its so much more "capable" than anybody else's. Some of those other rock crawler guys who spend a fortune on their vehicles and show off how many thins they've broken can get very annoying. Pardon the long essay.
Hehe! That’s one way to put it. I think that’s quite accurate too! I understand the people that are into it. Every activity and sport always has the hardcore side. LOL at your description of “agitation” 😂🤣😂, good stuff!
I was going to post something like this. Rented Wranglers in Moab with friends. I liked the Jeep. Had fun driving on sketchy roads, and dried streambeds, etc, loved the places we went. Hated the time we spent on some official rock crawling trail. Slow tedious, needing spotters etc... I just want something like the Honda Platform that can go on sketchy forest roads, zero interest in Rock Crawling.
I’m going to tag on with your comment because I like it so much. I’ve never been a part of the off-road hobby. At this point, I’m 40, married with 6 and 8 year old boys. I have a pension and my retirement account is maxed out. This year I’ll be debt free (minus my mortgage) at which point it will be time to buy I’m ready for some adventure. I DO NOT want to off-road competitively, I do not want to rock crawl (unless it’s necessary to reach the destination). I’m in SoCal and I want as many of these off-road trails open to me as possible. If I was ready to buy today, I’d go with the ford ranger.
I feel like people are confusing rock crawling with overlanding.
Agree 💯
i agree when people think offroading they think devils butthole in moab lol or looking at sky while driving most of the time for me i just want to go where most normal SUVs would have a hard time and get some awesome views
Totally agree with you Jon. I started watching you 3 years ago when I was interested in getting an SUV. You had the Forester at the time and inspired me to get one. I have a 19 Forester Touring with a few modifications and many more planned for the future. I am constantly impressed with the capabilities of the Forester and most of all its gas mileage. I use it mostly for daily driving. Many years ago had a 90' YJ with extensive modifications and loved it. Someday I may go back. Keep up the great videos.
Your rig is incredibly capable and does exactly what you want it to. I love my LX470 and it’s capability but I am envious of the MPGs other overlanding vehicles get!
Thanks man! Your Landcruiser 100 is more capable and that thing is built like a tank, so that’s definitely a plus! In alot of cases, there’s trade off, so it’s just a matter of getting into something that fits us best. Enjoy your ride and adventures!!
Just sell your LX470 if you cant afford gas. Buy a honda or Kia
@@topshelf30
Really?
He never said he can’t afford gas
Surely, you jest.
Yes, I just called you surely.
I totally agree with you. I always believed that heavy mods will still get you stuck, only waaay deeper and at a place where it'd be difficult to get you out. I drive a real 4WD only because it's what I already have, and I don't go out in the dirt often enough to buy another vehicle. Yes, I only get 12 mpg but it's mine, and I can buy a ton of gas with how much these new vehicles cost LOL, and my 40 gal tank can take me to a lot of places. Most of all, it's a vehicle I'm familiar with and know how to fix and maintain.
Well said Robbie! Especially the last part about your Landcruiser being the vehicle that you’re familiar with and know how to fix. My Honda had 1 issue, the transfer case failed. I learned that the 0.45L of gear oil just isn’t enough for a 30k mile interval so now I change the fluid at a 15K interval. Easy fix! The transfer case is also just an easy bolt on that I can swap out with simple hand tools and a ratchet strap to hold up the drive shaft, so the issue is still reasonable to me. If the engine or transmission blows up, that will be a different story. That’s another thing about your platform, you know that the engine will last for a long long time!
Great video Jon! My wife an I weren't even considering off road performance when we picked up our 2007 Pilot. We just needed a cheap, reliable, family hauler. I was pleasantly surprised by what it could do and eventually modded it to "go further". For now we will stick with it because we are frugal and don't won't to dish out more money. I like our clutch based systems because they are less likely to break axles.
I love your honda, Jon. I have been a follower for a long time. My wife was gifted a 2013 crosstrek around the tail end of 2019. I started taking it on a trail in Santa Barbara and fell in love with overlanding. We were very surpised how capable it was and started adding some mods like aluminum skids 2inch lift and rear locker, we loved that ride until the transmission gave out. We were out of an offroad vehicle for a while until last december. We just bought ourselves a 4th gen 4runner 4wd with the 4.7, the shocks were shot so we're replacing xreas with new bilstein 5100s. I cant wait to get out into the wilderness again! Thanks for showing us all the cool trails in california and sharing your love for overlanding with us!
Totally agree! I have a Jeep TJ. I purposely bought the 4 cylinder because it’s lighter. It has a 2.5” lift and I run 33’s with the original Dana 30 & 35 regeared to 4.88 with lockers. People told me it was ridiculous to not upgrade the axels because they would break. I live in the desert and deal with sand and minor rock crawling. The 33’s give me enough clearance and do not put too much stress on my axles or gears. The light weight helps me float over nearly everything. I am out in the middle of nowhere alone a lot due to my landscape photography. I have no need to rock crawl up a vertical face. I need to be able to get out there and get back.
What's not usually mentioned is how a suspension lift kit can have a different spring rate and how it effects the ride. I picked up a 4.0 '87 XJ Pioneer that had it's kit half installed, and I'm finishing it as a project. At highway tire pressures I swear I can feel every pebble I run over. Meanwhile my girlfriends 4.0 '89 XJ Pioneer rides smooth as a Cadi ay highway tire pressure.
@@Mauser1965 definitely! I don’t like the spring setup on mine, but overall it’s not that bad. It actually handles surprisingly well on the highway. I wouldn’t mind a smoother ride, but off road it’s great.
The best upgrade I ever put on my bronco is taking multiple training courses on how to better drive it, not anything I did to it. My brother tagged along as well, he drives a forester, he has told me multiple times, just doing some training has saved his butt in his forester, even though it is a different truck.
Professional training can only be a good thing for sure! Also, experience is one of the best teachers. There's so many scenarios that a training course won't cover, BUT that training course will have you better prepared. Adventure on!
People forget that capability isn't all about the vehicle. It's also the person behind the wheel.
I bought a 2019 Passport Touring model, the second month they were released, I too live in So. Cal. and have seen Jon @ Costco getting gas before. I bought mine for driving around town and camping in the Sierra's. I upgraded to 18" Black Rhino Wheels and AT tires and they are much better than the lame 20" low-profile tires that Honda originally offered. I also did a few upgrades to my stereo, but overall agree that the Passport is a wonderful vehicle, very versatile and dynamic, super comfy (I drove two BMW's for 16 years prior) and very much recommend them to anyone interested. They are not super flashy, so they stay under the radar... Cheers!
Hey Steven, you need to say hello when you see me at Costco pumping gas!! One day we will cross paths!! haha!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I did say hi, the problem was I was NOT in my Passport, I was gassing up my wife's Lexus... (LOL) But I'll keep an eye out for next time...! I really want to show (play) you my $15k stereo upgrade...!
@@stevendphoto haha! 15K stereo upgrade??? How the? How is that possible???? 🤣
@@stevendphoto I’m sure it sounds amazing though!
Geeat video, and great explanation also. I drive a 2005 Mitsubishi Montero Limited with only a few mods (2.5 inch lift, 33 inch tires and 4.9 gearing with rear Hybrid-LSD from a 2001 Montero XLS) and although I don't get to wheel it as much as I'd like, it is a near unstoppable beast in the Minnesota snow. I've decided whenever it goes out, I'll either purchase a 2023/24 4Runner Limited (the full-time 4wd option is best for the winters) or the new Pilot Trailsport. Either one will fit my needs, my only hope is that someone will make a lift kit for the Pilot as ground clearance seems to be the only problem with it, otherwise it looks to be exceedingly capable.
I think the best overland rig from the factory is the Jeep Gladiator MOJAVE, the stock suspension is one of the best and would not have to lift it. Comes with rear locker. And the truck bed you want.
I got a 2023 Mazda CX-5 base model with 17 inched wheels. When I off road, it's usually dirt/gravel roads. I'm more into camping, biking, and hiking.
Great discussion and all truths. Keep the capable Honda for the long haul. Great yo see Jay and family exploring with you.
Thanks Rob!!! Hopefully you can join us sometime!!
While I agree with most of your reasoning, I think as overlanding continues to become more popular, having a more capable rig will allow you to get away from tons of other campers. At least here in Cali, it seems like you have to get further into the trails and even then there is still a chance you won't find seclusion. I enjoy your videos, keep em coming and keep adventuring!
Thanks Joey! There's a fine line between getting away from the crowds and breaking things 😃. I think the Moderate 4WD trail difficulty sits in that perfect spot. Some trails require 4LO, and the Honda is able to get to those spots because of the aggressive gearing. In the upcoming Gunnison Colorado episode, you will see that! A Honda Ridgeline with only a 6 (14.3:1) speed transmission couldn't get to where my 9 speed (20.4:1) would go, and the transmission is the only difference between our vehicles! The lack of 4LO or aggressive gearing makes such a difference!
I love just seeing people out and about on trails don’t matter brand great video
Thank you!
I love your channel, man! Inspired me to turn my GX460 into an overland capable rig. With Honda releasing Trailsport trims for their SUVs, I honestly wouldnt be surprised if they got that idea from you!
Right on Jon. I really like your videos. I also have a Passport but don't take it in the places you do. And yes, 100% anything will break and get stuck. The cost of ownership of anything off road is very expensive if you are inexperienced or have a heavy foot.
I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of your dirt bike adventures! I’ve seen so many failures, and I know the average person is going to have a different idea vs. reality.
Fantastic segment. Just subscribed. Your practical, non egotistical, non brand specific and experience based insight as well as hands on knowledge is refreshing. You are positive even while discussing brands and transmissions that don't work for you. Somehow, eventhough you don't have kids yet, you've arrived at what I call Grandpa Wisdom. Not that you sound or look old. It's just your patient and thoughtfully deliberate way of expressing what's worked, what hasn't...and why. I watched the segment with the Honda Rep regarding the Passport Trailsport and instantly saw why they asked for your presence and input to be there for the reveal and breakdown/walkthrough. Strange the "Trailsport" doesn't have more ground clearance but not a dealbreaker. Funny how you mentioned interest in a Frontier. I too have considered a 2024 Frontier and a 2024 Passport Trailsport. Torn between to two. Frontier S = more extra $$ from a lower msrp for a Moonlander campershell or small teardrop. But the Passport!!!!! Both having a Naturally Aspirated V6 make it easy to narrow down to those two. Thankyou for your content and being real in your thoughts and what you share for us all. Safe and happy travels Sir.
I'm in complete agreement with you. Your vehicle should meet your individual/family needs and financial capability. I personally am not really into rock crawling. Its really expensive to fix things, easy to get stuck for prolonged periods of time and tedious. For me, I'd rather hit a cool trail pulling my opus and find an epic campsite, open a beer, laugh with friends and family, and relax. I do have friends that love wheelin' and getting thier badges which is totally cool. I just dont have the passion for it. Be safe out there.
In my Honda, a moderate 4WD trail is plenty exciting 😂 where as it could be boring to an experienced rock crawler. There’s a lot of iconic trails that are of moderate difficulty, so I’m okay with that. Like yourself, I much more enjoy the places I “visit” with friends and family, rather than the trail and obstacles it takes to get there. I also live in the city, but love outdoor recreation, so getting out on a trip is an opportunity to do activities that I love like hiking, snowboarding and kayaking
Offroading is what you do.. not what you drive. I'm actually hoping you get the next gen Rav4 one day... that should be right uo your alley... 2.4LTHM with an e-axle in the rear for electric 4wd.
One of your videos has the perfect explanation about the difference between Overlanding and Off-roading. First, I want to reference the definition of overlanding according to the Overland Journal: "Overlanding describes self-reliant adventure travel to remote destinations where the journey is the primary goal."
If I remember correctly, you said "Off-roading is more about the "TRAIL" not the destination". Overlanding is more about the "destination", NOT the trail". Quite honestly... IMO... you describe things much more accurate!!!
With that said, if I can't fit into a Toyota Tacoma, there's no way I'm fitting into a Rav4. I sat shotgun, and my eyes were basically in the head liner 🤣. The Honda Passport is massive. It's noticeably larger than the new Lexus GX 550 (I was checking them out at Overland Expo PNW).
Thanks for stopping by! I've been watching your coverage of the new land cruiser, good stuff!!
*we live offroad for 12 years in the desert... anything and everything gets stuck. Us included in a GX. We've also pulled out countless F150s, 250s and 350s... any real offroader gets stuck. As soon as someone starts yapping about lockers, lifts, and light bars it means they dont actually offroad.*
*HAHA!! I wish I could pinned two comments!!! dangit! WELL SAID Mr. LEXUS GX OFF-ROAD*
OH, and you just taught me that I could make my comment in *BOLD*
@@JonDZ_Adventuringhere we are in the GX pulling out a Dodge Ram 2500 4x4:
th-cam.com/video/FXtJEsfKzj0/w-d-xo.html
That's a good subject to discuss. IMHO, it depends on what or where our enjoyment at. Some people likes overlanding only, and some loves rock crawling and overlanding; and I respect anyone's preferences. I, myself, configured my Taco for anything comes up on my trailing. I am not a rock crawler, but when situation comes up and the only way to reach my objective is to go through that rocky trail, my Taco with 35s, front and rear locker, and winch, I would be comfortably safe to go through. Be safe, enjoy, and always try to protect our rig, it's the only one that can take us back home safely. 😊👍
frontier frontier frontier 😎
100% agree with you.
love my truck but hate the gas. that's it
I mentioned the Frontier just for you!
haha! JK!
Normally aspirated 3.8L V6 and a 9 speed transmission. Yes please?? If they just made it do 0-60 in 6 seconds, I'd have no reason to keep the Passport 😂
The ability to daily drive and hit the trails for adventures as well as fuel mileage is why I traded in the Ford Focus RS for the Bronco Sport. However, when it came time to look at being able to tow a tiny trailer and sleep in the Bronco Sport because I didn’t wanna rooftop tent, I needed something bigger. I literally drove around to every dealer in my area trying to find somebody that would give me what I wanted out of the Broncosport that I could sleep inside of and tow; I accidentally stumbled upon the Jeep Grand Cherokee WK2’s it is served all of my needs and before I put the heavy duty LT 34 1/2 inch tires on it got excellent fuel economy. The fact that can I also get my recumbent trike in the back of the Jeep Grand Cherokee with all my gear is even a larger bonus.
Yup gotta love the wk2 towing!!
The WK2 sounds like another vehicle that is a good compromise between onroad and offroad. My friends Nick and Nancy really enjoy theirs, and I can only imagine how fun it would be to drive the WK2 TrackHawk 😂. Hope to cross paths one day, thanks for stopping by to comment.
I would say that simply ignoring those people who left you toxic comments. They watched and you earned views. Any toxic comments is not avoidable nowadays. Your channel is way different from others like Trailrecon or litebrite. You and Donald’s channel are showing light overland though you did challenge some Jeep-rated trail. But that also sent everyone message that what you can do what you can’t do given certain capable vehicles. Keep going man. Wish doing trail tour with guys one day in future.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, I really do appreciate the toxic commenters. I feel like my "stuck" video attracted alot of trolls, people that were waiting for the moment. I also suspect that they may have been connected to this unethical company that I had to severe ties with, who knows. BUT, I really did appreciate those comments. Any comment, good or bad is "engagement" and they helped that video reach more people. I didn't release that video as an open invite to get "roasted" 😂, the majority of viewers knew what I was doing. I made that video as a lesson, so that people can learn from my mistakes. I had my Honda Passport tilted 35 to 40 degrees 75% up my 33" tires in clay mud. In this video I show a Jeep Gladiator Rubicon on 37s with tires buried 30% and it took a hard yank to get him unstuck. The internet is a crazy place!!! 🤣Thanks for your support!!!!
Great topic and one that needs to be covered more so folks who want to get out have a reference. Like so many things, as I explain to my nephews who want a PC. Usage defines the hardware, which is very applicable with a vehicle. It will change as equipment changes. Jon here chooses a "all-in-one" solution and nothing wrong with that. I've been playing around here in NW Washington all year round, and the gear we have is modular. I got a couple of cases that have simple core gear and a dry bag. We've got a cargo carrier that can be installed in the class III hitch to "roll heavy". We don't rock crawl, but we get around most places in a 4.0 '89 XJ Pioneer with General Grabber AT2's that's not lifted that has over 300,000 miles on it. That same gear can be dropped into my 2.0 '01 Escape XLS that has highway tires. There's young gal on TH-cam that gets around in a Honda Element. This is also where I need to mention that some are not going to be getting out during winter. Few years ago around late December we spent 5 days above the snow line in the highlands with an average snow depth of 2 feet. But we were equipped. Do and get what suites your use and needs. It's starts with basic shelter, food, water and gear which includes things for safety. There are wolves, bears and cougars. Your not in the city park anymore. ✌
You definitely have to think about your needs and wants. I had a Ram 1500 when I started off-roading. I liked it, but it was too big for a daily and not capable for technical trails. When it came time to replace it I still wanted a pickup, but nothing full-size. I got a JT because, in my opinion, it was the most capable off-road midsize truck. It’s been my daily and weekend warrior for 2 plus years on 39s with a 4.5 lift. I camp, do trails from easy to hard, haul items for home improvement, etc… I love the thing for my lifestyle.
The Gladiator is a good Rig. In many of my videos, I ran with a Gobi Desert one. The driver (Nori) taught me so much about tackling moderate 4WD terrain. We got about the same MPGs when he ran 35s, performance was similar. The only complaints were the loud wind noise on the highway and the narrow cabin room. I mentioned it in another comment, but it would be perfect if the cab was widened about 4 inches (or more! 😃) and they had a trim that was fully enclosed, making for a totally silent cabin.
I also have to mention that he saved my ass in really perilous situations, too!!
100% agree with you any vehicle can get stuck, it's just a matter of when.
That’s a fabulous vehicle you have there! The places you’ve gone are gorgeous. Thank you. Oh and Hondas are great dependable vehicles. I am an owner of the Subaru Forester Wilderness. I am not a turbo fan period.
Thank you so much 🙏. Out of the wilderness models, I really like the Forester wilderness! A guy was going to join us for an imogene pass attempt on August 24th but he can’t make it. If you want to join us, let me know! 😃
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I really would’ve loved that. I’m just wayyyy to far from you all. I live in Virginia. I’d do it in a heartbeat if I was closer 😁. Meanwhile, I’ll live vicariously through your videos. If I had a trailer to hitch up to my forester to travel with my two big four legged boys I would have traveled and made my way out that way. Truly breathtaking areas out west. But as you did state, everything is so darn EXPENSIVE now. FYI…..Jon, love color of your Passport too. My forester is nearly same color. Love your color choice :)🙌🏼
Great vid and great topic, Mr Deez! I can't believe you didn't fit in a Tacoma. I'm 6'5" and 300. I had a regular cab for many years and now have an access cab. The reg cab had a larger door and was easier for me to get in and out of, but once I am in the AC, it is pretty comfy. It could also be that once you are over 6' tall, you just get used to a certain level of discomfort lol. I really enjoy watching what your Pilot can do. Haters are always going to hate. One of my best friends drives a Frontier. Every now and then he'll admit that he should have gotten a Tacoma, but he likes to be different. It is one of the things that I like about him. They just don't have as much aftermarket support. If you ever do get one, get a pop up topper for it. It will change your life!
You have to buy what you need. I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness. I didn't really buy it go go off roading. I got it for ground clearance and the skid plate. That might sound weird for some people but when you live here in Arizona and your having to go over blow tires and all kinds of debris on the freeway the peace of mind of that skip plate and ground clearance are worth it. One day we got detoured down a dirt road because of a big accident on the i17. You could tell people in there Mid sized and even full sized SUV where still having to be careful going down this road. Again by what you need.
Your're Right! It's just that trying to figure out what one needs can be an almost impossible task. I went through 5 vehicles in 6 years before I finally found a good fit in the Honda Passport. Like myself, many people will have to ping pong until they find something that fits them. Some are willing to settle. I basically went from a FJ Cruier to a Forester XT and then what I consider to be somewhere in the middle, I ended up with the Passport. Well kinda, I was instantly sold on the Passports performance. I couldn't believe the thing was normally aspirated because it was so quick. I went in to buy a Toyota Tacoma, went home that same night with a Passport 😂
The first GX in this video had an aftermarket rear diff installed if i'm not mistaker. The GX is fully capable with 4LO, factory center diff, MTS, and crawl control (GX460); I'm sure of it. Unreliability presents itself when we try to take engineering into our own hands without proper research. Love the passport and the Pilot as I have one of them (Pilot). My Pilot is also in factory form and it has never let me down. Great video. Thank you for sharing.
It was probably stock, it's a known weakness with the 8" diff on the 470 and usually occurs when people are gunning it like he did. When the back wheels are spinning and suddenly gain traction it can grenade the rear diff like it did in the video. Most people think its was an oversight by Toyota not taking into account the V8. Thankfully you can just bolt in the 8.2" rear diff from a 2010+ FJ, 5th gen 4runner or GX 460, bonus points if it's got the factory e-locker.
Jon, great conversation as always. FWIW I’ve timed my ‘19 Passport Elite at 6.3 0-60 on 87 octane fuel, at ~1,100 ft of elevation, and that’s just flooring it, no brake launch or sport mode. I love my PP, no complaints, excellent road tripper!
I reserved a new Land Cruiser last week. It’d be my road-trip vehicle as I live in Virginia and visit Colorado often. I’d rarely take it off-road and no further than a medium rock garden. Considering it’s highway focused usage and price retention, I think it’d be a smart purchase, however I’m hesitant on the turbo four for the same reasons you mentioned. I’m eager to see test drive reviews.
Thoughts?
Why wouldn't you try S Mode? (NOTE: It is not called a Sport Mode by Honda, they call it: "Sequential Shift Mode". My PP seems much faster off the line in S Mode...
Yes I’m sure “S” mode may be officially faster. I was implying that Motor Trend’s 6.3 second time is repeatedly achievable without much effort, or even higher octane gasoline.
@@WhereBrentWent The Landcruiser will be a 4 cylinder Turbo + Hybrid with 320HP/465TQ or something like that. I'm actually really hesitant and I'd much rather see it as a V6 Hybrid, or at the very least a V6 turbo Hybrid. From my experiences and observations, once you add A/T tires and roof mods and increase friction and wind drag, the 4 cylinder won't be able to keep up and will perpetually stay in boost which will suck lots of fuel. Will the hybrid system be able to keep up or offer any benefit at highway speeds? I think most people will think not, but Maybe Toyota made something special. We will have to see!
Why not the newest ridgeline?
Well, the iVTM4 platform encompasses all 3 vehicles (Passport/Pilot/Ridgeline). I already have a Passport, so it doesn't make sense for me to switch to the other vehicles on this platform.
Totally agree with you love my 22 impreza. A little low to the ground but Handel's great.
I know this comment is a year late but I’ve just discovered your videos and have been enjoying them. I hope you still have your passport but even if not, you’ve had a lot of experience with one. Recently, August 2024, I bought a 2021 passport sport with 25k miles. I actually bought it for my everyday driver/work vehicle. I drive on average 4-500 miles a week, consistently. Some of my clients live in rural areas in the mountains and up dirt roads. Im constantly driving over passes as well. Im a bigger guy so i need the room for myself and all the materials I carry with me. I love the cargo space. I did want to ask if you’ve had any issues with the timing belt and the transmission. TFL did a video where the AWD warning light came on and said it was overheating. Does that happen to you often? Im hopping this will be a good vehicle for me for at least 200k. Thanks for your videos and i look forward to watching more of them. Safe travels and happy trails!
Ah hah! Here’s that longer comment you mentioned! In 157K miles on the odometer now. Still going strong. At this point, my Passport is even more modified. Double spring system, 3rd gen Toyota Tundra rear shocks, super charger cooler. Raised the rear another 2” or so. Removed sway bars front and rear and my Passport drives like a dream because of the upgraded shocks and dual springs (progressive and linear = best of both worlds). Now I’ll be concentrating on getting my MPG and performance back to stock. Will have it regeared and I’ll be returning to a stock front bumper for better Aerodynamics. Now that I have more than enough clearance I need, there’s no point in the cut front bumper.
Awesome! I’m really happy that I found your channel. You’re really explaining a lot to me in Your videos and they’re cool to watch too! I’m going subscribe for sure and will continue to watch! Thanks for all the content you put out for these passports. Honestly helps me feel more confident about my purchase.
Anyone can buy a 4Runner TRD Pro and push buttons to get through difficult obstacles. I enjoy your channel because you push the envelope using a vehicle more realistic and useful for the average person.
Good talk 👍 my buddies trading in his Taco for a Forester for the exact reasons you just talked about so we’ll see. We’re bound to run into each other out on the trails sooner or later 😎
Looking forward to that day! A taco to forester is going to be a BIG difference though! Much better MPG, but quite a difference in capability
It's absolutely about where you want to go. If you aren't interested in hard trails, don't spend the money on a 4x4 with low range transfer case. BUT you can drive hard trails without "constantly breaking stuff" **if** you build your rig SMART (IMO starts with a Solid Front Axle, D44+ with RCVs, = Wrangler/Gladiator/pickup typically) AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, or at the very least ride with those that do. Having said that, it does generally cost significantly more $ to ride the hard trails and not break. If you're willing to spend somewhat more money (doesn't need to be too crazy) you can go to many stunning places that no vehicle without a low range transfer case could dream of going. Ultimately it depends on where you're satisfied with going, and how much you're willing to pay to play. Ignoring things like surprise weather, where people tend to get in trouble is when they take a rig on a trail or obstacle for which it's not suited, or their skills are not suited, often getting stuck or broken. But that goes for *any* vehicle, regardless of how it's built. Nature always has terreain that can stymie any vehicle. But the point here is it's entirely possible to be successful in a built rig, or any rig, without "constantly breaking" if you know what you're doing.
Thanks for the detailed “breakdown”, no pun intended 😉. You know I don’t have experience driving a real 4WD on a difficult trail, so I appreciate the explanation.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Good one! 😂
At the end of the day, it is all personal preference. The question I have is at what point is your Honda old enough to warranty replacement? I feel like these newer vehicles with all of their electronics get riskier the older they get on trails. We replaced our '16 Pilot AWD for that reason. Good trade in, got the '23 Pilot. That one will stay stock, maybe. I know at 120k miles, our Pilot still had a lot of life left but just didn't want to deal with issues.
We also got a '21 Ranger Tremor and I just don't ever want to off-road in a crossover anymore. The Pilot was my gateway into off-road and am so thankful for it. The Ranger Tremor is so much smoother with those Fox shocks. Made our Pilot feel like a sedan off-road. With 35k miles on the Ranger now, probably 5-6k of them towing our travel trailer, I love the thing. I did read in forums about trans issues but think it might have been earlier years. The transmission is used on SO MANY vehicles, the failures seem low when you think about how many they put in cars. Even the mustang uses the 10spd. Sure there are over a million of them on the road between Ford and Chevy so the handful of people on the forums don't seem too bad.
To each their own though! Drive what you love!
So, I have two friends and 1 co-worker with that Ford/Chevy 10 speed that failed, and I don't know overland with too many people with Ford and Chevy's. The failures just happened to be in 2018 models. 2 Ford F-150 and 1 Chevy Silverado 1500. I search the internet and seems to be an issue. The crazy thing is I don't have any other friends that have vehicles with automatic transmissions that have ever failed, I thought the issue was exclusive to CVTs (we're just talking about friends and people I know). I hear you about the difference suspension makes. The Passport rides so much better with the eibach springs, Flex mods and now the Bilstein 5100s in the rear. I'm sure the Tremor Ranger handles alot better than a stock one.
I’m giving you a shout out in my next video. I never saw this one tho. I prefer difficult trails and have not broken anything in nearly 25 years of doing this offroad thing. If you build it right, drive it well, you should be ok. Just wanted to give you that side of this topic. I do agree with anything can and will get stuck tho.
Ford Edge with AT tires used to get me around much of the woods without issue until deep snow. Rear diff went out.
Shopped Tacoma & Bronco, but long story short ended up with new(then) Ranger FX4. I don’t off-road, but when in deep snow on uneven terrain + ice I’ve gotten stuck. Proper 4x4s gets stuck all the time(why we carry recovery boards, hooks/ropes, compressor, etc.).
While I love Ford Ranger, I am worried about the 10spd transmission. Great performing transmission, but I am hearing about them failing at least online. I even installed Ford Performance tune before I knew about the problems. 😭
That's a really good point you made. But with that said, if I had traction boards or a winch, I'm 99% sure i would have gotten unstuck :P my fault for not having them!
If I was into off-roading I’d strongly consider winch for sure. Love your Honda & great vids. Keep up the good work Jon! 👍
Ty 🙏
5:20 It's like the joke about "You don't have to outrun the bear, just your buddy!" It doesn't have to be more capable than another vehicle, just more capable than your desired trail requires.
Love the rig you built. Honda fan myself
Great video Jon! You touched on the reasons I have not moved from my Passport to a 4Runner.. (5-speed transmission is bullet-proof but gear-hunting on the highway just going up hills gets old quick - I've owned 2 of them)... I always look forward to your next adventure brother. Keep up the great work, and the great attitude. Quick question / request for you: could you possibly find the time to remove your front fender liner and show us "exactly" how much you cut? I am at 2" of lift now running 30.5" all terrains, but I will be moving up to 31.6" tires soon. I refuse to shove my axle forward (axle relocation), and I will not have the money for the 3" lift kit... but I can sure as heck cut a square hole and use a heat gun to shape the fender liner back out of the way! If you make a quick explanation video of your cut, please post it to your TH-cam channel as there are many who do not have Instagram accounts (Me). I know you have a quick video in high-speed showing you doing the cutting, but it would be nice to have something more comprehensive of "what" you did. Again, thank you for your channel!
Thanks James! Yes, I can put something together when I visit @k20nartpro. Going to get my Honda tuned up for another Colorado trip at the end of this month.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring That would be awesome! Thank you for your willingness to help out the "soft roader" / overlanding community! I look forward to the video.
the king of podcast! 👑
Haha, thanks!
great video, that camp spot looks amazing. Where is that located?
I'll give you the general area, it's by Lassen National Park
Beautiful Scenery!! Beautiful!!! I'm proud of you and the Mighty Passport. I love mine 4 years in. Still drives so extremally well! Jon... You never answered your own question early in the video... Would you buy your Passport again if you had to do it all over again? ( I think I know the answer)
9:08 is the answer. Moving onto something else would be a sacrifice in onroad handling and performance, and that’s just so important to me 😃. If I ever got into an accident and had all this money to buy a new rig, honestly, I’d probably get the next midsized Honda. It’s such a solid all around platform!
Hey Jon. A hater's gonna hate... I will say that before I met up with you out in Colorado two summers ago and actually saw first hand how capable your rig is, I wouldn't have ever thought you could do the things you do with the Passport/Pilot/Ridgeline platform. I watched You and Ian get through every trail we ran with relative ease, Neither of you ever got stuck or hung up anywhere and we didn't run easy trails either. The only ones in our group that had any trouble were the first gen Pilots, and that was mostly due to gearing and being down on power because of the high altitude. Your Passport, Ian's Ridgeline and even the two first gen pilots proved to be far more capable than I would have ever thought previously. I have seen Aaron's Pilot get through trails that I had to see to believe.
I have enjoyed my Xterra, it has been good to me. I have been seriously looking at selling it and maybe doing a very mild build on my other vehicle, a 2019 Frontier SV 4x4. Maybe a 2" lift, skid plates, sliders, some type of rack. I would do the skid plates and sliders just to protect the undercarriage and body. I'm not going to ever build it into a rock crawler or serious off-roader, that's not what I am into... I like exploring, just like our group did out in Colorado. At this point in my life the Frontier is just a better fit for me overall.
The bottom line is, everyone should just run whatever vehicle fits them the best and will get the job at hand done with the most comfort and reliability.
IMHO…… Nissan made a massive mistake killing the Xterra. One heck of a rugged SUV. I had one of the first models and that was such an underpowered engine they had in it for that vehicle and constant heat shield rattle issues. When they came out with it with the 4.0 in it it was a gem and a good looking and very competent vehicle. I loved the look of the Xterra.
@@gagags1115 I agree. I had a first gen (2001) for 8 years until it was totalled by a stop sign runner. The 3.3 was definitely underpowered, but it was most noticed on the top end. Off the line it was ok, but trying to pass somebody on the highway could be down right scary.
Both my 2010 Xterra Off-Road and my Frontier have the 4.0 and it is the best of both worlds. Night and day difference compared to the 3.3l.
There's just something about the Xterra. It is a really fun vehicle to drive. That is probably why I have a hard time parting with mine.
@@Mike.D.843 I was heartbroken when I was back in the market for a vehicle. I had my heart set on one.
Well said @Mike.D.84 ! I too think the Frontier is an excellent vehicle. If you haven't checked out @softroadingthewest his channel is now based around the 2nd gen Frontier. He's actually my first overlanding friend I ran into online. I like the idea of a truck bed because I would want to run a pop up camper. It just seems like such an awesome way to camp out. I see it as one of the BEST COMPROMISES between an off-road rig and a RV. Small enough to get around on most 4WD trails and enough of a living space.
I appreciate the comments. I'm always looking forward to these Eastcoast + Westcoast meetups. Hopefully you can make it for 2024.
@@gagags1115 I agree!! They need to bring back the Xterra STAT!!!!!! Their new Pathfinder is pretty much a clone of my Honda Passport (same ZF9 transmission, similar twin clutch rear diff), they need to position themselves as a serious Toyota alternative and a true 4WD vehicle is needed! BRING IT BACK NISSAN!
I agree big time here even though i have 4x4 Nissan Frontier. Im not interested in rock crawling much anymore cause its just too risky. I have a leveling kit, bilsteins, stock size tires, and a hard shell to sleep in the bed. Access cab is perfect size for me and my dog. I dont commute so gas milage isnt a big deal, but it is comfy for road tripping still. It also snows where i live so its great for that. Perfect for me right now
Great choice on the GX platform, lol I'm not bias at all. I'm not a turbo fan either... last year to get a non turbo GX.
I want to see the GX460 sales figures at the end of the year, haha!
How did you get the Mandalorian emblem in the front logo/sensor? Does it not affect the ACC/LKAS?
Just vinyl stickers. I made own little design, but bought the mando sticker off Amazon in shiny gold. That sensor is designed to work through bug guts, so no, it does not affect the sensor
True anyone can get stuck. It's all about the learning experience. It's not the end of the world if you failed the first attempt.
The new passports have such a wide range of gears in the 8 speed autos. That's so perfect for various tire sizes. First gear is nearly a 5.00 ratio so slap big tires on it and dont worry about regearing
I also have a 2019 Honda Passport. Just like you, the only vehicle I would consider trading it in for is the Lexus GX460. The only thing that worries me is the smaller backseat in the Lexus for my 3 kids.
the GX460 is a good vehicle. It will still be a trade off in on-road handling and performance. If I could afford it, I'd love to pick up a Rivian R1S 😀
@@JonDZ_AdventuringVery true. The Rivian is REALLY nice!!
Hey jon, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for lifting and getting better tires? I have a 2019 Passport with the stupid low pros, lol.
Hi Cindy, are you asking about what lift kit and wheels/tires to go with? I recommend the Traxda lift kit. They have a 2” kit and a 3.5” kit. I recommend the 3.5” kit because it gives the Passport enough clearance to keep me out of trouble. Less trail damage = money saved. The 3.5” kit is about 5x the cost, but to have a reputable garage install the kit will cost about the same. So total cost is really more like 2x the cost when going with the 3.5” kit. Traxda is also working on things like “high clearance lower control arms, and more robust brackets, as well as other products. They make really cool things for this platform.
As far as tires, I highly recommend the Toyo open country AT3. They have good lateral grip. I previously ran a popular tire called the Falken Wildpeak AT3W ( 3 sets ), and while they look cool, they aren’t very good when you push them.
Poor, Poor Subaru, they just had to be buried and laid to rest LMBO :) And Many Thanks for breaking down the terms: Off-roading & Overlanding.
-You like to be different
-You amassed a following of 20k viewers which offers monetary compensation
-You can't undo years of talking up the passport
-you found a niche
-you fell in love with car
-when you do an obstacle with a less capable vehicle it makes you feel superior to an offroad (ego)
-if you do an obstacle where a 4x4 failed due to driver error, your ego feels even more better.
lol, all fun jabs, keep the content coming.
All true to some extent.........for everyone. That's why we mod vehicles, to make it more capable and unique that the other vehicles. Some people build it, some people buy it. We put our personalities into it for people to see. Whether driving to work with traction boards on the roof or making up a trail that some 4wd vehicles have trouble on, we get personal satisfaction from our purchase and hobbies. That's the whole point isn't it?
The same reason some people commute in their raptors and 4runners and never take it offroad, to be showing off their perceived self-image on the highway.
I’m not taking any kind of offense to your comment, but I have to tell you that only one of your assumptions is correct, and that’s that “I fell in love with your car”.
Okay, fun jabs, but I have to clarify nonetheless.
1.). As mentioned many times in previous videos and in this one, I went in to buy a Toyota Tacoma. I couldn’t fit in one and that was a deal breaker. Put the Passport next to a lifted Tacoma on 33s, and the Tacoma has both more ground clearance and LESS roof height. The mid sized Hondas are massive, and the interior is closer to half ton truck size rather than midsize truck size.
2.) I INSTANTLY lost 300 subscribers when I traded in my Subaru for the Honda. I can only imagine how many subscribers I would have today if I would have a Subaru or another popular vehicles like that Toyota Tacoma I couldn’t fit in.
3.) I’ve been very honest and critical of the Honda. I remind people that it’s not a true 4WD for the first 3 years of ownership. I feel that people either forgot or jumped on this Train late and don’t remember all that.
4.) I found a niche - yes, I suppose I did, but I feel that not enough people realize how capable this platform truly is.
5.) yes, I love this car. It’s ridiculously well rounded.
6.) not true at all. I did the Old Dale road trail on my 2015 Forester XT (twice) and it was not fun. I felt like I was barely getting by. Doing it in the more capable Honda Passport it was easier going and just had more peace of mind. No ego.
7.) Actually, not going to lie about this one 🤣🤣🤣. But in all honestly, the Passport will do better than an open front/rear diff on some obstacles because of the twin clutch rear diff. The only open diff I have is the front, and with the BALL system I don’t have any open diffs (but not mechanical lockers and much less flex). In simple loose gravel or sandy hills where an open front/rear diff 4WD will just crawl up, my Passport will spin tires because I don’t have that Mechanical rotational lock that a T-case provides.
All good on the fun Jabs, apparently you’re not the only one that feels that way ✌️
@@autoduel well said @autoduel (Steve is that you?) You know my history, I don’t drive a Passport because I want to be different 🤣. What other midsized SUVs do 0-60 in 5.8 seconds (stock) on 87 octane? Passport fits my fat butt too 🤣
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I’ve owned Subaru for years. I still follow you. It wasn’t because of the Subie that I followed but because of your honesty about overlanding and capabilities and lessons learned along the way. Let’s not forget the breathtaking scenery of your adventures either! 😊
@gagags1115 Thanks ! The response from some of the Subaru community was sad panda times! What hurt the most was getting facebook defriended from people I met in person and (thought I) became friends with. The realization that to some people a car brand is more important, had me questioning where humanity was headed.
Haha! Just kinda kidding! Kinda Not :( Until this day, I see it. I go on trips with people that don't mention me or others in their instagram posts unless they drive a Subaru. It's strange phenomena.
I hope that we have less of the division and make it more about the people. I actually have a little facebook page were alot of us coordinate to get together. We don't identify as a "GROUP" but only as a facebook page of like minded adventurers. It's about the people, not the car brands and that's why you see so much vehicular diversity in alot of these videos :P
What's the best trail for an awd crossover? To test out our crossover suv to see what it's capable are in california?
Honda is almost there with the ridge line for me, if it just had a little better crawl ration and was able to put 32” tires without a lift I’d be there with cash today. Lifting independent suspensions sucks as you lose your droop with the increased height.
Can you expand a little more on why you wouldn’t go back to turbo? Pros and cons, just curious since u have experience with them
Yes! The #1 thing is MPG. When a turbo engine boosts, it literally SUCKS... a lot of gasoline! If left stock, a turbo vehicle get the MPGs they were designed for. Add larger all-terrain tires (increased friction) and roof mods like a cargo platform, cargo box or roof top tent (increased wind drag) and now that Turbo Charged engine is having to compensate and will be in perpetual boost on the highway. My 2015 Subaru Forester XT was rated for 28 MPG highway. With a light trail tire (yokohamer G015) that number dropped to 25. When I added a little roof cargo basket, that number dropped to 19 mpg. To put this all in perspective, my 3.5" lifted 2019 Honda Passport with a 3.5L V6 with 33" aggressive A/Ts, a XL roof top tent, that weighs 2000 lbs more than my Forester XT gets the same 19 MPG (it was getting 20.5 mpg highway in the previous configuration (32" tires, smaller roof top tent), and it was getting 22-23 mpg when I had lighter trail tires (cooper discovery AT3W). When I first bought my Honda Passport, I threw that same roof cargo basket on top to carry the spare tire and there was no noticeable effect on the MPGs. Boost really sucks MPGS.
Also, the #1 thing part 2 is reliability. I owned 3 turbo vehicles (Nissan Juke, Subaru WRX, Subaru FXT) and all of them were pay to play. Every 3 months or so, I was going back to the dealership to get sensors replaced, turbo impellars replaced, etc. My WRX had the short block blow up twice. Look up the issues with the Ford Ecoboost. Every 100K miles things start leaking. My naturally aspirated vehicles have been worry free.
Are there any Pros to a Turbo? Yes, they have good mid range power. They're tunable if you're into that. But IMO, there's really NO advantages for off-road / overlanding and despite the rumors about turbo engines performing better at high altitudes, it's gearing that makes the real difference for off-road / overlanding. From a stop, a turbo engine will stall out at high altitudes. With all that said, Toyota is going all in on turbo charging. They're mixing in a Hybrid system in as well and if done right that can make for an amazing platform. Only time will tell if it ends up performing. One more thing I'd like to touch on. I feel like quad motor electric will be the future and the Rivians are a good preview of what's to come. Super Car performance and off-road capability to conquer Hell's gate in Moab stock! My hope is to keep my Honda long enough to buy a quad motor EV with 500 to 600 mile range.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks so much for all this info. Yeah I’m not completely sold on the new tacoma engines and like you said only time will tell if they will be as reliable as Toyota has been. Like you said about full EV , I think it’s best to wait for the range to get a lot better. Thank you John
Love my NA Subaru 3.6. After owning several turbo... I'm kind of in the same point as you.
I can still keep my Subaru completely daily drivable and go anywhere I would want to go with it in complete comfort and maintain highway travel and good mpg.
Might get pushed on the west coast though!
But we'll find out soon, huh?
You’ll do alright, my 2.5 did with driver mod :)
Looking forward to our trip!!!! It’s many many years in the making!!! We’re going to up as a team so there will be a really good support group! Super excited!
Have you considered/looked into the Touareg/Cayenne platform? Out the box it’s more luxurious, capable off-road, and a better on road driver.
I’m 2 years into Touareg TDI ownership and it’s been incredible both on and off-road.
*BTW- It HANDLED Gold Mountain with nothing but 265/70-R17s and a 2-inch lift.
If great turbo-diesel torque & gas mileage isn’t your style… there’s always the Cayenne V8s 😁
That is amazing, everyone I have known that has owned VW's - has had trouble with them trouble with dealers and hated them enough to dump them (ASAP), Maybe they have turned a corners...
After I bought my Passport the TFL episodes about the Touareg came out. I've learned quite a bit about the platform. I roll with a buddy that has the Cayenne Turbo S. That thing is quick! It's definitely capable! The Passports onroad handling is really trick though. Alot of people don't know that it the system seamlessly overspins the rear outside tires when aggressively turning. The same system has an LSD effect when offroad. BUT yeah... the Touareg is ridiculously capable! Especially that ones with the rear locker. I've seen them in person and I'm impressed. VW really made something special back in the day. The one down side that I hear about are the lower control arm bushings. I hear they have to be replaced every 10-15K miles.
There is too much elitistism with off road rigs cliques. Drive something you like and set it up to your needs and wants.
Its nice to see other types of rigs other than Jeeps, Tacomas, 4Runners, Broncos ,etc etc beinf used to enjoy trails and adventures.
Well said!
I’m planning on buying the new Pilot Trailsport that I think will be able to handle most of what my locality can throw at it (Western PA, and West Virginia)
I was with Ian from Nolo Designs in Colorado. He brought out his 2023 Pilot Trailsport. It did good! Just needs a little more ground clearance
@@JonDZ_Adventuring When is your video of that trip coming out?
It’s one of those really important episodes and I want to do it the justice. 2 lessons.
1.) you need the gearing of a ZF9 Passport or 10 spd Honda, or of course 4LO. The Honda 6 speed can’t handle the high elevation or steep grades and neither will other AWDs.
2.) the difference was night and day. My Passport and the 2023 Pilot Trailsport even tried to intentionally climb at 1mph. Our transmission were getting a work out, but we didn’t stall. The Honda 6 speed, even with a running start and pedal to the metal would stall out.
3.) we had a brake failure on one of our 4WDs. It caused the vehicle to lose brake pressure cutting off all brakes! The driver did what he could to stop his vehicle. It involved ramming a tree at 10 mph.
The green Pro4x’s do look good!
It's no doubt a good looking truck!
You don’t need 4low till you do! For me it’s a peace of mind given my remote location and unpredictable wash outs, you could say I don’t leave home without it 😅
An overlanding rig needs to be capable of being a daily driver/commuter because when you stop and think about it,overlanding is long distance commuting/multiday driving. A typical commute to work is say 20min-1hr daily...an overland trip could be anywhere from 4-16hr per day..i feel like most people "start" with a lifted beater jeep with locked diff and mud tires..and after one multiday trip,they "upgrade" to a lighter,more comfortable,fuel efficient vehicle.
I experienced this with a 2008 FJ cruiser, and that’s how I found out I didn’t want to deal with it. this was back in 2012 when gas was $5.00 a gallon and that thing was getting about 10-13 mpg highway. I hated the steering dead zone and all the floatiness on the highway. Around town it was fine.
You have to be careful with turbos off roading and know a little bit how they respond in tricky situations on big rocks and some medium rocks they make you lunge maybe break something
Very true William!
The Passport has been an amazing vehicle. Mine isn’t quite as tricked out as yours, but for all the off-roading I do it tackles it all like a dream. The other 95% of my driving is on pavement and it excels at that better than any 4WD.
I never got the chance to offroad the 2008 FJ cruiser I use to drive, but I’m very sure it would do quite a bit better. The on-road aspect of the Passport and the large cabin is just too good!
i think i'm following the right person. i want to just explore off road/overlanding with my family and camp. what's your personal opinion with 4runners? i'm considering trading our 2019 crv exl for a 4runner or a honda passport. i don't really consider buying a truck.
A 4runner is ready to hit level 3-4 moderate 4WD trails right off the lot as long as you have basic offroad skills like left foot braking and knowing how to choose a line and utilize the 16” of rocker clearance. A stock Honda like mine only has 8.1” of centerline clearance and 12.8” of rocker clearance. To be safe, I’m wouldn’t recommend anything more technical than a level 2 easy trail.
You say you want to get out and explore with the family. It sounds like you’ll be driving long distances on highways until you get to your point of interest. In that case, a midsized Honda would be a better choice. A 2023 Pilot TrailSport would be even better.
Take your time deciding and decide carefully. I think you should see how you do in the CRV and go from there.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks jon. i will definitely look into that. 👍🏼 have a good day.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring p.s. a few weeks ago we drove around oregon and oregon coast, from cape perpetua to astoria. it was an awesome experience.
Get the next gen Honda passport
I'm not paying $50K for a new rig! BUT, if Honda would take my Passport for a trade in for a really really good deal, I'll probably make the switch 😀
Now that the new Land Cruiser has been revealed, thoughts on that?
To be honest. I simply don't know and it's questionable. Does Toyota make mistakes? Absolutely, look at the 3rd gen Tacoma. I couldn't even freakin fit in one 😂! Is a 4 cylinder turbo a bad idea for off-roading? The Jeep 2.0 Turbo guys think so. I can't tell you how many of them traded in their turbo jeeps to go to the V6. Can Toyota make it work? Yeah, absolutely! Watch the @lexus Gx offroad TH-cam channel, he does a good job at breaking it down. He mentions the land cruiser will have special batteries to power the hybrid system. The electric motors may seamlessly compensate for the Turbo 4 cylinders shortcomings and they might be able to have a net charge while highway cruising. Right now, these turbo hybrids have no benefit while on the highway. Actually, they suffer from the same shortcomings as non hybrid turbo 4 cylinders. They end up getting much worse MPGs when outfitted for overlanding. IMO, the landcruiser should have a V6 hybrid. I just don't understand why the turbo has to be apart of this equation.
Thanks for this episode. I’m stuck with my purchase decision. My whole goal is to get off the beaten track on class 2-3 roads to get to cool camping areas. I’ve reviewed many of the crossovers that exist out there, and all of them seem to pretty much fail if you throw anything at them other than the Honda passport and perhaps the outback wilderness edition. High on my list was a consideration for the GX 460 but in my test drive I just found even driving around the neighborhood that I could feel literally every bump on the road and I would be concerned that a four or 5 Hour drive to a location would just be exhausting not to mention expensive due to fuel. The Honda and outback are a little better in terms of fuel (Outback taking the win), and much better in terms of ride. I have a daily driver as well, but I’m still very stuck in my decision. Any thoughts from your side? Also, I basically don’t wanna do any modifications I just wanna buy it and essentially head out to the trails.
I have a lot of input for you as I use to drive a turbo Subaru and have many friends with the Outback Wilderness. First of all, don’t buy a Turbo 4 cylinder if you plan on running all terrain tire and / or roof mods, your MPGs will plummet, more so than in a Normally aspirated vehicle. Run the same mods I have on my Passport (you can’t fit 33 inch tires on a wilderness) and you could expect about around 9-12 mpg on the highway in a head wind. My Passport gets about 15-17 in a head wind.
You’ll have to watch my upcoming video of Gunnison Colorado. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to complete the episode, but hopefully sometime soon. We drive to some steep hills at high altitude (10-12k feet) and my friends Honda Ridgeline on the same platform, same AWD system and same engine could not get up these steep hills. My Passport just cruised up with a light tap on the gas pedal. Just to show you all how much of a difference gearing makes, I drove up the hill at 1 mph on purpose, just to show that the Passport I have with the ZF948HP transmission is like having a Pseudo Low range. The reason the Ridgeline didn’t make it is because he has a Honda 6 speed transmission which would be geared similar to the outback wilderness. Also, the outback wilderness has a CVT. Chains simply perform different than real gears. You’ll have to “send it” to get over obstacles, and you’ll break things, where as in a ZF9 or Honda10 equipped Honda you can just crawl over obstacles.
Watch the TH-cam channel Native Nomads, he’s honest about the capabilities of his Outback wilderness. He will say it has no problem with capability, but then listen carefully and he will also tell you that you don’t want to take the outback wilderness on more technical trails. The trails he speaks of are the places I take my “modified”Passport. So, quite honestly, if you want a vehicle that can handle level 3 moderate trails that’s AWD, you’ll have to go with the all new 2023 Honda Pilot trailsport, upcoming 2024 Passport/Ridgeline, Ford Bronco Sport (badlands is very capable), or Jeep crossovers with the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk being the most supreme. Good Luck on your purchase, and hope I helped you Dodge a bullet. If you really want to go Subaru, I’d pick the Forester Wilderness over the OBW, it has better gearing and better offroad angles.
Also, from what you told me (you don’t want to mod), I’d highly recommend a body on frame 4WD. The problem with most crossovers, is they lack the ground clearance that’s the most important, which is “rocker clearance”. The Hondas have some of the best stock rocker clearance, so even with 8.1” of ground clearance, they have 12.8” of rocker clearance. A 4runner has 16”. The Outback wilderness has 11”.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks for your thoughtful reply. I did watch Native Nomads vids. It seemed like the Sub. handled them ok albeit with a lot of pain. I'll keep researching the ones you mentioned and perhaps get a better sense for what a level 3 is really like.
im seriously considering getting a tacoma do you think ill be better off getting the prev gen with N/A v6?
The newer Gen is supppse to address alot of the complaints from the previous Gen (seating position, gear hunting). The only thing that most people are worried about is the 4 cylinder turbo. The turbo engine is a deal breaker for me, that’s why I said I’d consider the Nissan Frontier
@@JonDZ_Adventuring everything about the new gen is perfect but I'm kind of hesitant about the turbo as well my 4L v6 fj cruiser with 230hp is a mule
@@iyot1020 if you can, wait a little bit to see what other power train options they offer. I would be more comfortable with the V6 turbo like the Tundra and Lexus GX550 has. When turbo engines “boost” they burn ALOT of fuel. The 3.2L V6 will do most of the work. The turbo is there to supplement power/torque. In a wheezy 4 cyclinder, the engine does the least amount of work, so the turbo has to compensate, and that’s going to burn a tremendous amount of fuel.
I have the perfect example for you. We had 3 vehicles, my passport and 2 Jeep JLs. One had the pentastar V6 and the other a 2.0 Turbo. The V6 Jeep and I both got 18.5 mpg highway driving into a head wind through Arizona at 85mph. The 2.0 turbo Jeep got 11 mpg. With only a 21.5 gallon gas tank, 11 MPGs will seriously impact range. All our vehicles had roof mods.
If you *keep* the truck stock and nothing on the roof, you should be able to get the MPGs a turbo Tacoma is rated for. Throw on bigger tires (more traction) and a Roof top tent (increased wind drag) and it’s going to suck, literally 😖
My Europeyan perspective is that Americans want to drive places that should be hiked :)
My Forester did less miles off-road that I walked in the mountains. Still great vehicle and I would love to replace it one day with Delica D:5 - because AWD minivans are f awesome.
I have similar opinion to what you've mentioned.
Greetings from Tokyo, Jp.
Forester hybrid owner :)
Haha! That's a good observation!! I like driving through moderate 4wd trails. The difficult ones, I see hiking as a really good option, in alot of cases it's faster! In other cases, after rock crawling you can just continue on the adventure.
Great video very well done!!! 💪💪💪
what is that front emblem? does it affect the honda sensing?
@@CYNADF it’s a Mythosaur from Star Wars / Mandolorian. When I did the DIY vinyl wrap on the car, I thought it looked Boba Fett - ish. The emblem is a combination of a gold vinyl sticker and green and black vinyl wrap. I should have done this earlier to preserve the design from the elements, but now everything is locked in with Xpel paint protection film.
Jon you should do a hurricane Hilary adventure!!
I’ll be driving up to Las Vegas this afternoon. Not sure if I’ll see any significant flooding though
It's so complicated to choose a vehicle. You want as overbuilt and capable as possible to prevent issues on trail, but then fuel.... Or being tempted to do dumb stuff and show off. Which leads to dedicated off road toys that have to be trailers out. But then you're just in the desert, and not the pretty scenic areas
and I'll add that always having the right tool for the job is not always the most fun. And constantly trying to optimize everything isn't fun either.
It’s very complicated to choose a vehicle, and I think a first time buyer listening to professional car reviewers, especially the ones that are biased or only concentrate on the onroad aspect will steer people into the wrong direction. There simply isn’t something that is 10/10 onroad or 10/10 offroad. Something like a Rivian EV is basically a super car that can do 0-60 in 3 seconds and is capable of climbing up Hells Gate stock, but …. You know, it’s an EV and the infrastructure just isn’t quite there yet… which is a DEAL BREAKER. Then there’s a Jeep JL Rubicon Wrangler/Gladiator with the 3.6 pentastar. It’s 10/10 offroad capable, and actually handles pretty darn good onroad, but…. Even with a hard top it sounds like my Honda with the windows down on the highway. It’s also a bit narrow… I won’t even bring up reliability because the Pentastar and ZF8 transmission are reliable, but it’s just the other things that end up breaking. But, road noise and size would be a deal breaker for me. If the Jeeps just came in a solid serene cabin and just widened the cab by about 4 inches wouldn’t that be the ultimate vehicle? Imo, the new Toyotas would be perceived to be perfect, but…. They’re turbo charging everything….. I’ll *bet* $3000 that if they kept the same V6 and V8 power trains and paired them to the new Aisin 10 speed transmission…. There would be better MPGs. There’s just too many vehicles with “deal breakers”, especially in the midsized segment. It’s nice to see midsized 4WDs getting bigger though!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring 👍 and then the whole SUV vs pickup thing... I need to just get something, and get out there 💪 I did see a lot of Teslas out in Death Valley, now that's some crazy risk taking 💀
Very nice video Jon.
Thank you!
I have a 99 lx470, 2” list 33” tiers, winch bumper and winch, it’s my daily driver.. just one problem… MPG🤣🙄
I feel like anything gets stuck less than my Honda trail 125.
I had a Lexus gx 460. I definitely got stuck but only because I wanted to push it way beyond its limit. I liked getting myself unstuck with the Lexus but I hate it with my motorcycle now 😂
I disagree about gx460 over 470. 470 is better. I’ve had them both. All the upgraded parts from 460 can be put on 470
One thing people forget about is gas mileage. Something like the gx is going to suck in that regard. Gas mileage is so important for this kind of travel! It makes everything more affordable
Haha!!!!! ARASH!!! what's up buddy??? I can't argue with you about the 470 vs. 460 since I've never owned them. The 460 is so nice and refined though. Curious as to what makes the 470 better
@@JonDZ_Adventuring for starters, the front armrest is better on the 470. I nearly broke my elbow a bunch of times with the 460. That style is definitely a safety issue.
Parts on 470 are much cheaper for the same quality. Gas mileage is basically the same once you’re loaded at gvm. The rear of the gx470 is much easier & cheaper to build since the 3rd row isn’t integrated, & it has more vertical space.
The seats are easier to remove on 470 & the drivetrain is definitely more reliable too! the approach & departure angles are better on the 470. It’s much cheaper to buy & much cheaper to insure! 470 also has a tape player & 6 disc cd changed which the 460 doesn’t have.
I both hate and love cars/trucks/SUVs. I constantly want something new but I also want my currently 4runner to see 200-300K miles. I love my 4runner but am always tempted by new/different vehicles for various reasons. The cheapest car to own and run is the one you currently have especially if paid off. That is the main reason why I don't change vehicles often. That said getting a new vehicle sure is darn fun right?
To be honest, I just want to finish my build. I feel like I'm just about there. I've spent so much time with the Passport, getting it dialed in. I just want to enjoy it! The Passport is the 6th vehicle in a 6 year period, so I did go through alot of vehicles before I finally landed on a platform I felt was worth while building upon (I drove the FJ for a couple of years, but it was owned by my Brother, and I didn't even off-road the thing so not talking about that rig). 😀
What I also think is that people don’t understand is that there will never be a true “one size fits all” off-road vehicle. 4x4 trucks and 4x4 “trucks” can only go so far before all the mods will destroy any and all road capability. Get an atv or SxS if you’re serious about rock crawling or high speed trail riding.
I enjoy your channel. I ran a 2019 Passport for four years as my daily driver, on forest roads, and on moderately difficult trails. It was a spectacular vehicle overall. However, I sold it and got the Bronco Wildtrak that finally arrived after a 1000 day wait. The Bronco exceeds my expectations in all ways. I just returned from a month long trip to Nevada rock crawling and at high speed on desert roads. Performance was awesome and fuel economy was 20.5 mpg for the entirety of the 7500 mile trip. Should you decide to change platform, give Bronco a serious look.
Those are some good numbers! I’m sure the 2.7TT is pretty quick too. So I’ve replied to a few comments now. The wind noise from the Bronco, JL and JT would probably bug me. There’s always some kind of deal breaker for me, there’s just no PERFECT vehicle. What do you feel about the noise from the cabin? Is it something you get use to? Turn on the radio louder?
No shame in saying that CVT transmissions are garbage. I have a Ram 1500 that has been solid but I'm finding the size to be awkward on certain trails. I might consider a Frontier in the next year or so.
Pro-tip: stick to 33s on like a LC 100 and you will not have issues. . .
I've been torn between a Passport and a GX for my next vehicle
Think hard about it. I don't fan boy about my Honda and I want you to get into the vehicle that fits you best. If you want to go on moderate 4WD adventures, both will have to be modified. They both don't have the ground clearance. The GX has a much much higher off-road capability cap, the Honda Passport has a much much higher on-road handling advantage (they actually rally raced a stock honda passport and it podiumed a> few times in the ARA). Think long and hard about it. IN A 6 YEAR PERIOD I WENT FROM A Toyota Celica < FJ Cruiser < Nissan Juke < Subaru WRX < and finally to my Honda Passport. We all have different needs, and finding the vehicle that fits you best isn't easy. Good luck!
@JonDZ_Adventuring OH believe me, I've put a lot of thought into it. Currently driving a lifted Yaris, so anything will fit my life better than my current vehicle. Honestly don't care about "offroading" or "overlanding" at all.... Torn because I don't want to be limited by my vehicle, pushing me towards the GX, being the more capable offroader. However, I do road trip a lot, and 90% of what I do (hunting, fishing, backpacking, etc) the Passport would be a more comfortable fit, especially looking at fuel economy. But then again, some of where I go in my buddies truck in our hunting adventures the passport might not get me to. Coming from Toyota, reliability is an absolute must, again making it a tuff choice. Then there's space and creature comforts. Either way, I'm waiting for the used car market to hopefully come down some day before I make the leap
@JonDZ_Adventuring I will say, though, the PP probably wouldn't have ever been on my radar if it wasn't for me somehow stumbling across your channel. So thanks for that!
@calebsiemens5067 another thing about the Lexus GX460 is it has a 23 gallon gas tank vs. the Passports 19.5 gal. The Lexus GX in this video was getting 13.8 mpg highway and I was getting 18.7 mpg. Do the math and range is:
Lexus GX460 = 316.94
Honda Passport = 364.65
Hmmmmm, thought the math would be different. Well, anyways with a lighter loadout, and pizza cutter tires 255mm wide. A Lexus GX can get 17 mpg. Multiply by 23 and range is 391 gallons.
Another thing to point out is that I observe my vehicle to burn more fuel than a 4WD when I’m remote and driving on moderate 4WD trails. The passport has to work harder, which turns into more fuel being burned.
It sounds like you’re going to need that extra capability. The 329 lb-ft torque from the V8 is awesome to have for getting over moderate rock gardens.
I like your channel because you are overlanding. I do not consider overlanding hard core off roading. You need 4 wheel drive to travel on these routes but not specialized hard core off road upgrades. If I won't be able to navigate the trail with a stock vehicle, it is not for me.
Thanks Daniel! I agree!
Why does everyone forget about the gladiator being NA?
I don't think anyone has forgotten. If you read some of my other comments, I think the JL/JT is an excellent platform, but to me, the wind noise and the narrow cabin doesn't make it a good fit for me. I think a variant with an fully enclosed cabin and 4 inches more cabin width would make the vehicle perfect. It's already fuel efficient (20-23 mpg highway), handles good onroad. I bet there's alot of people out there that would trade in the hard top for a serene cabin. Us bigger guys could use some hip room too.
I've been a low range snob for a long time, but that's probably because I have never used modern vehicles with better transmissions, brakes, etc. 😅
While I respect your opinion, I don't agree with your initial thoughts that you will get a real 4wd and you are going to break stuff. There is plenty of trail information out there, if you do your homework you will know what you are getting into. There are places were having a 4lo is a great help. We are not talking about rock crawling that a whole different thing, and it think you are mixing concepts here. Rock Crawling is not the same as camping or "overlanding", Another thing, you don't buy a 4x4 and modify it thinking about fuel economy, or 0 to 60 times. Every modification will negatively impact those figures, as you add more weight.
In this video I explain why I don’t see a need to move to a 4WD since I’m not rock crawling and don’t want to rock crawl. Edit: I have too many friends that start breaking things the next level up, and I’m just not interested in that.
I’m waiting for the Ford Ranger Raptor if I go for a true 4x4.
What about the tremor? I don't know what the difference would be honestly since I havnt researched it haha.
@@durtyflyadventures I tell you I like the Tremor trim of the outgoing Ranger but the dashboard is what I can’t stand. The new Ranger and the Raptor trim should really be more of a turn key ready to go anywhere model?
I just realized you don't have any other vehicle besides Ford and Land Rovers, haha!
Honestly, I'd love to see it on Black Bear pass. But if you don't feel good about it, don't go, don't feel pressured by my stupid comment. Anyways, SO CLOSE TO 20K!!!!!
Haha!! I'm actually going back to Colorado next week. I have some friends that were planning on doing black bear, and they may have been able to talk me into it, but I hear there was a recent crash and the trail is closed. To be honest, I really don't want to attempt it with a 180 lb. roof top tent on top of my Honda, haha!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring a crash recently?!?! All I heard was that the snow is still melting.
@@FullsendOffroad Ooop! I stand corrected. I read this article about a red 4runner from texas getting stuck. The article started mentioned a bunch of crashes.
www.denver7.com/news/local-news/in-online-post-colorado-sheriff-warns-complete-ass-clowns-to-not-drive-up-black-bear-pass
@@FullsendOffroad there’s a sticker that says “Texas Overland” and “Downhill Dragon Tuning”. Geez! Talk about getting out on Blast! 🤣 the sheriff called them “complete ass clowns”.
Another story I’m hearing is that these drivers checked with the Locals and they were given the green light.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring yeah I'm really not sure. I was even supposed to take Imogene pass in my Land Cruiser but it closed the day I was going, so i took a part of the alpine loop like Engineer Pass. Sadly though, because of time, I couldn't get to Lake City, or do Cinammon pass.
Hard 4x4 (rock crawling) is an expensive hobby. I don't have any interest in that mostly because I'm cheap. If I had the money I would definitely get a beat up LC and put 37's on and go to places where I should be hiking.
Sound logic! That come along looks questionable to me.
Haha! Harbor freight special!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring what's it rated for? Lol
@@no-lodesigns 8000 lbs.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring that should be enough to help!
@@no-lodesigns I would think so!
I miss the adventure videos
I do too buddy. I'm sorry, I have alot going on right now. Between all the Expos, My Brother's Bachelor Party, another Colorado trip and my wedding anniversary, and doing this all while working a full time job, I'm absolutely swamped right now. I'll try to get one pumped out, I just don't have much free time.