The 12 Best Off-Road 4x4s You Can Drive Off The Lot

Crushing cross-country terrain in a well equipped 4×4 is a sensation everyone should have the opportunity to experience. Getting off the beaten path in an adventure vehicle is a freeing feeling that connects a driver to terra firma in a way rivaled by few aspects of life.

Rolling off the lot in a vehicle that is qualified to rumble deep off the grid is easier than ever. With practically every major brand offering a truck or SUV dressed to destroy the dirt, there is a plethora of shapes and sizes that will satisfy city dwellers to hardened dirt bags. Even those with no off-highway understanding are able to hop head first into the four wheel drive lifestyle, with the only limit being the size of their wallet. This list includes our top choices of 4×4 off-road vehicles that can be purchased from your local dealership today and ripped down the trail tomorrow.

Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

It’s no secret that consumers love the Tacoma as the junior pickup from Toyota continues to outsell it’s larger sibling the Tundra almost two-to-one. Toyotas have long been known for their great reliability and amazing ability to hold their value, but dirt lovers have long adored the Japanese offering for their awesome off-road abilities. The top tier off-highway ready Tacoma model is the TRD Pro, which sits a head above the other in the line as it is perched steadily on Fox 2.5-inch coilover shocks and 30.5-inch all-terrain tires. A throaty cat-back exhaust keeps the V6 barking loud while engine and front suspension skid plates provide protection from debris on the trail. While on the trail, Toyota has you covered with a slew of proprietary features like Multi-terrain Select, Crawl Control, and Hill Start Assist Control, ensuring even the novice off-roader will make the most of their day in the dirt.

Purchase: $41,520+

Land Rover Discovery SVX

Not all off-road ready rigs are born from utility or shear might. Land Rover has become a brand synonymous with luxury and high end living, though their roots lie deep in the heritage of the trail. All new for 2018, and their most capable rough terrain offering, the Discovery SVX spares no expense in the pursuit of banging down dirt roads while all the while being encased in the world’s finest materials. The SVX is no slouch, with a well balanced power-to-weight ratio pumping out the most horsepower on our list and being far from the heaviest, which will be no surprise to the Land Rover loyalists. Increased approach and departure angles over the base model Discovery position the SVX perfectly to conquer terrain as aggressive as you are. Exterior embellishments include a roof mounted LED light bar and a rear facing winch, both features that will come in handy for those late night rescue missions into the deep backcountry.

Purchase: $TBD

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk

Jeeps and off-roading go together like ice cream and a hot day, you just can’t have one without the other. An American heritage brand with a following as long as the Mississippi, their line of sport utility vehicles have come to define the class. A long favorite of their offerings has been the Grand Cherokee, and the Trailhawk is their pinnacle off-road ready spec. Lifted by adjustable air suspension and sitting on 30.5” all-season tires, the Trailhawk is poised to tackle even the gnarliest rock piles. The interior is covered in leather and suede trimming and the large touchscreen display proudly announces the performance stats of the vehicle dynamics, suspension, and body pitch/roll. Under this Jeep you will find skid plates covering the front suspension, transfer case, and underbody, providing protection to the vital components that keep this rig rolling.

Purchase: $43,295+

Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

The Toyota 4Runner has been a fan favorite since hitting the scene in 1984, and evolving through five different model generations, is still basically a pickup truck with an enclosed cargo box. Like its fraternal twin the Tacoma, Toyota offers the TRD Pro package trim for the 4Runner, though it does tout a larger 4.0-Liter engine. A high performance package from Bilstein adds coilovers to the double-wishbone up front and shocks with remote reservoirs to the 4-link suspension in the rear, yielding both extended wheel travel and a 1-inch lift to ride height over stock. Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select drive profiles provide four settings that control and regulate wheel spin and braking response, allowing the drive characteristics to be fine tuned for maximum traction on any surface. Matte black 17-inch wheels contribute to the brute appearance and 31.5-inch Nitto Terra Grappler tires reaffirm the look of a squatty, fun dirt road rager.

Purchase: $42,675+

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2

Being an all around performer can be tough in this segment as some off-road necessary modifications inevitably sacrifice ride quality or the vehicles practicality in some way. GM has been producing trucks for over a century, giving them wealth of experience in what makes a great rig, both on-road and off. The Chevy Colorado ZR2 is the complete packing of an off-road 4×4 that can tackle any trail or terrain, while still being a top performer on the pavement. Being a ZR model begets many great things for the Colorado, beginning with Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSV) shocks, technology that trickled down from the Corvette and Camaro. These shocks, in conjunction with cast iron A-arms, dual-stage leaf springs, and exclusive 17-inch wheels, give the ZR2 a 3.5-inch wider stance and 2-inch taller ride height then base models. If you are looking for a 4×4 off-road ready vehicle that is going to perform as well as your daily driver as it does your weekend play toy, the Colorado ZR2 is the truck for you.

Purchase: $40,360+

Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X

Not quite a full size pickup, and definitely too large to be considered a small truck, the Nissan Titan XD sits somewhere in between these defined categories as a midsize truck. Packaged in a slightly smaller shell then some of its domestic counterparts, the Titan XD has the prowess of a half ton but the capabilities of a three quarter ton rig. The Pro-4X off-road package equips the truck with tuned Bilstein shocks, 32-inch all-terrain tires, and skid plates for the engine and transfer case. For who prefer to adventure by diesel as opposed to petrol, Nissan offers the Pro-4X with the popular Cummins 5.0-Liter V8 turbo diesel and accompanying Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission. This power plant cranks out less ponies then the gas option, but spanks the torque spec with a whopping 555 pound feet of grunting oomph, giving great low end power for lumbering hill climbs.

Purchase: $47,680+

Ram 1500 Rebel

Dodge understands the fundamental elements that generate a well built off-roader and have applied this knowledge to their full size Ram 1500 under the Rebel moniker. Building off their tried and true 1500 platform, the Rebel bears a more aggressive stance then other trim packages in the line thanks to its adjustable height air spring suspension. Easily controlled from the cockpit, the Active-Level shocks provide four different ride options that optimize ride height for specific applications, and an entry/exit setting that drops the truck for ease of loading while parked. This adjustable shock package provides increased approach and departure angles for great clearance on the trail. The Rebel also rolls off the lot sitting on 33-inch all-terrain tires, positioning the truck to perform well in sloppy or soft conditions and giving a large sidewall for increased sidewall flex while grabbing onto loose granite.

Purchase: $47,195+

Mercedes-Benz G 550 4×4

Luxury and off-roading do not have to be mutually exclusive identities for a truck, and the Mercedes-Benz G 550 4×4 does a monstrous job of proving this. Steeped in military assault vehicle heritage, the G-Class models have been roaming off the beaten path for almost 40 years. Unsurprisingly to anyone remotely familiar with the German auto manufacturer, the G 500 spares no expense in delivering top quality off-road performance. Colossal dual coilover shock cushion each wheel and jack the rig up enough for a towering 17.7-inches of ground clearance, making the 22-inch wheels look appropriately sized for the beast. The twin-turbocharged V8 supplies highly responsive power and peak torque through a broad range of the rpm spectrum, giving the truck a tenacious feel in almost every situation. The price tag cannot go without mention though, as the G 500 4×4 comes in at well over double the sticker price than any other vehicle on this list. But its a Mercedes, it’s not supposed to be cheap.

Purchase: $227,300+

Ford F-150 Raptor

Considered the creator of the off-road ready production segment, the Ford F-150 Raptor may be the most well rounded truck on the list. Designed to embody the soul of a personally modified 4×4, the Raptor goes above and beyond adding a lift kit and larger tires. Starting with flared fenders both front and rear, the form of the Raptor is unmistakably poised to shred the gnar. Hefty 3.0-inch Fox Racing Shox internal bypass shocks render 13-inches of front wheel travel and 14-inches in the rear. The zippy 3.5-Liter EcoBoost V6 lays down an impressive 510 pound feet of torque, more than any other engine on list, and propels the truck to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. The smaller engine size also shaves off a quarter ton of curb weight from previous model years, providing more nimble handling and less body roll characteristics. BFGoodrich provides the full size 35-inch all-terrain tires on 17-inch aluminum wheels, which is arguably the most capable off-road tire/wheel combo on the list.

Purchase: $50,020+

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon

The Jeep Wrangler may be one of the most classic looks you can bring to the trail, and the Rubicon Recon is a special edition Wrangler that is fully equipped to crawl deep into the wilderness. Sitting a half-inch prouder than the base model JK, the Rubicon Recon also sees upgraded Dana 44 axles, 32-inch off-road tires, and a dual vented hood. Heavy-duty cast differential covers and model specific rock rails provide extra protection against dense objects on the trail, giving nice piece of mind while inching up foreboding rock piles. A nifty feature of the Rubicon Recon is the electronic sway bar disconnect switch, allowing for superior wheel articulation on the trail. Front and rear steel bumpers furnish excellent winching points, but the Rubicon Recon’s massive approach angle assures you probably won’t be getting stuck too often.

Purchase: $39,145+

GMC Canyon All Terrain X

Not all off-road ready trucks need to be exorbitantly priced to be qualified for dirt road raging, and the GMC Canyon All Terrain X comes in at the lowest price on this list. Not skimping on the equipment necessary to get your wheels dirty off-road, GMC loaded the All Terrain X trim with a Z71 suspension package comprised of coilover shocks up front and twin tube socks with dual-stage leaf springs in the rear. 31-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires provide the grip for 17-inch wheels in a sporty black finish. Rock rails made of 3-inch tubular steel with integrated footsteps assist passengers in mounting the cab, where they are greeted by rubberized all-weather floor mats. The All Terrain X is also equipped with Hill Descent Control which automatically applies pressure to individual brake calipers as a wheel loses traction, a great feature for those learning the nuances of off-highway travel.

Purchase: $39,095+

Toyota Land Cruiser

For some people’s life situations having a specific use vehicle is not always an option. If the need to haul passengers or sleeping inside the rig outranks the desire to shred the trail, but the itch to get dirty from time to time still lingers, than the Toyota Land Cruiser is the perfect choice. Seating seven full grown adults, the Land Cruiser is like a bus that can be driven off-road to the most remote locations possible. The Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) is an intelligent stabilizer adjuster that continually tunes the suspension characteristics as the vehicle drives over rough terrain. Ample power and torque is produced by a 5.7-Liter V8, giving this almost 3-ton machine grace as it lumbers off the beaten path. Robust skid plates provide protection for the front suspension, radiator, fuel tank, and transfer case, making this the most thoroughly clad 4×4 on the list.

Purchase: $83,665+