It’s time for adventure! It doesn’t matter when you read this: it’s time to go on an adventure. Many adventures require traveling by four-wheeled vehicles with family, friends, and gear. So, here is our list of the best adventure rigs to suit a wide range of needs and budgets.
What’s an adventure rig, though? Well, we’re sticking with new 2025 model-year vehicles. They have to be vehicles that you can sleep in, though we’ll allow pickup trucks where your feet might have to rest on the tailgate. Space for sleeping also means lots of space for gear, even if you can’t have both simultaneously.
Adventure rigs don’t have to be able to traverse all terrains, but they do need at least some off-road capability. Not everything can be a rock crawler — don’t we wish! — but they’ll need to be able to cover more than just basic gravel roads.
Let’s dive right into the best 2025 adventure vehicle options.
The Best 2025 Adventure Vehicles
Subaru Outback Wilderness
The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a great balance of on- and off-road performance. It takes the standard Outback’s massive 75.6 cubic feet of cargo space (with 75 inches of length for sleeping and Symmetrical AWD) and gives it a bit more of everything.
Wilderness has a 2.4L turbo engine that makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. It boosts the Outback’s towing capacity to 3,500 pounds if you want to bring a small camper or utility trailer along on the adventure.
The Wilderness is almost an inch taller than other Outback models, with 9.5 inches of clearance. Its roof rails can hold up to 700 pounds when you’re stopped, making it perfect for a rooftop tent. Durable and aggressive Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires help protect against trail damage and give you essential traction.
Hyundai Santa Fe XRT
Is that Ex Arr Tee or Zrrt? We’re not sure either, but we do know that the latest Santa Fe is a strong candidate for your next adventure rig.
The Santa Fe XRT is more than just its dark chrome trim. It also has 1.5 inches of extra ground clearance (8.3 total) and can tow 4,500 pounds. Plus, it comes with Continental all-terrain tires.
Santa Fe’s 50.2-inch cargo opening is half a foot wider than the old model for easy loading. The total cargo capacity back there is 79.6 cubic feet, and since it’s basically a box, it’s quite useful. With the second-row seats in use, you still have 40.5 cubic feet of space.
Hyundai has also added a clever assist handle built into the rear pillar. Combined with a step pad on the rear door sill, it makes it easier to get up and safely load and unload your roof rack.
In our review of the Santa Fe XRT, we said, “If you’re looking for a vehicle that can haul your outdoor gear, family, and friends safely, comfortably, and for a price below the average new vehicle today, then the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is a great option.”
Toyota RAV4 Woodland
Wait, the hybrid Woodland and not the gas-only RAV4 TRD Pro? Yup, and here’s why.
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Woodland starts with 18-inch TRD wheels wearing Falken Wildpeak A/T tires. It also gets a suspension tuned by TRD for trails, with twin-tube shocks and special valving. That’s everything the TRD Off Road model gets, but then Woodland has more.
It has Toyota’s hybrid system with 219 horsepower with 37 mpg to help you get there and back with less gas. It also uses an electric motor to drive the rear tires instead of a center diff and has a Trail Mode Toyota says works like a limited-slip differential to keep you from getting stuck.
RAV4 Woodland has easy-clean Softex seats and a standard 1¼-inch hitch that Toyota calls a “rear activity mount.” It’s for bike racks and cargo carriers. You also get all-weather mats, and all RAV4 models have up to 69.8 cubic feet of storage
Rivian R1S
Want the latest and greatest before any of your friends but want to show it off in the forest? The seven-seat R1S might be exactly what you’re looking for.
The latest R1S SUV offers up to 1,025 horsepower from its four-motor system. There are slightly less extreme versions, too, with fewer motors. Max range is up to 320 miles, giving you the ability to get pretty far from that nearest plug.
Rivian offers innovative features like a Camping mode that lets you turn off the vehicle to save power or keep it alive to run outlets and the radio. It can also self-level for better sleep and has floodlights in the side mirrors.
When the seats are folded flat, Rivian has 104.7 cubic feet of cargo space. Plus it offers a small fold-down tailgate for seating or table use that can handle 500 pounds. And, you can keep your cargo dry in the front trunk or use that space for ice to keep your food cold.
Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
Want to get 25 miles down the trail without any engine noise or using any gas? The Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe can do that, thanks to its plug-in hybrid power system.
PHEV power doesn’t compromise the go-anywhere Jeep, which still has a low-range transfer case and an available limited-slip rear differential. The ultimate off-road Grand Cherokee, the taller, air-suspension, and all-terrain-tire-equipped Trailhawk, is exclusively sold with the 4xe system.
Like all Grand Cherokee models, it has 70.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the front seats, and it can handle 1,050 pounds of payload as well as 6,000 pounds of towing.
Toyota 4Runner
The 4Runner is brand new for the first time in basically forever, and Toyota has worked hard to make this adventure rig better than ever. It might not have the engines it has had for decades, but it does get the 2.4L turbo-four with 278 horsepower or the 326 horsepower i-Force Max hybrid systems from the Tacoma it is based on.
The 4Runner offers part-time and full-time 4×4 systems, a limited-slip differential (TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro, and Trailhunter get lockers), and an available sway bar disconnect.
The Trailhunter trim is aimed at adventure rig overland buyers, with Old Man Emu shocks and 33-inch Toyo all-terrain tires. It also offers a 2,400W AC inverter for household power for your gear.
In the interest of full disclosure, the 4Runner doesn’t quite qualify for this list. See, Toyota’s rear seats don’t fold flat with the floor. They fold and then tumble forward. So, if you want to sleep in the back, you’ll need an adjustable sleep platform. We like the rest of the package so much that we had to include it anyway.
Lexus GX 550 Overtrail
The Lexus GX has long been an off-roader for buyers who wanted more luxury on the way to and from the trail, and the latest model has just stepped that up. The GX 550 gives you features like massage seats and fancy-pants semi-aniline leather (or faux NuLuxe, which is probably better for getting muddy).
But the GX 550 Overtrail will also give you seats designed to keep you in place on the trail. Adaptive suspension is standard, and it has the Lexus eKDSS electric virtual sway bar disconnect that improves its off-road ride and gives you 24 inches of travel for the 33-inch Toyo all-terrain tires.
Lexus has 90.5 cubic feet of storage space when all the seats are folded. It can tow more than 9,000 pounds, too. We said, “It’s hard to really fault the new GX for much. It is a massive improvement over the now very dated GX 460 in essentially every way.”
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
It’s the default choice. Want to go off-road? Get a Jeep Wrangler. But Jeep hasn’t just rested on its laurels; it has earned that distinction, year after year, for decades.
Every Wrangler gets 4×4, and every four-door model gets 72.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Rubicon models add a 4:1 low-range transfer case, electronic front sway bar disconnect, and a Dana 44 HD full-float rear axle.
Its 33-inch all-terrain tires are standard, but you can fit 35s for even more capability. Jeep also offers steel bumpers and a factory winch option to help you get almost anywhere. Jeep’s latest infotainment system with a 12.3-inch screen and the Trails Offroad app helps you get to the right site and then get back home. Jeep offers a 285-horsepower V6, 270 horse I4, or the 4xe PHEV system.
Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 / GMC Canyon AT4X
The Chevy Colorado ZR2 and Canyon AT4X are impressively capable of off-road adventuring. The midsized pickups both get Multimatic DSSV dampers that can handle extreme off-road conditions with a shocking degree of comfort, plus a 2-inch lift, 33-inch all-terrain tires, and protective skid plates. There are locking diffs at both ends, too.
That extra capability off-road does hurt payload and towing compared with the standard versions, but the pair can still manage 1,050 pounds of payload and 5,500 pounds of trailer. That’s enough to make sure you can add a bed tent for sleeping while having capacity to bring loads of gear on the trail with you.
Jeep Gladiator 4xe
We couldn’t mention the Wrangler without mentioning the Gladiator. The Jeep Gladiator offers virtually the same off-road capabilities as the Wrangler, but then Jeep has added a 60-inch box. Drop the tailgate, and you have 81 inches of flat space to sleep. Plenty of room for a bed tent for anyone who isn’t in the NBA. And, like every pickup, you get more space for gear when you’re not back there.
New for 2025, Jeep is adding the 4xe drive system to the Gladiator pickup, letting you get to and from the trail on electric power and use less fuel while you’re on your adventure.
Chevrolet Silverado HD ZR2 / GMC Sierra HD AT4X
We hear you: You have heavy things to haul during the week, but you don’t want a second vehicle for the weekend. General Motors heard you, too, and that’s why it offers built HD versions of its signature off-roaders based on 2500 series trucks.
The Silverado HD ZR2 and Sierra HD AT4X have Multimatic DSSV damping and 35-inch Goodyear Territory tires. They also have heavy-duty recovery hooks and hefty skidplates.
GM’s HD off-roaders also have the ability to tow up to 18,500 pounds for the Duramax diesel or 18,010 for 6.6L gas V8 models. That’s plenty for your small equipment needs during the week to help with farming, contracting, welding, or whatever your tough job needs.
