[storm303]

I'd say 4Runner is not really a competitor but a light truck class vehicle sacrificing comfort for off road ability just like many Jeep models do.

The Passport off road capability is about as good as it gets before you start trading off on the comforts. The AWD and angles are quite capable, and the clearance is adequate for moderate off-road use. Stock should do quite well compared to many competitors but it is not an off road focused vehicle, and comes with tires and wheel size totally unsuited to any off roading where rocks are large and frequent.

Unfortunately, I/we have no way to say 100% confidently you can take a stock Passport where you want to camp without measuring the mud and ruts for ourselves, but generally speaking, this vehicle can do a lot stock. If you frequently go up/down really steep inclines, through deep mud or sand for extended distances, or tackle large rocks, it could be time to consider a more serious off road vehicle. A wheel/tire upgrade can set you up to mitigate some of these things and is really going to be essential to do anything but mild trails.

For what it is worth, for years I took a stock Sorento (7.3" clearance with worse angles and a mediocre AWD) all kinds of places on forest and BLM roads, including a similar looking mud obstacle to your picture without destroying it. Most places I go in the mountains and southwest are not all that challenging off road, and somehow when I do want to go to those places, they are always really tough trails that even a stock 4Runner struggles, or they are backpacking trails.

If down the road you like the Passport, for the price of new wheels, tires, and a 1-2 inch strut spacer lift, you can get even closer to 4Runner stock performance (slightly less or equal clearance, less torque but still capable, and better approach angles) without giving up the comfort of the Passport.

 

[Lance]

" through deep mud or sand for extended distances"

The Passport does great in deep sand.

 

[Moab Junky]

I will say, the switchbacks we took our 2020 EXL AWD up were quite steep and VERY loose from all the two wheel drive vehicles spinning their arses off. I'm talking 4 or 5 inches of powder and rocks.
The passport, with 22 psi in the all terrain tires barely broke traction. It was very impressive.

I never get pics when the chips are down, too busy driving. It's simple, if you can keep from getting high centered, the AWD and good tires will keep you going forward.

I'll try to get some good approach and departure
Shots of this thing in action. Break-over is where this thing struggles the most.

Sections of this road are much steeper than they appear in the photo.

Its funny, a guy driving a lifted jeep saw us coming up, he stopped on a Switchback to let us by.
The trail is too narrow to pass in most places.
His position forced us to cut the corner sharper, on the steepest, most uneven section of the turn. The PP motored right up the ugly spot. Two thumbs way up from me.

I'm sure he said to his peeps, look at this idiot in the.....what the hell is that? Hahaha.

 

[Spaceentity]

You should watch some of "JonDZ Adventuring" video's on Youtube, he's been a very active trail/wilderness driving on different terrains. It was his video's that got me to buy my 2020 PP Elite AWD.

 

[johara1]

I guess a new CRV may work better, it has a shorter wheel base and more ground clearance than the PP. and has 18" wheels and you can put a full size spare in the back .........

 

[HarveyW]

I wouldn’t consider the 0.1“ additional ground clearance a plus with the CRV’s restricted approach and departure angles. I also appreciate the Passport being built on a truck frame rather than the car frame the CRV utilizes. But that’s just my take on it.

 

[johara1]

Yes, but for 99%of the owners will never see the dirt, Myself included.... If I want to I have a CJ2A only mods are a tow bar, a new top and good open center stock size tires and a heater.... it's used to go hunting in it's day and it get around pretty good it and myself are the same age 77. Wonder how many passports will make it that long......

 

[JRJ]

Had an old '49 Willys ( CJ3A) back in the day. Was a lot of fun. After engine rebuild on a good downhill could get it up to about 50 mph.

 

[johara1]

Had an old '49 Willys ( CJ3A) back in the day. Was a lot of fun. After engine rebuild on a good downhill could get it up to about 50 mph.

It will go faster had it really going down Rabbit Ears pass out of gear .... lol .... They have a lot grunt in low range.......

 

[JRJ]

Been over Rabbit Ears many times and you're right! I was young and the amount of abuse that thing took from my reckless decisions is mind boggling. Sorry for getting off topic OP.

 

[Bunky]

My stock E-XL got me up and down some nasty Colorado 4x4 mountain roads, to include portions of the Alpine Loop. BUT on my last trip out, I blew a front tire because the stock 20" tires don't have enough sidewall, besides being street tires. I'm moving to 18" Ridgeline wheels and Continental Terrain Contact tires. There are still places I need to go in the mountains! If you're going to use the Passport as an off road vehicle, be sure to equip it like one. It's NOT a Forerunner, but it can do some amazing stuff off road.

You're right that if you want your passport to do offroad crap it's up to you to kit it up. My point however, was that Honda markets it as off road but does not offer the necessary upgrades to make it off road. If you took your (and mine) crappy continentals on more crappy shiny wheels off roading, you made a bad decision. Good luck with that but you are asking for a serious slide down the mountain doing some real off roading. I'll keep my PP but it is not an off road vehicle unless you invest another 4-5K into it. And it isn't worth it. It's still gonna be a wannabe.

 

[HarveyW]

You're right that if you want your passport to do offroad crap it's up to you to kit it up. My point however, was that Honda markets it as off road but does not offer the necessary upgrades to make it off road. If you took your (and mine) crappy continentals on more crappy shiny wheels off roading, you made a bad decision. Good luck with that but you are asking for a serious slide down the mountain doing some real off roading. I'll keep my PP but it is not an off road vehicle unless you invest another 4-5K into it. And it isn't worth it. It's still gonna be a wannabe.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree, Off Roading is a conglomerate of various types with one thing in common. It is conducted off of any paved road.

I was quite happy with my Passport in the Little Sahara with 20 lbs of air in the tires. Didn't come close to getting stuck. IE Dune Bashing.

It did quite well at cross country travels in the Wichita Mountains and Gypsum Hills and my own farm land. Same thing in Navajo country. No problems getting around, and there off road often means no road. It is much more akin to trailing. Shafer Trail Road was fun but quite do able in Utah.

My Passport has done an excellent job green laning even in mud and snow. In snow I slowed down more than I would have for mud as it was hard to tell what was ahead on occasion, but have yet to get stuck in either mud or snow.

The Passport is perfectly suited for RTV trailing. As for CCV trailing it isn't an issue since that form of off roading is restricted to non street legal vehicles.

No one has a stock vehicle you can order for Mudding or for that matter off road racing, desert racing or rock racing. All are built with specialized high performance parts.

I'm sure that a good friend of mine who is a Rock climber would have ordered his Jeep Rubicon with all factory accessories if Jeep had offered what he wanted. He did put about 6k into his rock climber not including the trailer to tow it to where he wants to drive it.

Off roading is nothing more than an umbrella term for many varied types of activities where a vehicle is taken off a paved road. The OP set out the criteria he needed and I have no doubts that the PP would fulfill the OP's needs.

 

[Bunky]

Harvey, you're still missing my point. Honda does not offer the PP with off-the-pavement wheels and tires. Just the term alone pretty much mandates anything other than continental streets on 20" curb rashed rims. I'll agree with you that off-road has many meanings. But the only tires and wheels available from honda are on-the-pavement things. I'm from Utah also, up here in Roy.

 

[HarveyW]

Harvey, you're still missing my point. Honda does not offer the PP with off-the-pavement wheels and tires. Just the term alone pretty much mandates anything other than continental streets on 20" curb rashed rims. I'll agree with you that off-road has many meanings. But the only tires and wheels available from honda are on-the-pavement things. I'm from Utah also, up here in Roy.

Which in part is where Marketing comes in. Honda understands marketing quite well. If you want different wheels and tires you can always order the Ridgeline 18" wheels and put on the tire of your choice. My dealer will order and install any tire and or wheel you want, as long as it is safe to do so. In fact I am looking for a set of 18" Ridgeline wheels for my passport and the dealership parts manager is keeping an eye open for a Ridgeline owner looking to change out their wheels.

I suspect the other reason is the safety aspect. Honda does not give their dealers, or anyone else for that matter, the ability to adjust the speedometer for the different tire/wheel combo heights. They calibrate the speedometer to the specific tire/wheel combo. I suspect that they don't want to take on the liability of some tech getting the adjustment wrong, creating a potentially dangerous situation.

In the old days adjusting a speedometer was as a quick calculation and simple gear swap that would get you much closer to your true speed. You were usually going to be fractionally off of your true speed, but close enough to be safe, and more importantly keep you from getting ticketed.

With electronic instead of cable drive speedos they are easier to change, but also much more complicated to get the speed exactly right. In the old days, close counted. Now close is probably not good enough, at least not for Honda Corporate.

 

[cevwvu]

I guess a new CRV may work better, it has a shorter wheel base and more ground clearance than the PP. and has 18" wheels and you can put a full size spare in the back .........

The CRV AWD is not the same system that is in the passport. I'd be wary of how it would perform