Episode 7, Day 7: The Final Test
Nissan CVTs vs Ophir Pass

We roll out of Telluride on a road pretending to be civilized—trees overhead, gentle grades, postcard vibes—until the canyon walls pinch in and the mountains start narrowing their eyes at three used Nissans (two Muranos and a Juke) that somehow woke up thinking they were Jeep Wranglers. A quick stop in Ophir turns into liquid-ice gold panning, “found it!” hysteria, and a suspiciously lucky scoop… because obviously we came to Colorado to become prospectors.

Then the real reason we’re here: Ophir Pass. A scar carved through the mountain, littered with tailings, ledges, loose rock, and enough 35-inch-tire Jeeps to make us feel personally judged. The trail’s rated “badass,” we’re workshopping Nissan windshield mascots like it’s a board meeting, and the only strategy is momentum—because stop-start on a CVT at altitude is how you learn what “burning smell” really means.

Grip disappears, nerves climb, traffic squeezes by on a ledge that barely fits one vehicle… and then the mountain throws its counterpunch: one boulder, one crack, an all-wheel-drive error, and a slow bleed that turns “150 feet from the summit” into a full-stop diagnosis under the rear. Satcom out, photos sent, verdict delivered: differential actuator cracked—tow time—and the whole operation detours to Denver.

It’s a brutal, funny, humbling finish to a trip built to expose weakness—Bonneville’s corrosive white flats, Little Sahara’s sand, Moab’s punishment, and Colorado’s thin-air climbs—and somehow the battered old Nissans still don’t quit. But will we ever get our redemption on Ophir Pass… and what did it cost us to try?

Watch the series on YouTube and follow along on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook @thetourdetour.
Thanks to our sponsors www.pohanka-nissan.com, www.colenissan.com, www.empirelakewoodnissan.com, and mocproducts.com.