Are you looking to purchase a new off road vehicle or just wondering what other options are out there this year? When it comes to buying an off road vehicle you have a ton of really good options in a variety of price points. Not as many as you may have once had, but there are still a few brands out there producing off road focused vehicles.
In this post I will talk about a few of my favorite choices and the pros and cons to each of them. I will mostly focus on the 2021 model year vehicles, but I will also touch on a few of the older “classics” if you will. I realize not everyone will be on the hunt for a brand new truck or SUV. A lot of these are relatively unchanged over the past few years. Getting a lightly used truck or SUV could save you a decent amount of money, while still getting some of the last features the newest model has. Who knows you may be able to grab a soccer mom’s 4runner at a really good price with zero off-road time in it. Those mall parking lots can get rough though, so make sure it’s a solid truck.
Table of Contents
My Top Off Road and Overlanding Vehicles -in no particular order
- Toyota 4Runner
- Toyota Tacoma
- Jeep JL Rubicon
- AEV Prospector XL
- Ford Raptor
- Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison
- Land Rover Defender 90
Toyota 4Runner
I currently have a 2016 Toyota 4Runner Trail edition. I chose this vehicle for its reliability and ease of modification. When my wife got pregnant we needed a bigger car. I loved my Jeep Rubicon JK, but even though it was a four door, it just wasn’t big enough. Toyota is know for producing vehicles that have great reliability. If properly maintained you can easily get 200,000 miles out of a Toyota. I have personally seen 4Runners with well over 400,000 miles on them. You will see plenty of mid to late 90’s Toyota vehicles still on the road today.
Suspension
The 4Runner has independent front suspension with a solid rear axle. If you get the TRD off-road or the TRD pro models you will get an electronic rear locker and crawl control. The crawl control works really well to get you out of those sticky situations by managing wheel spin. It will also creep you down a hill with no need for you to hit the brakes.
TRD Pro
If you choose to splurge for the TRD Pro model you will be getting Fox suspension with a 1″ lift up front. In terms of a used TRD Pro anything before the 2019 model year will be a Bilstein shock. One of the biggest draws to the Pro is the exclusive colors that they come in.
All Around Reliability
The 4Runner is an incredibly capable SUV when it comes to off-roading even in stock form. It is also a very comfortable vehicle to drive every day. With a few upgrades you will be off-roading with the best of them. The great thing about the 4Runner is it is a narrow SUV. In Colorado the trails can get pretty tight, and having a wide off-road truck has the potential to obtain more damage. Below are a few specs for the 2021 4Runner
| INTERIOR | |
| Front head room | 39 “ |
| Rear head room | 39 “ |
| Front shoulder room | 58 “ |
| Rear shoulder room | 58 “ |
| Front hip room | 57 “ |
| Rear hip room | 56 “ |
| Front leg room | 41.7 “ |
| Rear leg room | 32.9 “ |
| Luggage capacity | 47.2 Cu.ft. |
| Maximum cargo capacity | 89.7 Cu.ft. |
| Standard seating | 5 |
| EXTERIOR | |
| Length | 190.7 “ |
| Body width | 75.8 “ |
| Body height | 71.5 “ |
| Wheelbase | 109.8 “ |
| Ground clearance | 9.6 “ |
| Curb | 4,805 Lbs. |
| Gross weight | 6,300 Lbs. |
| FUEL | |
| Fuel tank capacity | 23.0 Gal. |
| EPA mileage estimates | 16 City / 19 Hwy |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| Base engine size | 4.0 Liters |
| Base engine type | V-6 |
| Horsepower | 270 Hp |
| Horsepower rpm | 5,600 |
| Torque | 278 Lb-Ft. |
| Torque rpm | 4,400 |
| Payload | 1,495 Lbs. |
| Maximum towing capacity | 5,000 Lbs. |
| Drive type | Four-Wheel |
| Turning radius | 18.7 ” |
Toyota Tacoma
If you want to stick with Toyota reliability, but need or want a truck then the Tacoma (Taco as the Tacoma guys like to call it) is the way to go. Again being a more narrow truck will be beneficial to those tighter trails. The thing about the Tacoma that is great is you can get a bed rack to mount a roof top tent and have it sit a little lower than you would on a straight SUV like the 4Runner. This could come in handy when it comes to getting in your garage.
Bed Rack for Storage
I also like the bed racks for things like mounting your Maxtrax, shovel, axe, and Rotopax. With this you will still have full use of the bed to haul your gear. You won’t be able to throw that super tall dresser in there, but who really WANTS to haul furniture anyways.
Suspension
The suspension on the Tacoma is an independent front suspension, with a solid rear axle. This gives the truck a great amount of comfort on the road. With the Tacoma you will have the option of getting the rear locker and crawl control with the TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro models as well. The Pro again comes with the Fox suspension sitting 1″ taller in front. In the Tacoma they switched from Bilstein shocks to the Fox shocks in 2018.
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve Atkinson-cycle V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 211 cu in, 3456 cc
Power: 278 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 265 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 127.4 in
Length: 212.3 in
Width: 75.2 in Height: 71.6 in
Passenger volume: 100 cu ft
Curb weight: 4661 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 18/23 mpg
Jeep Rubicon JL
When it comes to off-roading the first vehicle that comes to mind is a Jeep. The newest offering is the JL. My previous vehicle was a 2012 Jeep Rubicon JK. Jeeps are amazing vehicles off road. With the Rubicon model you will get front and rear lockers and a front sway bar disconnect. This will make it incredibly capable off-road right off the dealer lot. The Rubicon also comes with 285/70/R17 tire with more aggressive tread pattern. This is basically a 33″ tall tire, giving you a little more ground clearance than the standard model.
Jeep vs Toyota
The big difference in a Jeep from a Toyota in terms of suspension and drivetrain is that it has solid front axles front and rear. This gives the Jeep amazing articulation while climbing over obstacles. Jeeps are great for summer time cruising with the top off too!
One thing that can be rough with the hard top though is getting it on and off. If you need an idea on how to easily remove it by yourself then read my post on my roof top tent storage.
Reliability and Upgrades
Jeeps aren’t known for their superior reliability, but most people know that going in. You are really buying a Jeep to have a Jeep. The list of modifications available for Jeeps are endless. You could spend over $100,000 on upgrading your Jeep if your pockets are deep enough.
A couple great options available on the Jeep platform is the Gladiator which has a pick-up bed on the back, and the available Diesel engine option. The diesel will get you better fuel economy and that low end torque that all off-roaders wish they had more of. That Diesel engine option will cost you though. The upgrade to the diesel is $4000 and requires the 8-speed transition which is an extra $2000. Below are some of the specs of the JL Rubicon
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 220 cu in, 3605 cc
Power: 285 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 118.4 in
Length: 188.4 in
Width: 73.8 in Height: 73.6 in
Passenger volume: 104 cu ft
Cargo volume: 32 cu ft
Curb weight: 4469 lb
EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 20/18/23 mpg
AEV Prospector XL
AEV or American Expedition Vehicles made its name making Jeep upgrades. They make great stamped steel bumpers and lift kits that work really well. From my understanding the founder of AEV is a former engineer for Jeep. I had all the AEV upgrades on my Jeep JK, and in my opinion they were the best fitting and best looking upgrades available.
Dodge Ram Base
A few years back they ventured into offering the Prospector XL. This is based on the Dodge Ram full size truck and sports a new front and rear bumper, bigger tires, a 3″ lift, and a whole host of other options. This thing is a beast to say the least, coming standard with massive 40″ tires. Being based on the Dodge Ram you can get the Cummins diesel engine. This thing is a power house of a motor and will have zero trouble turning those 40″ tires.
Standard options listed below (does not include the actual truck itself)
- AEV Ram HD Front Bumper
- AEV Front Bumper Low Tube
- AEV Diesel Intercooler Shroud Kit
- AEV Non-Winch Cover Plate
- AEV HighMark Fender Flares
- AEV Hydraulic-Assist Steering Upgrade
- AEV 3″ DualSport RT Suspension System
- AEV ProCal Module
- AEV 17×10 Katla Wheels
- 40″ Toyo Open Country M/T Tires
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Sensors
- AEV Ram HD Rear Bumper
- AEV Branding Package
- AEV IP Cluster
- AEV Logo Headrests
- AEV Vehicle Build Plaque
Here is a list of optional add ons:
- AEV Bed Rack
- AEV Snorkel (Late Availability)
- AEV Differential Covers (Late Availability)
- AEV Front Brush Guard (Late Availability)
- AEV 7000 Series LED Off-Road Lights
- Vision X 30″ XPL LED Light Bar
- Baja Designs Rear Bumper LED Lights
- AEV Leather / CORDURA® Interior
- AEV Premium Leather Interior Upgrade
- AEV F-1 Leather Interior Upgrade
- AEV Rear Splash Guards
- AEV Full-size Spare Tire – Flat Bed Mount
- AEV Full-size Spare Tire – Vertical Mount
- AEV Painted Appearance Package
- AEV Rear Bumper Lighting
- AMP Power Side Steps
- Warn 16.5 Winch
- AEV Weekender Recovery Gear Kit
- AEV Expedition Recovery Gear Kit
This truck is amazingly capable off-road with solid axles front and rear and powah for days. With increased load capacity you will be able to tow more, and haul more. This could mean you could haul more fuel as well for those longer excursions without cutting into your payload as much.
Width Downfall
The downfall for a truck such as this is how wide and just big it is. Wide trucks don’t work too well on narrow trails. These trucks also don’t come cheap. I priced out one with just a couple upgrades and it totaled $27,000 on top of the truck purchase.
Ford Raptor
Ford just announced the new Gen 3 Raptor on February 3rd. I have had a love for the Ford Raptors since they were released in 2008. These trucks are built more for going fast off-road then rock crawling. They have massive travel from their Fox suspension, and available active shocks. The active shocks can make up to 500 adjustments per second depending on the terrain you are driving on. Again a wide truck, but has that aggressive look to it. The signature 3 lights in the grill are actually there by law due to how wide the truck is.
2021 Sneak Peek
Details are trickling out for the 2021 Raptor due out in the summer, but big changes for this model year include a 5-Link rear suspension replacing the leaf spring suspension of years past. They are also going to offer 2 power plant options. The Raptor R is rumored to be coming with the Mustang GT500 motor. Details aren’t fully released yet, but they are trying to compete with the Dodge Ram TRX that has the 707HP Hellcat motor in it. The other will presumably be the EcoBoost V-6 in last years model putting out 450 hp and 500ft/lbs of torque.
Suspension
Suspension is what makes this truck. Coming with 14″ of shock travel in the front and 15″ in the rear from the factory. If you opt to get the factory installed 37″ tires travel will be limited to 13″ in front and 14.1″ in the rear.
Tires
The optional 37″ tire upgrade also has some changes made to the frame to fit the 37″ full size spare under the bed. Being able to get 37″ tires from the factory may be a total game changer. The standard tires are 35″. Getting 37″ tires and not having to worry about the speedometer being off or a lack of power due to having the wrong gears installed in my mind is well worth the price. Below are some of the specs
| 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor | |
| BASE PRICE | $63,000 (est) |
| LAYOUT | Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck |
| ENGINE | 3.5L/450-hp (est)/510-lb-ft (est) twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 |
| TRANSMISSION | 10-speed auto |
| CURB WEIGHT | 5,750 lb (est) |
| WHEELBASE | 145.4 in |
| L x W x H | 232.6 x 86.6 x 79.8-80.7 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 5.5 sec (MT est, mfr est) |
| EPA FUEL ECON | Not yet rated |
| ON SALE | June 2021 |
Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison
I’m not going to lie, I don’t know a ton about the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, but have had a couple buddies get them. The more I researched them for this article, the more I want one. They are a smaller pickup truck much like the Tacoma and the Ford Ranger. Chevy teamed up with AEV to create a beast of a trail truck in a smaller form than the monstrous Prospector XL.
Towing and Motor
Chevy has an option that will be able to tow 7,000 lbs which is great for people that want to step into an off-road trailer eventually. 7,000 lbs really gives you a lot more options when it comes to choosing a camper. Another nice option for you Torque hungry off-roaders is a diesel motor option.
The diesel makes 181 hp at 3400 rpm and 369 ft/lb torque at 2000 rpm and comes equipped with an engine brake. That is great for that low speed crawling, and me being a truck driver I use engine brakes all the time, and they are a great feature to have that helps reduce the use of mechanical brakes. The Colorado has a fully boxed frame with independent front suspension. Solid axle in the rear with available front and rear differential lockers.
AEV Available Options
If you don’t go with the Bison edition, Chevy is selling available options from AEV for this truck. You can get factory fitment skid plates and front and rear bumpers. If you are going off-road all these options are well worth the money for protecting your new truck. As some of you may know aftermarket bumpers and stuff don’t always fit right. AEV really has all their stuff dialed in. I highly recommend AEV upgrades for your vehicle if they make it.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison stands 2″ taller and 3.5″ wider than your standard Chevy Colorado. Adding all the AEV upgrades that make it the ZR2 Bison only adds 209 LBS, which is not a lot when you are considering what you get.
Full skid plates, and Front and Rear bumpers
AEV uses a special Boron Steel in its skid plates that allow it to be thinner material while also being stronger. It also bounces back to shape a bit after taking a hit. This could be a real game changer if the rest of us can get Boron steel skids.
The Bison edition will tack on about $12,000 to the cost of the truck, and can be added on to from there with things like AEV mud flaps, a Warn winch, and so on. In my opinion, this is a great option for someone that wants a turn key off-road truck in the midsize range.
Standard Upgrades on the Bison Edition
- AEV 4.10 Axle Ratio Upgrade
- AEV Branding Package
- AEV Build Plaque
- AEV Front Bumper Low Tube
- AEV HighMark Fender Flares
- AEV IP ClusterAEV Jack Base
- AEV Limited Lifetime Warranty
- AEV Rear Differential Skid Plate
- BFGoodrich 35″ tires
- Chevrolet Performance Suspension Leveling Kit
- Performance Tie Rod Sleeve Kit
- Speedometer Recalibration
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Sensors
Standard Specs for a ZR2
| Type: | 3.6L DOHC V-6 with Direct Injection |
| Bore & Stroke (in / mm): | 3.7 x 3.37 / 94 x 85.6 |
| Block Material: | Cast aluminum |
| Cylinder Head Material: | Cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | Dual-overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder; continuously variable valve timing |
| Fuel Delivery: | High-pressure direct fuel injection with electronic throttle control |
| Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): | 308 / 230 @ 6800 (SAE certified) |
| Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm @ rpm): | 275 / 373 @ 4000 (SAE certified) |
| Type: | 2.8L I-4 Turbo-Diesel |
| Bore & Stroke (in / mm): | 3.7 x 3.94 / 94 x 100 |
| Block Material: | Grey cast iron |
| Cylinder Head Material: | Cast aluminum |
| Valvetrain: | Dual-overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder |
| Fuel Delivery: | Common rail direct fuel injection |
| Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): | 186 / 135 @ 3400 (SAE certified) |
| Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm @ rpm): | 369 / 500 @ 2000 (SAE certified) |
Land Rover Defender 90
Now to possibly the most iconic off-road vehicle ever. Land Rover just released an updated version of this vehicle, but we are not talking about that one today. Here we are going into the tried and true classic.
The Defender 90 has been used all over the world as and off-road/overland vehicle with great success. There is no mistaking a Defender 90 when you see them. The boxy look, along with purpose built bumpers make it one of my favorite all time trucks.
These do not come cheap though. It would be common for you to be looking at a mid 80’s defender 90 and the price tag will still be north of $30,000. There is one close to me for sale in great shape and the guy want $85,000. It does have the diesel motor in it which is a plus and very hard to come by in the states.
History
Production of the Defender began in 1983 with the 110 which stands for the 110 inch wheel base. The Defender 90 which has a 93 inch wheel base came out in 1984. The final Defender series rolled off the assembly line in January of 2016. Land Rover fitted these with coil spring suspension for a more compliant ride, and a center locking differential.
Motor Options
Over the years there have been several motor options or changes available to the Defender series. A few different diesels including a turbo diesel, a V-8, and parts of South Africa saw a BMW fitted in the engine compartment. These have long become a collectors car of sorts– not one that sits in a showroom and collects dust though. Owners of these are still out there driving them and using them as intended. One main downfall of these is the use of steel on them. Often times if you see one of these gems out on the road they have some rust on them.
Built for Off Road but Not Built for Speed
Defender series trucks are no power houses or race cars with most making between 80 and 200 hp depending on the engine you get. Thats not what these are built for though. You will get one of these to go on a safari across South Africa because its built like a brick “S” house.
Final Thoughts on Off Road Vehicles
Whichever off road vehicle you choose, you can’t go wrong. above all, you want to make sure you get something reliable and comfortable for you. These are just a few of my favorite choices that are out there right now. Obviously each one can be tweaked with aftermarket parts to make it far more capable than in stock form. Some of the trucks on the list are more capable off the lot than others, but all are great choices.
All in all, any vehicle can be a great overland rig with the right driver behind the wheel, but not all can handle the off-road the same. Ground clearance will make a big difference when it comes to off-roading. The harder you plan to off-road, the more options you should look for like locking differentials and such. Some of the of more specialty vehicles like the ZR2 Bison and the Ford Raptor have better shocks out of the gate to get you better handling off the beaten path. All the above mentioned vehicles can be fitted with better options have purchase too though.
Whatever you choose make it yours and use it. See you out there!