Off-roading is one of the most fun weekend activities of all. Not matter if you are exploring the frozen forests of Alaska, the rocky wilderness of the Sierras, or the sandy deserts of Arizona, you want to have firm confidence in your vehicle. The last thing you want to see is your truck get bellied out, break down, or just not have the power to get out of a sticky situation.
Fortunately, there is a whole range of extremely reliable, capable, and versatile off-roading vehicles on the market. These vehicles are suitable for the full range of climates and terrains found across the United States and beyond. Some, such as the Jeep Wrangler have been with us and loved by us for decades. While others like the Cybertruck and Rivian R1T are the new kids on the block and are providing us with the first truly off-roading electric vehicles. Here are ten of the best vehicles to go off-roading in.
9 Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size SUVs made by Jeep since the 1980s. Now in its fourth generation, the Jeep Wrangler is a quasi descendant from the famous American military Jeep of WW2.
Over 200,000 of these superb off-roading 4WDs are sold every year in America. As an added bonus, it has been claimed that the Jeep Wrangler has the lowest depreciation of any vehicle on the market over a five-year period.
8 Toyota Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a superbly comfortable SUV and is one of the favorites around the world for off-roading. Cross over to the Middle East or even Australia and New Zealand and you will see the Toyota Land Cruiser as the off-roading SUV of choice.
The Toyota Land Cruiser offers everything needed from an off-roading vehicle including comfort. Outside of North America, the Land Cruiser is one of the largest passenger vehicles on the roads.
7 Mercedes-Benz G-Class
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the few European vehicles to make this list and is a mid-sized luxury SUV for those seeking to go off road in comfort and style. Just be careful not to damage it!
With a production lifespan of 41 years, the Mercedes Benz G-Class is now one of Daimler's longest production series in the company's history. The "G" in its name stands for "Geländewagen" which translates as "terrain vehicle"
6 Ford F-150 Raptor
The Ford F-150 Raptor is designed to be optimized for off-roading among Ford's F Series. The Ford Raptor is made with an aluminum body and is designed as a high-performance off-roading vehicle.
The latest improvements to the Ford Raptor are also with an eye to off-roading, which includes introducing new FOX Live Valve Shocks, new cruise control for the off-road, and a new Terrain Management System — which is designed to adjust the body of the truck as it is driving.
5 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Now classified as a mid-sized pickup truck, the Toyota Tacoma has been in production since 1995 and sees annual sales in the United States of around a quarter of a million vehicles per year.
The Toyota Tacoma is now in its third generation since 2015 but saw another facelift in 2020.
4 Land Rover Defender
Descending from something of the British equivalent of the American Jeep, the Land Rover is another favorite around the world for off-roading.
The Land Rover has gained something of a worldwide reputation for ruggedness and versatility. Launched in 2019 the Land Rover Defender is the first all-new version of the beloved Defender.
3 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
This brand-new Jeep is a mid-sized pickup truck made by Stellantis North America. It only started rolling off the assembly line in the spring of 2019 and is based on the other Jeep — the Wrangler JL.
Helpful when off-roading, the Jeep Gladiator also features a front camera to enable the driver to see obstacles in front and to the sides of the Jeep.
2 Cybertruck Tri Motor
No list of modern off-roading trucks would be complete without mentioning Tesla's new Cybertruck! This futuristic-looking fully electric pickup truck is finally inaugurating electric trucks in the world of off-roading
The Cybertruck has everything you could want for off-roading, stunning power coupled with 500 miles of range on a single charge. Of course, it hasn't entered production yet, but it's all set to dominate the EV truck market once it hits the showrooms.
1 Rivian R1T
The Cybertruck's chief electric pickup truck rival, the Rivian R1T offers 300 miles of range, and it's perfectly suited for replacing traditional gasoline and diesel-powered pickup trucks in their off-roading role.
The Rivian R1T is set to commence production within months. It sits at the cutting edge of electric vehicle technology, and now you can have every bit as much confidence in this truck as with any internal combustion engine truck.
In conclusion, there are many more superb off-roading vehicles on the market. The upcoming debuts of the Rivian R1T and CyberTruck show that now electric vehicles are fully in the game as well!