The 10 Best Off-Road Vehicles You Can Buy Right Now

Vehicles have gone soft lately as SUVs and pickups have prioritized fuel economy and comfort over all-out off-road capability. For most buyers, that's a good thing. But plenty of truck buyers still enjoy a romp in the mud, and these 10 rides are for them.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock Edition

When a collection of hardcore off-road-duty parts came together in the TJ version of the Jeep Wrangler in 2003, it was as if every four-wheeler’s dream list of components had been built into Jeep’s most capable platform. And for more than a decade since, the Wrangler Rubicon has been the benchmark 4WD SUV. Today’s Rubicon package adds hardware such as Dana 44 axles, a 4:1 transfer case for easy slow-speed crawling, and a swaybar disconnect system to free up the suspension when the Jeep needs additional suspension flex on the toughest trails. For 2015 there’s a new Hard Rock version of the Rubicon that includes blacked-out trim, tough bumpers with removable end caps, red tow hooks and rock rails to protect the sides of bodytub. Also for 2015, all Wranglers receive a new Torx tool kit that includes all the tools needed to remove roofs, doors, and those bumper cap ends.

Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

Toyota takes off-road capability seriously: From the first Land Cruisers to today’s tough pickups, there has always been at least a handful of Toyotas that excel off the pavement. This year, Toyota has added a new TRD Pro option package to the 4Runner, Tacoma, and Tundra. Because of its size and flexy coil-link rear suspension, the may be the most capable of the bunch—and the best to drive on the street, too.Toyota’s Trail package already comes with a locking rear differential and the company’s excellent Crawl Control—essentially a cruise control for off road. With the TRD Pro package, the suspension is replaced with taller Eibach coils and remote reservoir Bilstein shocks. The new suspension allows for an extra inch of wheel travel at both ends. The 4Runner also gains ground clearance with taller 265/75R16 BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires wrapped around tough-looking faux beadlock wheels.All this makes the $36,410 4Runner TRD Pro one stout four-wheeler for not a lot of dough.

Nissan Xterra Pro-4X

Nissan’s stagnant truck lineup will soon get a shakeup, as the company prepares to launch an all-new 2016 Titan full-size truck equipped with a Cummins diesel next year. But if you can’t wait for that new Nissan, the company’s solid Pro-4X package is available in the Titan, Frontier, and Xterra.
The Xterra has been Nissan’s most capable vehicle ever since the rugged ‘Ute launched in the U.S. 14 years ago. This year’s Xterra Pro-4 remains one of the few dirt-friendly SUVs. At the core of the Pro-4X is the standard locking rear differential. The equipment list also includes hill descent control and hill start assist so you don’t roll backward on a steep incline. The Pro-4X receives large 265/75R16 all-terrain tires as well as Bilstein shocks. And while the suspension isn’t any taller than what you’d find on a regular Xterra, the truck has trim proportions—it’s is one of the few vehicles on this list that could crawl its way up a tight and rocky trial without the fear of body damage.

Toyota Land Cruiser

Few nameplates are as synonymous with off-roading as the Land Cruiser. And as Toyota’s flagship SUV has grown in size, price, and amenities, the company has been careful to retain the big ute’s talents for slogging through rough terrain.
The Land Cruiser packs a mammoth 5.7-liter 381-hp V-8. To float over the worst trails, the Toyota uses plush-riding independent front and coil-long solid axle rear suspension engineered for increased articulation. The basis of that system comes from Toyota’s Kinetic Dynamic Suspension, which automatically allows for more suspension movement in slow-speed, off-road conditions, then tighten up as it senses lean at higher road speeds. It’s brilliant.
Like the off-road 4Runner, the Land Cruiser also comes with Crawl Control. There’s even a system that, when activated, brakes the outside rear wheel to tighten the vehicles’ turning circle on a narrow trail. That’s smart. However, this tech, along with the luxury of the Land Cruiser, comes with a steep price tag. It starts at just under $80,000.

Ram Power Wagon

You may be looking at the most capable pickup truck available for 2015. Ram takes the Heavy Duty Ram truck’s strengths, like its solid axles front and rear and coil-link suspension, and builds upon them for the Power Wagon. The suspension is slightly taller than a pedestrian Ram 2500. To increase articulation in the three-link front suspension, engineers developed a new high movement joint called Articulink. This joint allows more flex in the suspension to keep the tires on the ground in rough terrain. If that’s not enough, simply press a button and the swaybar disconnects, freeing up more of the suspension.
In particularly tricky or muddy spots, the Power Wagon’s locking front and rear differentials can pull the truck through. In fact, with all these systems engaged, it’s pretty tough to get this Ram stuck. But if you manage to do it, there’s a Warn electric winch hidden behind the front bumper.
The best bang for your buck would be the base Tradesman, which starts at just under $45,000. Remember, that money is also buying you a heavy-duty truck that can tow more than 10,000 pounds.

Chevy Colorado Z/71

The midsize truck market needs a revival, and just in time, here comes the new 2015 Colorado. The smallest Chevy pickup may not rival its big brother, the Silverado, in hauling or towing. But on a tight trail, the Colorado is the truck to have.
The Colorado is built on a modified version of the Silverado chassis, yet its proportions are much trimmer, so fewer branches and boulders will catch the body and frame of a Colorado. And the smaller pickup can be equipped with the Z/71 off road package, which includes a hill descent control system as well as GM’s automatic locking rear diff and an upgraded suspension with better shocks.
No, this Colorado won’t challenge a Raptor or Power Wagon in the dirt. But for an affordable mainstream pickup, the Colorado should provide the right combination for navigating a moderate trail. And next year, the Colorado will come with an optional diesel, so these trucks could excel for remote overland camping.

Ford Raptor

When the Ford Raptor debuted in 2010, it was so radical and so good at high-speed desert four-wheeling that no production truck or SUV could catch it. That’s still the case today.
The stout 411-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 makes the Raptor so quick. But it’s the suspension, wide track. and giant 35-inch tires that make this pickup so gifted in the dirt. The independent front and solid-axle rear suspension systems have been engineered to provide nearly a foot of wheel travel at each corner—double that of a normal pickup truck. That suspension remains supple at higher speeds thanks to the Fox Racing shocks. The Raptor might be Baja focused, but thanks to a locking rear differential and a Torsen limited-slip up front, the Raptor is nearly as capable for slow crawling as a Power Wagon.
So what’s the bad news? There’s an all-new F-150 for 2015 and the Raptor isn’t part of the lineup—yet. We hear a new Raptor is coming. But if you want one of the originals, the time is now.

Land Rover Range Rover

Just one look at the Range Rover’s sleek profile and posh interior and you’d want to classify this SUV as just another luxury vehicle. But the Range Rover has always been the flagship Land Rover, and as such, it must have serous off-road capability.
The Range Rover’s adjustable and long travel air suspension (10.2 inches up front and 12.2 inches in the rear) and its computer-controlled Terrain Response four-wheel drive system work in concert to perform incredible feats in the dirt. For serious trailwork, the Rover can rise up on its springs and provide a foot of ground clearance.
Where some 4WD omit water fording in their suite of talents, Range Rover engineers have designed this SUV to cross water up to three feet deep. And the Rover has an aggressive 2.93:1 low-range gearing as well as an optional locking rear differential, so it can probably crawl over obstacles that would leave other luxury SUVs with their tires spinning.
Speaking of spinning tires, opt for the 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 and you’ll get a ridiculous 510 hp that can power the Range Rover to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat. Be prepared to pony up, though, as this beast starts at $84,000.

Ford Super Duty

The Ford Raptor might be the best all-around 4WD vehicle that Ford makes. But for hardcore, slow-going four-wheeling that requires you to tow or haul a heavy payload, choose the Ford Super Duty.
What’s important here are the Ford’s solid axles. Unlike most pickups (Ram Heavy Duty excluded) that use an independent front suspension for better street manners on their 4WD trucks, this Ford uses a solid beam axle for increased durability, axle articulation, and the ability to handle larger-than-stock tires. And with an electronically locking rear differential available as an option, the Super Duty can handle seriously tough terrain.
This Ford packs an optional 6.7-liter diesel that cranks out 440 ph and an insane 860 lb-ft of torque. Even if you install a suspension lift and some beastly aftermarket tires, that diesel would have no problem.

Mercedes-Benz G500

Mercedes-Benz has a legendary reputation among 4WD fans because of two vehicles: The commercial-duty Unimog 4X4s they sell everywhere but in the U.S., and this vehicle, the G-Wagen.
The G-Series Mercedes-Benz was developed for international armed forces in the 1970s; it exists today mostly unchanged from those roots. Sure, it’s a modern Mercedes-Benz, and as such comes packed with luxury and technology. But beneath the leather, wood and radar cruise control, there’s old-school body-on-frame construction and solid axles at each end of the chassis.
If the list of hardcore parts ended here, the Benz would still make this list. But Mercedes-Benz provides each G-Wagen (even the 536-hp AMG model) with three electronically activated locking differentials. That’s astonishing for a luxury vehicle—only the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Ram Power Wagon match that level of capability.
The price of admission, though, is as steep as the hills this horse can conquer. A G500 starts at just under $115,000.

News Source: www.popularmechanics.com/cars/trucks/reviews/g129/the-10-best-off-road-vehicles-you-can-buy-right-now/

Which is the best 4×4 jeep for Off Road Adventures?

Anyone who at least once has tried to buy used 4×4 jeep, also called off road jeep, will admit that it was indeed very exhausting and enduring process, despite of the fact that the offer is wide enough. Those who don’t have their own 4×4 jeep yet, but want to participate in off road adventures and buy an off road vehicle, are about to experience this exciting procedure! To ease this process at least a little, we will analyze here the offer of the available used off road jeeps and try to answer to the eternal question – “which is better?”

How to choose 4×4 jeep for off road adventures?

To understand in which direction to look, everyone should answer himself to few questions about his “perfect 4×4 jeep”. In other words – to determine what are the criterions of choice.

1. Price. It usually is one of the most important matters when you are about to buy something, including a 4×4 jeep for off road adventures!

2. Use. Where are you going to drive with your 4×4 jeep, what roads are you going to take and how often? Whether those are going to be activities connected with your work or you are going to participate in off road adventures and expeditions? How much space do you need in your 4×4 off road jeep? Is it going to be the only vehicle or the second or third in your car park? The right choice will help you to achieve your goals faster and easier.

3. Reliability. It is very important to accomplish everything you have planned in time and reach the target. And the reliability is even more important, if you need to cover bigger distances or go on off road adventures.

4. Fuel consumption. Important as always – off road adventures are not exception!

5. Engine power and type of gear box. Of course people can get used to anything, but the pleasure is bigger if you drive a 4×4 off road jeep you like! And if you plan to participate in many off road adventures, it is better to choose the manual transmission.

6. Equipment and level of comfort. It is nice to feel good inside your 4×4 off road jeep, no matter what the road conditions are and how often you participate in off road adventures!

7. Availability of spare parts. It is logical that it is easier and cheaper to buy new or used spare parts for the most popular models.

8. Personnel and subjective reasons to love specific type or model. If such reasons exist, all rational considerations are pushed aside!

Our friend – common sense – tells us that it would be wiser to start with the second point of the list – what am I going to do with my 4×4 jeep? Then go back to the first, continue with the third and all other points. 

Every 4×4 off road jeep has its own mission

Here we are going to identify the most popular ways of use of off road jeeps and will look at the offer of used and not very expensive off road jeeps. Not talking about the “City. Highway. Asphalt.” We’ll start with the following:

If you have to cover long distances every day on roads of different covering and on country roads:

– that could be a car for a person who is working in the countryside or lives far from the city. In this case most likely we are not talking about off road adventures, but all-wheel drive capability could be useful in winter and also in spring or autumn. The car should be reliable, comfortable and economic. If there are no passengers, the model with short wheelbase (3 doors) would be more economic. But with long wheelbase you would feel less the undulations – car wouldn’t “bounce” so much. The most reliable but also most expensive choice would be Toyota Land Cruiser 90 or 120 series. 

Another good choice is Mitsubishi Pajero or Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – it has better steerability, but the running gear’s lifetime is short and the fuel consumption is high. You can also choose Opel Frontera or Monterey, Jeep Grand Cherokee or Land Rover Discovery of the third generation or younger. A good alternative could also be the powerful korean Hyundai Terracan, though its production has been ceased. You can also pick some “parquet jeep” for your everyday tours on country roads, but there are no reliable data on the endurance of running gear that would be constantly subjected to the bumpy Latvian roads.

For short everyday journeys on roads of different covering and on country roads:

– in this case it could be either work in the specific region or everyday journeys from home to store in countryside. If you use your 4×4 jeep mostly for these purposes, it wouldn’t be wise to use it during the off road adventures. In this case the reliability and comfort as well as fuel economy could have less importance than in cases you need to drive 100 or more kilometers per day. For such short journeys you can also choose the models mentioned above, but here the vehicle could be older or could have run more.

It is worth to look at some American productions or some rarer off road jeeps from Daihatsu, Ford, Nissan, Suzuki. A friend of mine after a long search just bought 4×4 Range Rover 1998 model. This jeep looks impressive and drives well, but you must have very strong nerves – just to be able to pay no attention to all the blinking lights on the gauge-board and other “phenomenons” connected with electricity. Some small disorders are a common thing for older Land Rovers.

For long journeys on the roads of different covering; off road driving; away from civilization:

– now we are talking about off road adventures and expeditions. Maybe sometimes some fishermen or hunters have a necessity for such use of the 4×4 off road jeep. In this case you need a big and reliable vehicle that is good enough on the road and also off road.

Check out on the internet or in the magazines what the choices of globe-trotters are when they go on their round-the-world tours and off road adventures – and you’ll get the picture! Mostly they drive Toyota Land Cruiser 70, 80 or 100 series, Nissan Patrol, Land Rover Defender.

Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser are almost the only off road jeeps that can be found and bought with the original mechanical winch – which is a very important thing during off road adventures! I am not a big fan of mechanical winches, but if this “extra” is provided in the construction – it gives sense of safety during off road adventures without additional expenses.

For rare, short journeys on the roads of different covering; off road driving; away from civilization:

– this is more the case of fishermen, hunters or forest or agricultural laborers. Also could sometimes be useful for some rare off road adventures. Here neither the comfort nor fuel economy has any importance. And nobody would care for the looks of the vehicle or existence of roadworthiness test, if you drive on the “right” roads.

Important is to get to the right place in the right time and the ability to transport goods or people. In this case you need 4×4 off road jeep with good passability. Any of the old off road jeeps will do in this case. And the simpler it is and higher its frame is the better. But you must pay attention to the condition of the frame – how rusty it is. The best choices: UAZ, Land Rover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series, first and second generation Mitsubishi Pajero, Nissan Patrol. 

For accomplishment of specific works – trailer towing, cargo transportation, etc.:

– in this case the character of each labor must be taken into consideration. For trailer towing it is important to have powerful motor but in case of cargo transportations – space that is big enough. Significant section in the range of the off road jeeps is pickup trucks – but that’s another story.

What you must know when you buy 4×4 jeep for off road adventures?

As you have understood from the above mentioned there is no such thing as the best 4×4 off road jeep. There are those who suit better for each person and for each specific occasion, whether it is connected with your work on the countryside or you just want to participate in off road adventures. But there are some not very good news that refers to absolutely everyone.

The first: if the 4×4 jeep is in good condition, no one would sell it, but would continue to drive himself. If it is on sale, then probably it has some technical problems. If you know where exactly the problem is, you just have to find out the costs and then evaluate if it is worth to buy such vehicle.

And the second – that results from the first – there are many offers in the market, but there are very few good vehicles for a good and reasonable price. That is why the purchase of the 4×4 jeep is a long and exhausting process!

Furthermore – if you see that the owner has been careless to the exterior of his 4×4 jeep (the body is scratched and you can see it’s been hit, it is dirty and “worn-out” inside), you can be almost sure that the same attitude he had towards engine and running gear. For that reason it’s better to avoid buying such vehicle.

Whether we like it or not, if we drive continuously in off road conditions and participate in many of road adventures, not only the running gear wears out faster, but also the vehicle in general. And different rear defects show up with time – cracks in the body, problems with electronics and others. From such purchases you should also avoid. 

Some more advices: when you buy your 4×4 off road jeep, pay attention to the things that could ask some immediate investments, like, if the tires are worn-out you must consider the purchase of new ones. Then of course check whether the window glasses or lumps aren’t cracked. Also the lack of CD player would require additional expenses.

When talking about the technical condition of the vehicle it is of course better to consult with the professional, especially if you buy your first 4×4 jeep, because it is not the same as buying the city car. If you already have experience with off road jeeps, you can count on your own judgment about the vehicle.

Of course after you have had a test drive – on different roads, trying different gears and the capability of all-wheel drive. Don’t forget to check the engine, the running gear and the body – how rusty the vehicle is. Also pay attention to the clutch, gear box and to thousands of other important details. 

Usually when somebody asks my advice about the purchase and the choice of the best 4×4 off road jeep, I give a simple answer – the one who has run less! The year of production has little importance – what does matter is the condition of the vehicle. If it is good, you’ll be able to drive safely and with no worries for a longer period!

News Source: http://4x4tourism.com