Many cars and trucks like to pose as being “adventure” ready. Commercials show suburban crossovers sliding across scenic dry lake beds, while luxury SUVs offer snow and dirt driving modes for their intricate height-adjustable suspensions that.
For the adventures that most buyers take, the capabilities packed into those vehicles will suffice. But those who plan to traverse desert terrain, clamber over rocks or trudge through apocalyptic snow need a more robust off-roading vehicle.
Like, say, one of the following. Here are 20 of our favorite new off-road-ready pickup trucks and SUVs that you can buy today.
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FCA
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Chevrolet
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Chevrolet
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Ford
Ford’s Super-Cheap, Tough-Looking Compact Pickup Likely to Arrive in 2021, Presentation Suggests
Ford is planning a new affordable (and likely great-looking small pickup) that will start below $20,000. It may be launching next year.
Ford
The semiconductor shortage is starting to bite the auto industry
We knew back in January that the semiconductor shortage would be bad for the auto industry — even the humblest car is now a complicated computer — but the gravity is settling here in February. GM has been forced to idle three North American plants; Ford, in maybe the most glaring sign there’s an issue, is cutting back F-150 production.
Ford
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GMC
Jeep Wrangler
The Wrangler is Jeep’s iconic body-on-frame SUV. It descends from the original CJ line. The latest “JL” generation debuted for the 2018 model year and was refreshed for the 2024 model year. The Wrangler is the most off-road capable SUV in Jeep’s lineup. Its capability and ample charm have outweighed concerns about driving dynamics. The Wrangler’s resale value is among the best in the U.S. It has a new rival in the Ford Bronco.
Jeep offers two Wrangler body styles: the two-door and four-door “Unlimited” model — now preferred by about 90% of buyers. You can buy a Wrangler with four and six-cylinder gas engines, a four-cylinder 4xe plug-in hybrid or a Hemi V8 in the Wrangler 392. The 3.6-liter V6 gas Wrangler can come with a manual transmission. All other Wranglers have an eight-speed automatic.
Engines:
2.0-liter inline-four turbo (270 hp, 295 lb-ft)3.6-liter V6 (285 hp, 260 lb-ft) 2.0-liter inline-four turbo PHEV (375 hp, 470 lb-ft)6.4-liter Hemi V8 (470 hp, 470 lb-ft)Transmissions:
8-speed automatic6-speed manualGround Clearance: 9.4 in
Base Price: $32,095
Jeep
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Jeep
Defender650
Land Rover
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Land Rover
The Gear You Absolutely Need for Car Camping
Car camping makes getting away easy as pie. These items will make it even tastier.
GCI Outdoor, Amazon, Walmart
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Lexus
Lexus LX570
Powertrain: 5.7-liter V8
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Horsepower: 383
Torque: 403 lb-ft
Ground Clearance: 8.9 in
Approach/Breakover/Departure: 27°/27°/23°
Features: Multi-terrain Select, Crawl Control, Active Height Control
Base Price: $86,730
Lexus
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Mercedes-Benz
Nissan Titan Pro-4X
Powertrain: 5.6-liter V8
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Horsepower: 400
Torque: 413 lb-ft
Ground Clearance: 9.8 in
Approach/Breakover/Departure: 22.8°/21.7°/26.8°
Features: Bilstein shocks, 4-wheel ABLS, hill descent control, front skid plate
Base Price: $48,070
Nissan
Ram 2500 Power Wagon
Powertrain: 6.4-liter V8
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Horsepower: 410 hp
Torque: 429 lb-ft
Ground Clearance: 14.2 in
Approach/Breakover/Departure: 35°/25.5°/26.5°
Features: Bilstein shocks, Warn winch, disconnecting front sway bar, hill descent control, locking front and rear differentials
Base Price: $53,535
FCA US LLC
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Granted, it seems very doubtful that the product planners at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles were aware of all that when they decided to name their Ford F-150 Raptor-fighting pickup truck the Ram 1500 TRX. (The development team swears, in fact, that it was an old name the Ram folks had kept in their back pocket for a while, but the Easter eggs of a T. rex clutching a dead raptor in its mouth under the hood and the size chart depicting the truck, a T. rex and a human standing next to a turkey-sized Velociraptor in the Ram’s center console prove the team was well aware of the name’s significance.)
Yet the paleontological comparison does prove an apt analogy: after creating and then dominating the off-road performance truck market for a decade, the Raptor faces its first true rival in the TRX — a beast that’s both bigger and more powerful than the defending champ.
FCA US LLC
Toyota 4Runner
Owners Who Keep It 15-plus Years: 9.4%
Toyota
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Toyota
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Toyota
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Toyota