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.

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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.