It's a shame Honda hasn't hired you to make commercials for the Passport. It's also a shame Honda doesn't offer lifted versions of Passport at the dealership.
Mark Keller It would be awesome if Honda offered a lifted version. Maybe even a 2 speed transfer case and lockers like they have in the Jeep Grand Cherokee trailhawk.
Cfox2000 yes, I saw that! Some dealers offer Truxx kits too. It’s nice the dealers are giving these bigger Hondas the right amount of ground clearance to take advantage of the AWD system.
Vincent Windels, Thanks! I wouldn’t have done this trail if I didn’t trust the dude in the Landcruiser 100. I think at this point he knows my vehicles capabilities better than I do. Yeah, guess I’ll be trying Gold mine hill in big bear /gulp 😱. It’s a legit black diamond trail, but there are some less severe lines he thinks I might be able to drive up. These guys have been doing a good job of detailing trails. czcams.com/video/HdmgPfXRKgM/video.html
Really good video, keep it up. I will say I wasn't surprised with the performance of the GX470. It is basically a Land Cruiser Prado 120 series with a center diff locker and ATRAC.
Thanks for the kind words @Tito! It makes my day when you leave a comment. Next episode will be in the Monache Meadows. Water crossings and a sorts of different vehicles. Subaru's, the new Rav4, and old Cherokee XJ, Toyota Tacoma Prerunner, Jeep Gladiator and of course, my Passport! I really appreciate your comments!
softroadingthewest thanks Donald!!! Yes, I need to have that conversation with the wifey! But I’m hopeful to be able to join! I’m really looking forward to it! This will be my first time overlanding in Oregon!
your Boi in the Lexus needs to chill out on that gas pedal and let the A trac system do its job, he's got to stop driven like he's in a Forester still, LOL
Bob Church LOL!!!! I 100% agree 🤣🤣. I can’t blame him though. If you have ever driven a 2.0 turbo Subaru with a CVT, you’d understand, talk about a crazy rubber band effect. It’s like you have a pillow full of down feathers between your foot and the gas pedal. Even compared to the Passport, the gas pedal on the GX is soooo pokey.
He will learn. I found that in our GX 470 that you really just have to give it a little bit of throttle and let ATRAC figure it out and it does every time. it’s a great system. Our 2019 pilot is the street queen and excels in snow and ice. The 470 is the trail “ beater”
Craig Baillar this was really his first time on a trail with the GX. This was just before the covid lockdown and now that it’s been around 3 months he’s been out hitting the trails and overlanding (legally), I’m sure he’s doing a lot better.
Great video Collaboration. The GX is a bonifide Land Crusier Prado ceritified by Toyota. Impressive to see the Honda last that long, however at that price point...why not just get a capable 4Runner? That older Land Cruiser is a world renound offroader.
Greg Lane thanks! GX’s are becoming soooooo popular, and for good reason! America has figured it out! It’s a Prado! Good question about the Honda. I don’t make video’s about it, but the Passport is such an awesome daily driver! It does well at wearing different hats. Btw, I use to drive a 2008 TRD FJ cruiser. Then I moved onto Subaru’s and fell in love with how they drove. The Daily driver aspect is really important to me. Also, a Passport Sport AWD goes for $33k, my Passport went for $38k.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring question about the FJ and the Passport. Can the passport do sand running like the FJ can? Would like an FJ, but if i were to buy new it would be the passport, plus as youve said, its a good daily.
JikaInFamous I actually never off-roaded the FJ. My Brother purchased it and then traded it with me because he needed a more fuel efficient vehicle. I needed a vehicle to drive up to the ski resorts (Big Bear, CA is a super sketchy road when it snows). He took my 2003 Toyota Celica 🤣. We just mall crawled the thing, but man... I did not like it one bit as a Daily driver. It had a factory roof rail, so I was getting like 13 mpg highway. SO, TO Answer your question. Can a Passport desert run like an FJ? No, I don’t think it can. It makes a great rally racer. Honda entered the passport in some rally circuits, but it would bottom out trying to desert run. Is that what you meant by sand?
Pitties and a STI were talking about apples and oranges. You’ll see in Part 2 of this video where we see the 4runner > Grand Cherokee WK1 > Passport > Outback climb up a rutted hill and how much difference everything makes. The GX is great vehicle! I’d go with the GX460 for the extra gear and upgrades components and the million mile engine.
The capabilities are endless I drive a 2003 Chevy Astro all wheel drive with 225 75 16 Advanta ATX 750 all terrains a 2in torsion bar lift and a G80 rear Locker
YOOOO! You guys are super cool! I got some good footage of some of you going up that rutted area. We're wondering, is that Charcoal 4runner SR5 stock? He got up super easy! Did he have an aftermarket locker? That was pretty Amazing! John did great too! After reviewing the video footage it looks like the Blue TRD pro Tacoma didn't have the rear locker engageed at first.
Been seeing a lot of GX470s on the trails lately. Got a buddy of mine who’s getting into it too (dudes filthy rich) and the only extra vehicle he had was his GX470 lol
Daniel Lin a lot of Subaru guys and gals like the GX because of its full time 4wd system (since Subaru’s are full time AWD). There’s no having to choose between 2H and 4H. It’s a good ride! My buddy that had a Forester was thinking about a Jeep JK, but I recommended either a new Jeep JL or a Lexus GX460. He chose the 460 and it super happy with it. Good MPG’s on the highway because of the 6speed auto.
JonDZ Adventuring interesting. I’m always worried to take something precious like that off-roading but if it handles well than what’s the worry right? 👌
Dimitris Tsagdis that’s a good question! They are completely totally different vehicles. However, *play* into the strengths! A RX450H can get around 32 mpg highway making for one hell of a long distance adventure mobil!
I had driven from Canada to California in Mar 2019 for a wedding in a 2014 Pilot Touring. Hope to go there again :-) And Jon, I really like your narration of the expeditions you take.
For a while I have been on the fence between the Honda Ridgeline vs Toyota Tacoma; and the Honda Passport/Pilot vs Toyota 4Runner/Highlander. Subaru Foresters and Ascents are a hard no go for their CVT’s. Nissan’s Frontier is too old, and the Pathfinder hasn’t been top of the pack for years. For comfortably seating 8 people with spacious 3rd rows and visiting the grandparents I guess the Pilot is the obvious choice (Highlander/4Runner’s 3rd row were way too cramped). The lack of a modern 6 speed auto transmission on the 4runner because it still uses the outdated 5 speed is also disappointing. But watching Edmund’s 2017 Ridgeline videos in Death Valley the Honda also easily beat the Tacoma and Nissan Titan in their torture tests. So the question quickly became: comfortable MPG and AWD with the family SUV in the Honda Pilot paired + the off-road fun capable rugged Tacoma; or awesome looking off road machine Toyota 4Runner 4WD with worse MPG in the family SUV paired + the soft-road reliable/durable Ridgeline with better MPG, i-VTM4 AWD and superior interior/truck bed?
Dreamy I would really throw in the Lexus 460 in the mix. In the US market, it’s the only toyota on the J150 platform with a 6 speed transmission (the 5th gen 4runner still uses a 5 speed). My friend bought a 2016 GX460 and gets nearly as good hwy MPG’s as me. We were driving 90 mph through Utah (the speed limit is posted as 80 mph there, and everyone drives 90). I was getting 18.8 mpg and he was getting 17 mpg. I’d think a 4 runner would be at 13-14 mpg. He has a 24 gallon gas tank, so his range was much better than mine. Also, I think the GX has a taller roof and will make the 3rd row seat really comfy! Now, some other things to know about the GX is that it is a V8, so city miles probably won’t be the best. It’s body one frame and on an old platform, it won’t be as sporty. It as requires 91 octane fuel (although I hear you can still run it on 87).
@@JonDZ_Adventuring here in Europe (Bulgaria in my case) these Prados (J150 here called just Land Cruiser) a very polular. Mostly 3.0 diesel and 190 hp. High trim levels have central and rear diff locks. These absolutely can go everywhere. I think I've seen some with 4.0 liter petrol engine also. Never the less this is very capable platform! And BTW again great video, thanks!
JonDZ Adventuring I thought about that as well but would like to point out the repair cost and maintenance cost of Lexus, Toyota still is slightly more than Honda- Honda has been going up over the years... due to reliability, but parts are still cheaper and can be easily sourced- oh and on a side note to help yea out I work at Honda, not to bias, but parts can be negotiated- most dealers have over 100% markup on them...
Honda beat a Tacoma in a torture test? Gotta see that, I'll check it out. Newer Toyota's must be getting soft if that's the case, because I'd put my '99 Land Cruiser up against a '17 Ridgeline any day.
Thanks! In the not so distant future i'll be doing a video on the sister trail "Cold Water Canyon". The Passport really gets pushed to it's limits. About the ads, CZcams went back and put ads in all past video's for everyone. I notice that the first video's of the day on youtube will have lots and lots of ads and subsequent video's will have less. I don't' know if other people intentionally put more ads. I've always used the default settings, and before the change I didn't even have ads in the middle of my video's (that was the default), just in the beginning and at the end. Thanks for watching! I know the ads are annoying, but I noticed that youtube is now doing two 5 second ads instead of those 15 second non skipable ads. Cheers man! I'm working on my next video right now, another lake up hwy 395.
Hi Jon! Another great video! Love watching the Passport concur the trails so well! Question for you; Does Honda or any of the after market companies ever contact you or work with you since you are the Gen-2 Honda Passport off road king? (I asked this before watching the entire video.... sounds like they do?) Like I said before, you were one of the main reasons why I bought mine! You showed how capable it is in real life! I think they should work with you! Hopefully there will be more and more accessories for our 2019+ Passports in the coming months! I'm hoping for more suspension goodies to help articulation more... by the way, your Passport really was articulating well with the rear sway bar disconnected. It looked great in many of the shots!
Ram14250 thank you so much for your continued support, it’s means a lot to me. You’re the reason I make video’s. So, to answer your question, I have never had a sponsorship or paid partnership with any company, and I wouldn’t work with a company unless I believed in their product. I’d want to have freedom to be honest about the review. I did have a company contact when I first purchased my Honda Passport. But because they only offered a 1.5 inch lift kit, I had to decline their offer. There’s two companies that offer Honda products that I respect very much, that’s Traxda and Nolo designs. They make real functional products!!! They both charge very fair prices. Traxda has been doing so much R&D and one day I will get their 3.5 inch lift kit installed. I believe they were working on high clearance rear lower control arms, I need to follow up on them.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring High clearance Lower control arms would be great!! The Passport package is great... with a few upgrades, it can be a very awesome (more so than it is) off road vehicle! Do you think Honda will ever offer a real "off road" package ever? they seem timid to do so. If they ever did, I think it would be a real game-changer! It would really get more people to notice them and Passport. Again, thank you for doing what you do! I enjoy the west as I'm a mid-westerner... Cali, Utah, Nev, Arizona etc all incredibly beautiful places! Keep doing what you do!
Ram14250 while the Passport is pretty Capable, it still won’t be on the level of a dedicated off-roader. I don’t think they’re interested in competing on the true off-road segment, but in my honest unbiased opinion, and speaking from experience. They should embrace that they have one of the most capable AWD systems. I’d like to see Honda make the next gen Passport more off-road capable (along the lines of a Land Rover defender and offered for less) and I’d like them to bring back the Honda Element and throw iVTM4 in it.
D. Alex Oprea UH OH! That could be a good or bad thing! Haha! It’s pretty interesting to see how new dedicated off-roaders are designed, like the new Land Rover defender for example. It has full independent suspension and from the video’s I’ve seen so far, the articulation isn’t solid rear axle like. It’s meant to be a tourer (overlander). I kinda feel like the Passport is a tourer as well, just on a much lesser scale. Modified, I think it gets closer. The rumor is that the Landcruiser 300 will go the same route, but we shall see! Full independent suspensions like in the Nissan Patrols is pretty impressive. It’s nice to see dedicated off-roader vehicles seeking to be more onroad compliant!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring In order to make the new vehicles more compliant with fuel economy and more pleasant to drive on road, they will all move to an independent suspension setup. Very few people actually take their vehicles off road, so that population is ignored. You get the looks of an off roader with mild capabilities which is in line with how people use them. By design independent suspension cannot have great articulation, so there are limitations. If you need to raise the vehicle it is a lot more challenging to do so and it requires a lot of suspension components to be modified. Up to 2" it's fine, beyond that it becomes a nightmare. If you want to fit 35", 37" or dare I say 40" tires, you are simply out of luck. There will always be a compromise everywhere. The consumers demand comfort, economy, connectivity, speed, instead of great ground clearance, good approach/departure/breakover angle, superior articulation, low gearing and low weight. Maybe you noticed that new SUV don't come with a transfer case anymore. Since people don't use that feature, cost savings comes as a priority. You get a low enough first gear and that should satisfy 99.999999% of the consumers.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring At least in my area, it's possible everywhere, I see a lot of Wrngler Rubicons with 4-6" of lift, steel bumpers, winches, Hi-Lifts, LED bars and... 22" shiny rims. You know very well they don't ever go off road. They love the looks. Posers, whatever. So, why make solid axles anymore, right? The Wrangler is capable, no doubt, but look who buys them and for what purpose.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I recognize that front bumper and gas can mount. Think we passed each other on the 27th, but I could be wrong since I've been up there a few times in the last couple weeks.
@@daklakfoto Awesome!! Thank you for clearing that up for me, as I too, am a GX owner. Also still on stock bags(But have beefier tires-265/70s on stock wheels)
Great videos man! Skidplate needs to come with brackets with tabs that have captured nuts. Buttonhead grade 6 or 8 cad plated bolts should thread in from the bottom. If using regular bolts, a ring should be welded onto the skidplate to protect the bolthead. Nuts and threaded u-bolt exposed is not good for skidplates. They are hang up points and if hit, they will bend and distort threads, making it very difficult to remove. Skidplate without proper hardware and mounting solution is not doing the builder any favors.
AM M you’re really putting me on the spot here. iVTM4 is basically 2016+ Acura SH-AWD, it’s not the same system in a Honda CRV or HRV. the reason I purchased the passport is because it’s one of the most advanced off-road oriented AWD systems. I’m not comparing this to a true 4wd system like in a Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Land Rover Defender or a Mercedes G wagon. I found out about this by watching TFL, drivingsportsTV. They were a good resource in showing how capable iVTM4 was. The system was just passing their tests too easily and I was in disbelief (you know, especially because I still owned my Subaru FXT and I was team Subaru at the time). iVTM4 is special because 1.) it’s a full time awd system 2.) it has traction control. But what makes it different than a Subaru is that 3.) it has a rear twin clutch differential. It’s basically a programmable electronically mechanical limited slip differential with yaw control. Sand mode simulated a rear locker (unlocking when 1 wheel needs 71+% torque. It’s not only the AWD system that gets the nod. The drivetrain has a 20.4 crawl ratio, which is the same as a Jeep renegade trailhawk.
Hey bud! What part of the sway bar end link did you disconnect? The top at the strut? Bottom at the sway bar? Or both and just hold on to em til after?
Great content Jon! Between your channel and Pilot Overland got me starting a project with my 04" Pilot, in stock form has been surprisingly capable on some mild off road trails so far. Have you had any issues with the stock dampeners on your journeys?
Adventurer Lam thanks! So, as far as shocks and struts I have not had issues. I have even driven through the “Race Track Playa” which is 26 miles of brutal wash board road, both ways in a matter of 2-1/2 hours. It looks like Honda has improved the dampening. Here’s a video by Edmunds that goes over this: czcams.com/video/dqfMx4cvzic/video.html
Jon, thanks for the link, this was helpful. Im doing a 2" lift, 31" tires, custom cv axles and now doing research to see if I should swap out my dampeners to something more durable but looks like oem will do just fine. I'll put up videos as I start working on it.
Dacia Project this Honda is only sold in North America. Has a V6, 20.4:1 crawl ratio, weighs 4200 lbs. has traction control and a twin clutch rear differential (basically a programmable mechanical LSD). It’s also rated for 24 mpg highway, but realistically an AWD model will get 27mpg at 70mph. It’s designed to run on a 265mm wide tire and it’s a large vehicle, so I had a hunch modifications would not affect MPG’s that much. Modified, I get 23-24 mpg highway at 70mph. This vehicle is also my daily driver, so I wanted a vehicle with good performance. It’s tested to do 0-60 between 5.8 and 6.3 seconds and has a lateral skid pad of 0.78g. I have a video that explains all this, I think you may have commented on it already.
Sean Miranda, I have 4 years/48k mikes of free Honda care, So as far as changing fluids, I’ll just let Honda do that for now. Chopping up wheel wells and getting my skid plate to fit, well... that’s all me 🤣
@Marcus Brown I had a 2” front / 2.5” rear on the Subaru. The kit itself was $650 or so, then it was $400 for installation. The reason the Subaru kit is a bit pricey is because there’s a lot of hardware. The modern Subarus have a rear multilink suspension, and there’s a lot of subframe hardware.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Thats still good either way. Im thinking if i get a forester soon I will look to add the kit, would be awesome for living here in the pacific northwest; but wont be doin as much as I see you all doing in your videos lol haha.
I monitor my transmission temperatures with a scan gauge II. I recently hit the warmest my transmission has ever gotten which was a whopping 217 Fahrenheit. This was while driving up a paved mountain pass 4000 feet in 15 miles. The Honda Passport actually doesn’t need a transmission cooler at all. Not even close. Not unless you’re towing. Towards the end of the video there’s a heat warning on the “rear differential”.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Got it. We go there often, we were just there about 2 months ago I was just looking for recent feedback. Thanks good video. Advice get rid of all your plastic trims and get rock sliders saves your body.
CLEVERTRAILS thanks! I’m heading up this weekend. Rock sliders are on the to do list. I’m looking at ones made for the Cherokee XJ and have them custom mounted.
Mike's Channel this is partly 3N06B in Lytle creek California, however it’s unmarked. We did 3N06A over the weekend and camped up top. That was a beautiful campsite. Here’s a Instagram video clip: instagram.com/p/CBZUcAVgoOc/?igshid=13gdyygesedz3
Mike's Channel we did 3N06A last weekend. That was on a whole other level. There were super large ruts that anything without a rear locker would struggle. I opted to get towed up on two of the obstacles. I just had new tires mounted, and I was told to not air down for maximum ground clearance. Check out this video clip: instagram.com/p/CBa3Nt7psLh/?igshid=o5zgpetdmxv4
landcruiser 100 and landcruiser 120 (gx 470) did not come with rear locker in usa. you said the lc100 has it ("factory rear locker") in this video. you are wrong. 9:09
Johnny B whoa whoa, hold on Tiger! NO YOU’RE WRONG! Hehe! Yeah, 1999 is super rare. www.mminvestmentcars.com/vehicle-details/1999-toyota-land-cruiser-4wd-100-series-rare-rr-dif-lock-brand-new-ome-lift-suv-bee40b9b67c894439934ad084af8b233
Johnny B also.... I never said that the GX has a rear locker. But in previous comments I referred to it as the J150. I got that info from Wikipedia. It says 2009+ GXs are J150.
You’re welcome! I keep it real so I can help people decide what they actually need. Also, first few sentences of the video description explains that. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
There’s some compelling choices on the way. Bronco, 2022 4runner. Honestly, I was going to go for a Tacoma, but I went to the dealership and realized I couldn’t really fit in one properly. I wanted an SUV anyways, I like being able to just crawl to the back and sleep. Maybe next vehicle will be a 3/4 ton truck with a slide in pop up camper 😃.
It's a shame Honda hasn't hired you to make commercials for the Passport. It's also a shame Honda doesn't offer lifted versions of Passport at the dealership.
Mark Keller It would be awesome if Honda offered a lifted version. Maybe even a 2 speed transfer case and lockers like they have in the Jeep Grand Cherokee trailhawk.
JonDZ Adventuring A lot of dealers do offer JSport As a dealer option, we are an authorized dealer!
Cfox2000 yes, I saw that! Some dealers offer Truxx kits too. It’s nice the dealers are giving these bigger Hondas the right amount of ground clearance to take advantage of the AWD system.
You did a great job driving your Honda Passport on this difficult trail. I really like your comparison videos too, very interesting.
Vincent Windels, Thanks! I wouldn’t have done this trail if I didn’t trust the dude in the Landcruiser 100.
I think at this point he knows my vehicles capabilities better than I do. Yeah, guess I’ll be trying Gold mine hill in big bear /gulp 😱. It’s a legit black diamond trail, but there are some less severe lines he thinks I might be able to drive up. These guys have been doing a good job of detailing trails.
czcams.com/video/HdmgPfXRKgM/video.html
Land Cruiser was pretty impressive for a 21 year old truck on street tires.
The Passport made it to places the Navajo didn't dare! We gotta show you the best site in the area.
Looking forward to it Alan!
Really good video, keep it up. I will say I wasn't surprised with the performance of the GX470. It is basically a Land Cruiser Prado 120 series with a center diff locker and ATRAC.
Thanks! The GX470 owner has modified it even more to be a beautiful machine!
Amazing Video , finally you showed all the vehicles go through the same obstacles and compared them .👍👍👍👍👍
Bro, can i say im so happy to see your videos, and it makes feel warm and fuzzy, watching you live your life to the fullest.
Thanks for the kind words @Tito! It makes my day when you leave a comment. Next episode will be in the Monache Meadows. Water crossings and a sorts of different vehicles. Subaru's, the new Rav4, and old Cherokee XJ, Toyota Tacoma Prerunner, Jeep Gladiator and of course, my Passport! I really appreciate your comments!
I'm looking forward to see what Honda actually does with the Trailsport option in the future.
Wow, that was quite a trail! Awesome video as always Jon! See you next week??
softroadingthewest thanks Donald!!! Yes, I need to have that conversation with the wifey! But I’m hopeful to be able to join! I’m really looking forward to it! This will be my first time overlanding in Oregon!
Wow, for once an off road video where people don't just drive up a gravel road!
Great content as always! Thank you for inspiring me to fix up my Ridgeline!
Honda VTM4 and iVTM4 is so underrated 😃. Do you have an Instagram? I’d love to follow your build and progression.
Nice to see good people doing the things! Great video! Thanks! Take care.
Thanks Jamel Hamdan!
your Boi in the Lexus needs to chill out on that gas pedal and let the A trac system do its job, he's got to stop driven like he's in a Forester still, LOL
Bob Church LOL!!!! I 100% agree 🤣🤣. I can’t blame him though. If you have ever driven a 2.0 turbo Subaru with a CVT, you’d understand, talk about a crazy rubber band effect. It’s like you have a pillow full of down feathers between your foot and the gas pedal. Even compared to the Passport, the gas pedal on the GX is soooo pokey.
He will learn. I found that in our GX 470 that you really just have to give it a little bit of throttle and let ATRAC figure it out and it does every time. it’s a great system. Our 2019 pilot is the street queen and excels in snow and ice. The 470 is the trail “ beater”
Craig Baillar this was really his first time on a trail with the GX. This was just before the covid lockdown and now that it’s been around 3 months he’s been out hitting the trails and overlanding (legally), I’m sure he’s doing a lot better.
Great video. I really love how you intelligently push the limits of the Passport. Legit!
Great video Collaboration. The GX is a bonifide Land Crusier Prado ceritified by Toyota. Impressive to see the Honda last that long, however at that price point...why not just get a capable 4Runner? That older Land Cruiser is a world renound offroader.
Greg Lane thanks! GX’s are becoming soooooo popular, and for good reason! America has figured it out! It’s a Prado!
Good question about the Honda. I don’t make video’s about it, but the Passport is such an awesome daily driver! It does well at wearing different hats. Btw, I use to drive a 2008 TRD FJ cruiser. Then I moved onto Subaru’s and fell in love with how they drove. The Daily driver aspect is really important to me. Also, a Passport Sport AWD goes for $33k, my Passport went for $38k.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring question about the FJ and the Passport. Can the passport do sand running like the FJ can? Would like an FJ, but if i were to buy new it would be the passport, plus as youve said, its a good daily.
JikaInFamous I actually never off-roaded the FJ. My Brother purchased it and then traded it with me because he needed a more fuel efficient vehicle. I needed a vehicle to drive up to the ski resorts (Big Bear, CA is a super sketchy road when it snows). He took my 2003 Toyota Celica 🤣. We just mall crawled the thing, but man... I did not like it one bit as a Daily driver. It had a factory roof rail, so I was getting like 13 mpg highway. SO, TO Answer your question. Can a Passport desert run like an FJ? No, I don’t think it can. It makes a great rally racer. Honda entered the passport in some rally circuits, but it would bottom out trying to desert run. Is that what you meant by sand?
Great video. I enjoy wheeling in this area. Thanks got sharing.
Lexus GX Life thanks 🙏 looks like you have videos too, you got a sub from me! Have fun on your adventures!
Pretty cool to see these crazy roads get traveled.
I wanted a Subaru Outback for doing what you do and overlanding until I discovered the GX 470. It’s way more capable than any of the newer Subaru’s.
Pitties and a STI were talking about apples and oranges. You’ll see in Part 2 of this video where we see the 4runner > Grand Cherokee WK1 > Passport > Outback climb up a rutted hill and how much difference everything makes. The GX is great vehicle! I’d go with the GX460 for the extra gear and upgrades components and the million mile engine.
The capabilities are endless I drive a 2003 Chevy Astro all wheel drive with 225 75 16 Advanta ATX 750 all terrains a 2in torsion bar lift and a G80 rear Locker
THE WOFFORDS nice! Sounds like an awesome adventure mobile! Vans have so much space!
I was just wondering the other day when you were coming out with a new video. Thanks for posting.
Spaceentity thanks for the support and leaving a comment!! 😃
Heeey yooooo. Saw you at Lytle Creek today. 3N06A. We were the Filipinos with the Toyotas and one Jeep. :)
YOOOO! You guys are super cool! I got some good footage of some of you going up that rutted area. We're wondering, is that Charcoal 4runner SR5 stock? He got up super easy! Did he have an aftermarket locker? That was pretty Amazing! John did great too! After reviewing the video footage it looks like the Blue TRD pro Tacoma didn't have the rear locker engageed at first.
Nice fun video. The GX could have put in 2nd start to prevent 1st gear jerking.
Sonny C thanks for the comment! I’ve forwarded the info to the driver of the GX.
JonDZ Adventuring hope he’s also in GXOR group on Facebook.
Been seeing a lot of GX470s on the trails lately. Got a buddy of mine who’s getting into it too (dudes filthy rich) and the only extra vehicle he had was his GX470 lol
Daniel Lin a lot of Subaru guys and gals like the GX because of its full time 4wd system (since Subaru’s are full time AWD). There’s no having to choose between 2H and 4H. It’s a good ride! My buddy that had a Forester was thinking about a Jeep JK, but I recommended either a new Jeep JL or a Lexus GX460. He chose the 460 and it super happy with it. Good MPG’s on the highway because of the 6speed auto.
JonDZ Adventuring interesting. I’m always worried to take something precious like that off-roading but if it handles well than what’s the worry right? 👌
Daniel Lin it’s basically a posh Land Cruiser Prado. Nothing to worry about 😉
Is the Lexus rx450h equally capable off road to the gx470 or can it be made to be with some reasonably modest mods.
Dimitris Tsagdis that’s a good question! They are completely totally different vehicles. However, *play* into the strengths! A RX450H can get around 32 mpg highway making for one hell of a long distance adventure mobil!
I had driven from Canada to California in Mar 2019 for a wedding in a 2014 Pilot Touring. Hope to go there again :-) And Jon, I really like your narration of the expeditions you take.
Love the skid plate tips! 🤙🤙
For a while I have been on the fence between the Honda Ridgeline vs Toyota Tacoma; and the Honda Passport/Pilot vs Toyota 4Runner/Highlander. Subaru Foresters and Ascents are a hard no go for their CVT’s. Nissan’s Frontier is too old, and the Pathfinder hasn’t been top of the pack for years.
For comfortably seating 8 people with spacious 3rd rows and visiting the grandparents I guess the Pilot is the obvious choice (Highlander/4Runner’s 3rd row were way too cramped). The lack of a modern 6 speed auto transmission on the 4runner because it still uses the outdated 5 speed is also disappointing. But watching Edmund’s 2017 Ridgeline videos in Death Valley the Honda also easily beat the Tacoma and Nissan Titan in their torture tests.
So the question quickly became: comfortable MPG and AWD with the family SUV in the Honda Pilot paired + the off-road fun capable rugged Tacoma; or awesome looking off road machine Toyota 4Runner 4WD with worse MPG in the family SUV paired + the soft-road reliable/durable Ridgeline with better MPG, i-VTM4 AWD and superior interior/truck bed?
Dreamy I would really throw in the Lexus 460 in the mix. In the US market, it’s the only toyota on the J150 platform with a 6 speed transmission (the 5th gen 4runner still uses a 5 speed). My friend bought a 2016 GX460 and gets nearly as good hwy MPG’s as me. We were driving 90 mph through Utah (the speed limit is posted as 80 mph there, and everyone drives 90). I was getting 18.8 mpg and he was getting 17 mpg. I’d think a 4 runner would be at 13-14 mpg. He has a 24 gallon gas tank, so his range was much better than mine. Also, I think the GX has a taller roof and will make the 3rd row seat really comfy! Now, some other things to know about the GX is that it is a V8, so city miles probably won’t be the best. It’s body one frame and on an old platform, it won’t be as sporty. It as requires 91 octane fuel (although I hear you can still run it on 87).
@@JonDZ_Adventuring here in Europe (Bulgaria in my case) these Prados (J150 here called just Land Cruiser) a very polular. Mostly 3.0 diesel and 190 hp. High trim levels have central and rear diff locks. These absolutely can go everywhere. I think I've seen some with 4.0 liter petrol engine also. Never the less this is very capable platform!
And BTW again great video, thanks!
Kalin Belchev thanks for sharing! I wish we had diesel Toyota’s here 🥺.
JonDZ Adventuring I thought about that as well but would like to point out the repair cost and maintenance cost of Lexus, Toyota still is slightly more than Honda- Honda has been going up over the years... due to reliability, but parts are still cheaper and can be easily sourced- oh and on a side note to help yea out I work at Honda, not to bias, but parts can be negotiated- most dealers have over 100% markup on them...
Honda beat a Tacoma in a torture test? Gotta see that, I'll check it out. Newer Toyota's must be getting soft if that's the case, because I'd put my '99 Land Cruiser up against a '17 Ridgeline any day.
Great video. Also thanks for not going nuts on the ads on your video's. I know its revenue but some people are going to far.
Thanks! In the not so distant future i'll be doing a video on the sister trail "Cold Water Canyon". The Passport really gets pushed to it's limits. About the ads, CZcams went back and put ads in all past video's for everyone. I notice that the first video's of the day on youtube will have lots and lots of ads and subsequent video's will have less. I don't' know if other people intentionally put more ads. I've always used the default settings, and before the change I didn't even have ads in the middle of my video's (that was the default), just in the beginning and at the end. Thanks for watching! I know the ads are annoying, but I noticed that youtube is now doing two 5 second ads instead of those 15 second non skipable ads. Cheers man! I'm working on my next video right now, another lake up hwy 395.
Hi Jon! Another great video! Love watching the Passport concur the trails so well! Question for you; Does Honda or any of the after market companies ever contact you or work with you since you are the Gen-2 Honda Passport off road king? (I asked this before watching the entire video.... sounds like they do?) Like I said before, you were one of the main reasons why I bought mine! You showed how capable it is in real life! I think they should work with you! Hopefully there will be more and more accessories for our 2019+ Passports in the coming months! I'm hoping for more suspension goodies to help articulation more... by the way, your Passport really was articulating well with the rear sway bar disconnected. It looked great in many of the shots!
Ram14250 thank you so much for your continued support, it’s means a lot to me. You’re the reason I make video’s. So, to answer your question, I have never had a sponsorship or paid partnership with any company, and I wouldn’t work with a company unless I believed in their product. I’d want to have freedom to be honest about the review. I did have a company contact when I first purchased my Honda Passport. But because they only offered a 1.5 inch lift kit, I had to decline their offer. There’s two companies that offer Honda products that I respect very much, that’s Traxda and Nolo designs. They make real functional products!!! They both charge very fair prices. Traxda has been doing so much R&D and one day I will get their 3.5 inch lift kit installed. I believe they were working on high clearance rear lower control arms, I need to follow up on them.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring High clearance Lower control arms would be great!! The Passport package is great... with a few upgrades, it can be a very awesome (more so than it is) off road vehicle! Do you think Honda will ever offer a real "off road" package ever? they seem timid to do so. If they ever did, I think it would be a real game-changer! It would really get more people to notice them and Passport. Again, thank you for doing what you do! I enjoy the west as I'm a mid-westerner... Cali, Utah, Nev, Arizona etc all incredibly beautiful places! Keep doing what you do!
Ram14250 while the Passport is pretty Capable, it still won’t be on the level of a dedicated off-roader. I don’t think they’re interested in competing on the true off-road segment, but in my honest unbiased opinion, and speaking from experience. They should embrace that they have one of the most capable AWD systems. I’d like to see Honda make the next gen Passport more off-road capable (along the lines of a Land Rover defender and offered for less) and I’d like them to bring back the Honda Element and throw iVTM4 in it.
I think you are responsible for creating a new genre of non dedicated off roaders going off road.
D. Alex Oprea UH OH! That could be a good or bad thing! Haha! It’s pretty interesting to see how new dedicated off-roaders are designed, like the new Land Rover defender for example. It has full independent suspension and from the video’s I’ve seen so far, the articulation isn’t solid rear axle like. It’s meant to be a tourer (overlander). I kinda feel like the Passport is a tourer as well, just on a much lesser scale. Modified, I think it gets closer. The rumor is that the Landcruiser 300 will go the same route, but we shall see! Full independent suspensions like in the Nissan Patrols is pretty impressive. It’s nice to see dedicated off-roader vehicles seeking to be more onroad compliant!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring In order to make the new vehicles more compliant with fuel economy and more pleasant to drive on road, they will all move to an independent suspension setup. Very few people actually take their vehicles off road, so that population is ignored. You get the looks of an off roader with mild capabilities which is in line with how people use them. By design independent suspension cannot have great articulation, so there are limitations. If you need to raise the vehicle it is a lot more challenging to do so and it requires a lot of suspension components to be modified. Up to 2" it's fine, beyond that it becomes a nightmare. If you want to fit 35", 37" or dare I say 40" tires, you are simply out of luck. There will always be a compromise everywhere. The consumers demand comfort, economy, connectivity, speed, instead of great ground clearance, good approach/departure/breakover angle, superior articulation, low gearing and low weight. Maybe you noticed that new SUV don't come with a transfer case anymore. Since people don't use that feature, cost savings comes as a priority. You get a low enough first gear and that should satisfy 99.999999% of the consumers.
D. Alex Oprea well said! I still think Toyota will deliver with the 2022 4runner. We shall see!!!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring At least in my area, it's possible everywhere, I see a lot of Wrngler Rubicons with 4-6" of lift, steel bumpers, winches, Hi-Lifts, LED bars and... 22" shiny rims. You know very well they don't ever go off road. They love the looks. Posers, whatever. So, why make solid axles anymore, right? The Wrangler is capable, no doubt, but look who buys them and for what purpose.
I'm kinda going through your stuff backwards as I am rebuilding an 08 Pilot. I think you would have made it if you had the B.A.L.L.S. installed.
Awesome vid! I think I passed into the GX470 up on Santiago Peak a week ago. Going to have to hit this trail.
You may have Jamesngotts. The owner of the GX lives in the OC and he said he frequents maple springs/Santiago peak
@@JonDZ_Adventuring I recognize that front bumper and gas can mount. Think we passed each other on the 27th, but I could be wrong since I've been up there a few times in the last couple weeks.
@james i was not there on 27th. There are few of us gx"ers with the same bumper. It is classic for prado 120 in australia.
daklak foto ahhh ok, well either way i think its a good looking rig
*JonDZ Adventuring* Wanna be frenemies?
Only if you hack into my account and do dubious things with it ☺️
GX & LC ♥️
Legendary machines!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Another great video/content Jon. Did the GX have a lift? or just armor? Was his CD Locked, and in 4lo?
Gx is still oem suspension with airbag. Prev. Owner just replace
@@daklakfoto Awesome!! Thank you for clearing that up for me, as I too, am a GX owner. Also still on stock bags(But have beefier tires-265/70s on stock wheels)
@@Kiss__Kiss i got 255/80. Love it
Great videos man!
Skidplate needs to come with brackets with tabs that have captured nuts. Buttonhead grade 6 or 8 cad plated bolts should thread in from the bottom. If using regular bolts, a ring should be welded onto the skidplate to protect the bolthead.
Nuts and threaded u-bolt exposed is not good for skidplates. They are hang up points and if hit, they will bend and distort threads, making it very difficult to remove.
Skidplate without proper hardware and mounting solution is not doing the builder any favors.
Love this!
Jsmaisey whoo hoooo! Thanks for stopping by to leave a comment and let me know, I really appreciate it. Cheers!
I wonder what it looks like this year. Lots of precip this year.
Hello Jon ... Where is this exactly ??? 3N06A or B ????
Looks good!
you had a Subaru forester xt and now you have honda passport
as far as AWD systems which one is more capable and more superior to the other
AM M you’re really putting me on the spot here. iVTM4 is basically 2016+ Acura SH-AWD, it’s not the same system in a Honda CRV or HRV. the reason I purchased the passport is because it’s one of the most advanced off-road oriented AWD systems. I’m not comparing this to a true 4wd system like in a Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Land Rover Defender or a Mercedes G wagon. I found out about this by watching TFL, drivingsportsTV. They were a good resource in showing how capable iVTM4 was. The system was just passing their tests too easily and I was in disbelief (you know, especially because I still owned my Subaru FXT and I was team Subaru at the time). iVTM4 is special because 1.) it’s a full time awd system 2.) it has traction control. But what makes it different than a Subaru is that 3.) it has a rear twin clutch differential. It’s basically a programmable electronically mechanical limited slip differential with yaw control. Sand mode simulated a rear locker (unlocking when 1 wheel needs 71+% torque.
It’s not only the AWD system that gets the nod. The drivetrain has a 20.4 crawl ratio, which is the same as a Jeep renegade trailhawk.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks for the reply and explanation keep your good work
Hey bud! What part of the sway bar end link did you disconnect? The top at the strut? Bottom at the sway bar? Or both and just hold on to em til after?
Bottom at the sway bar. It comes out real easy, here’s the video:
czcams.com/video/Gv2rU7CoMCQ/video.html
@@JonDZ_Adventuring thanks!
Where is the video about your front bumper trim? I can't find it and would be interested to see where you cut at?
Just don't tell us that you are down, but how much are down to!
Great content Jon! Between your channel and Pilot Overland got me starting a project with my 04" Pilot, in stock form has been surprisingly capable on some mild off road trails so far. Have you had any issues with the stock dampeners on your journeys?
Adventurer Lam thanks! So, as far as shocks and struts I have not had issues. I have even driven through the “Race Track Playa” which is 26 miles of brutal wash board road, both ways in a matter of 2-1/2 hours.
It looks like Honda has improved the dampening. Here’s a video by Edmunds that goes over this:
czcams.com/video/dqfMx4cvzic/video.html
Jon, thanks for the link, this was helpful. Im doing a 2" lift, 31" tires, custom cv axles and now doing research to see if I should swap out my dampeners to something more durable but looks like oem will do just fine. I'll put up videos as I start working on it.
I’m always looking for parts - what type of protect do you use under the vehicle? That’s the biggest concern for me
10:33 I have the nolo skid plate. Protects both the engine oil pan and transversely mounted transmission. He’s working on a gas tank skid plate too
JonDZ Adventuring took a look at the site! Very excited that someone else is getting some parts out there for these Honda’s!
Another nice vid. What are you going to do for recovery points on the passport?
What was the thinking behind a Honda for this type of overlanding? I don't think I've ever seen anyone with a Honda before. . .
Dacia Project this Honda is only sold in North America. Has a V6, 20.4:1 crawl ratio, weighs 4200 lbs. has traction control and a twin clutch rear differential (basically a programmable mechanical LSD). It’s also rated for 24 mpg highway, but realistically an AWD model will get 27mpg at 70mph. It’s designed to run on a 265mm wide tire and it’s a large vehicle, so I had a hunch modifications would not affect MPG’s that much. Modified, I get 23-24 mpg highway at 70mph. This vehicle is also my daily driver, so I wanted a vehicle with good performance. It’s tested to do 0-60 between 5.8 and 6.3 seconds and has a lateral skid pad of 0.78g.
I have a video that explains all this, I think you may have commented on it already.
Dacia Project watch this video to get a better idea of how a moderately modified Honda Passport will do.
czcams.com/video/RfKtynqGTzQ/video.html
I have a 2002 Crv that gets through fine most places
I really like your videos 😊 are you the one doing the maintenance of your passport ?
Sean Miranda, I have 4 years/48k mikes of free Honda care, So as far as changing fluids, I’ll just let Honda do that for now.
Chopping up wheel wells and getting my skid plate to fit, well... that’s all me 🤣
hey great vid! Do you know who will do skid plate install in the area for decent price? I'm in Yucaipa.
Random question, but how much did it cost to get the lift kit put on the subaru when you did it?
@Marcus Brown I had a 2” front / 2.5” rear on the Subaru. The kit itself was $650 or so, then it was $400 for installation. The reason the Subaru kit is a bit pricey is because there’s a lot of hardware. The modern Subarus have a rear multilink suspension, and there’s a lot of subframe hardware.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Thats still good either way. Im thinking if i get a forester soon I will look to add the kit, would be awesome for living here in the pacific northwest; but wont be doin as much as I see you all doing in your videos lol haha.
How do you like those Coopers vs the Falken wildpeaks on that trail?
A really good mod for the passport transmission cooler
I monitor my transmission temperatures with a scan gauge II. I recently hit the warmest my transmission has ever gotten which was a whopping 217 Fahrenheit. This was while driving up a paved mountain pass 4000 feet in 15 miles. The Honda Passport actually doesn’t need a transmission cooler at all. Not even close. Not unless you’re towing. Towards the end of the video there’s a heat warning on the “rear differential”.
Is this is recent video on Lytle Creek? or old video just recent upload
This was just before the Covid shut down, so not super recent. I can't imagine it being much different, since it's mostly large gravel.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Got it. We go there often, we were just there about 2 months ago I was just looking for recent feedback. Thanks good video.
Advice get rid of all your plastic trims and get rock sliders saves your body.
CLEVERTRAILS thanks! I’m heading up this weekend. Rock sliders are on the to do list. I’m looking at ones made for the Cherokee XJ and have them custom mounted.
nice video
Oh, thanks 😃. Haha
Why the duct tape on the Lexus?
Bruceyyyyy because of Covid-19
Ha ha just finish restore headlight and plan to do a 2nd rounds after trip
daklak foto lock it in with non yellowing clear coat. One and done!
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Pop lock and drop it!
Great Video looks like you guys had a great time...
What trail is this would like to try the same route Thanks
Mike's Channel this is partly 3N06B in Lytle creek California, however it’s unmarked. We did 3N06A over the weekend and camped up top. That was a beautiful campsite. Here’s a Instagram video clip:
instagram.com/p/CBZUcAVgoOc/?igshid=13gdyygesedz3
@@JonDZ_Adventuring Wow I did 3N06B yesterday and had a blast.
After seeing this place for myself I'm surprised you got that car back there 🤣🤣🤣
Mike's Channel we did 3N06A last weekend. That was on a whole other level. There were super large ruts that anything without a rear locker would struggle. I opted to get towed up on two of the obstacles. I just had new tires mounted, and I was told to not air down for maximum ground clearance. Check out this video clip:
instagram.com/p/CBa3Nt7psLh/?igshid=o5zgpetdmxv4
I wanna go yo lyttle creek
Let’s go! Let’s bring Daklakfoto in case we get stuck 🤣
@jondz.. what a friend for. But u know who would stuck first. Ha ha *hint*
Not me 🙈
What trail is this
Unmarked trail in Lytle creek, ca
You need to stop apologing or they will send ypu to Canada.
Is the gx on 4lo 1st gear?
Evol M3 during these end on the rutted hill climb and snowy section he switched to 4L and center diff lock.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring oh ok, hell have way better throttle control and torque on 4lo. Especially if hes left foot braking.
Its interesting watching these vehicles offroading check out my channel I'm not a pro at recording editing who's a fan of Land Cruiser check it out
landcruiser 100 and landcruiser 120 (gx 470) did not come with rear locker in usa. you said the lc100 has it ("factory rear locker") in this video. you are wrong. 9:09
you did it again at 16:04
and 24:20
Johnny B whoa whoa, hold on Tiger! NO YOU’RE WRONG! Hehe! Yeah, 1999 is super rare.
www.mminvestmentcars.com/vehicle-details/1999-toyota-land-cruiser-4wd-100-series-rare-rr-dif-lock-brand-new-ome-lift-suv-bee40b9b67c894439934ad084af8b233
Johnny B also.... I never said that the GX has a rear locker. But in previous comments I referred to it as the J150. I got that info from Wikipedia. It says 2009+ GXs are J150.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring i know youre referring to the lc100. but ill check your link out.
Watching this video Im for sure getting a real 4x4 SUV now lol
You’re welcome! I keep it real so I can help people decide what they actually need. Also, first few sentences of the video description explains that. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
JonDZ Adventuring no I’m glad you posted this. Been on the fence of a couple SUVs to get
There’s some compelling choices on the way. Bronco, 2022 4runner. Honestly, I was going to go for a Tacoma, but I went to the dealership and realized I couldn’t really fit in one properly. I wanted an SUV anyways, I like being able to just crawl to the back and sleep. Maybe next vehicle will be a 3/4 ton truck with a slide in pop up camper 😃.
@@JonDZ_Adventuring look at ram rebel 1500 or the propectus build. awesome platform for what you need.
If you want to go on trails like that, get a JEEP
I actual came here to buy some groceries. Lots of people buy groceries with Jeeps.
805gregg I think most Jeep guys will consider this an “easy” trail anyways 🤣.
Who cares?
Obviously u do