Now more than ever, people want to get away from it all. Pack up the suitcases, load up the family, and head for the great outdoors—whether it be a weekend camping trip or a weeklong overlanding excursion.
Of course, you’ll need a vehicle that can actually get you there. While rugged, body-on-frame SUVs can be out of reach for some buyers, plenty of crossovers are surprisingly capable on dirt trails. Granted, they might not be ready for serious off-roading, but they’ll get you to your favorite campsite or trailhead.
So, what exactly qualifies as a crossover? Good question. First and foremost, it has to be a unibody vehicle. That means traditional body-on-frame SUVs like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler need not apply. It also has to be a model whose base trim isn’t specifically designed for off-road use.
With those ground rules in place, here are 12 crossovers with enough ruggedness to help you get off the beaten path.
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Ground Clearance: 8.0 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: Off-road-tuned suspension, functional skid plate, sport-terrain tires
Fuel Economy: 27 MPG Combined
It’s literally right there in the name: Trail. Blazer. Jokes aside, Chevy’s cheapest crossover actually offers a decent amount of off-road hardware if you opt for the Activ trim with all-wheel drive.
The Trailblazer’s most rugged version gets an off-road-tuned suspension, a functional skid plate, and slightly chunkier tires. It also gets some extra rugged styling to match, along with a few nice paint options. It’s not going to conquer Moab, but it’ll handle a dirt road without much trouble.
Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch
Ground Clearance: 8.7 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, locking rear differential, underbody skid plates, steel bumpers, recovery hooks
Fuel Economy: 24 MPG Combined
The bigger Bronco is, of course, one of the most recognizable names in off-roading, right up there with the Jeep Wrangler. The baby Bronco Sport, meanwhile, is essentially an Escape with a rugged makeover. But don’t let that fool you. It’s plenty capable in its own right.
Opt for the Bronco Sport with the Sasquatch package, and you’ll get a locking rear differential, 29-inch all-terrain tires, and a healthy dose of off-road hardware. When we tested it in 2024, we said the Bronco Sport “may even be good enough for the experienced off-roader.”
GMC Terrain AT4
Ground Clearance: 7.9 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: Lifted suspension, all-terrain tires, red recovery hooks, selectable drive mode
Fuel Economy: 25 MPG Combined
With a name like Terrain, you’d think GMC’s compact SUV would be ready for the tough stuff right out of the box. Unfortunately, the standard Terrain is essentially a Chevy Equinox in a nicer suit. That’s where the AT4 comes in: GMC’s dedicated off-road trim.
The Terrain AT4 gets a lifted suspension, all-terrain tires, red recovery hooks, and an exclusive selectable Terrain drive mode. Ground clearance also increases to 7.9 inches, up from 5.7 inches on standard models. It’s still no Wrangler, but it’ll handle a few rough roads without breaking a sweat.
Honda Passport TrailSport
Ground Clearance: 9.6 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: Off-road-tuned suspension, all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, recovery hooks, TrailWatch camera system
Fuel Economy: 20 MPG Combined
Of all the crossovers on this list, the latest Honda Passport probably has one of the strongest reputations for off-road capability, particularly in TrailSport trim. The standard Passport is a perfectly capable everyday SUV, but the TrailSport adds a healthy dose of hardware for those who like to venture beyond the pavement.
For 2027, the Passport TrailSport gets a specially tuned off-road suspension, all-terrain tires, skid plates, tow hooks, and up to 9.6 inches of ground clearance. That’s a notable improvement over the 8.3 inches offered by standard models. Having recently driven the Passport TrailSport, we can confidently say: “It’s downright shocking just how capable the 2027 model is.”
Kia Sportage X-Pro
Ground Clearance: 8.3 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, multi-terrain drive modes, rugged exterior cladding, X-Pro-specific styling
Fuel Economy: 24 MPG Combined
When you think off-roader, you probably think Kia Sportage, right? Ok, maybe not. Sarcasm aside, the latest Sportage with Kia’s rugged-looking X-Pro package is surprisingly decent when the pavement ends.
The Sportage X-Pro comes standard with all-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, dedicated off-road drive modes, and a handful of exterior upgrades. Its 8.3 inches of ground clearance aren’t particularly impressive, and it probably wouldn’t rank near the top of this list in terms of outright capability. But if you live on a dirt road or regularly find yourself driving on one, the X-Pro is worth considering.
Kia Telluride X-Pro
Ground Clearance: 9.1 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, electronic limited-slip differential, multi-terrain drive modes, suspension lift
Fuel Economy: 19 MPG Combined
Like the Sportage, the Telluride’s X-Pro upgrades aren’t exactly extensive. The package adds some rugged styling, all-terrain tires, and a suspension lift that increases ground clearance to 9.1 inches, up from 8.4 inches on standard models. Still, those changes make a meaningful difference when the road gets rough.
The extra ride height and chunkier tires improve on the previous Telluride’s 17.7-degree approach and 23-degree departure angles, while additional suspension travel helps with articulation. The Telluride even boasts a 38.6-inch wading depth. When we drove it earlier this year, we came away impressed: “This is definitely a soft-roader, yet I came away impressed with what it can do.”
Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition
Ground Clearance: 8.6 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, 18-inch wheels, black roof rails, selectable Off-Road drive mode
Fuel Economy: 26 MPG / 25 MPG Combined (Turbo)
Mazda and off-roading don’t typically go hand in hand. But since the CX-50 arrived a few years ago, the automaker has made a concerted effort to give its compact crossover a little more dirt-road credibility. The Meridian Edition is a good example.
Compared to a standard CX-50, the Meridian adds all-terrain tires, extra exterior cladding, rugged styling touches, and all-wheel drive. Ground clearance sits at around 8.3 inches, too. When we drove it a few years ago, we noted: “The CX-50 will likely be a fun car-camping canvas for many, but out of the box it lacks the technical hardware to be an off-road leader.”
Mercedes-Benz GLE
Ground Clearance: 9.8 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: Airmatic air suspension, Off-Road drive mode, Transparent Hood camera function, 360-degree camera
Fuel Economy: 22 MPG Combined
When you look at the Mercedes-Benz GLE, off-roading probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. It’s a sleek, stylish luxury SUV with plenty of chrome and creature comforts. But there’s some surprisingly capable hardware hiding underneath all that fancy bodywork.
The GLE 580 comes with a dedicated Off-Road drive mode and an air suspension that can raise the vehicle by an additional 1.2 inches when needed. A transparent-hood function and 360-degree camera also provide excellent visibility when navigating tricky terrain, while all-wheel drive comes standard across the range. It’s a luxury SUV first, but don’t underestimate what it can do off the pavement.
Nissan Rogue Rock Creek
Ground Clearance: 8.2 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, 17-inch wheels, Hill Descent Control, Off-Road View camera
Fuel Economy: 28 MPG Combined
A Nissan Rogue that can go off-road? Well, sort of. Nissan’s take on the soft-roading trend comes in the form of its Rock Creek trim, which is available across much of the brand’s SUV lineup, including the pint-sized Kicks.
The Rogue Rock Creek actually comes with a decent amount of equipment. Along with its rugged exterior upgrades, it gets all-terrain tires, beadlock-style wheels, a dedicated off-road mode with hill descent control, and even an off-road camera. When we drove the Rock Creek in 2024, we noted that customers “would be properly impressed with its off-road capability.”
Rivian R2
Ground Clearance: 9.6 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: Selectable off-road drive modes, available dual-motor all-wheel drive, advanced traction management
EV Range: 330 Miles
It’s probably no surprise that Rivian’s newest SUV is off-road capable. The R1S built much of its reputation on tackling tough terrain. But the smaller R2 ditches the R1’s hydraulic suspension in favor of a more conventional unibody construction with an integrated battery pack. You might think that makes it less capable, but you’d be wrong.
The R2 is still more than capable of handling rocky trails and tricky dirt roads. We’d know, because we tested it ourselves. With a 25-degree approach angle and 9.3 inches of ground clearance, it has better off-road credentials than nearly every other crossover on this list. It’s a proper Rivian through and through.
Subaru Forester Wilderness
Ground Clearance: 9.3 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, raised suspension, underbody protection, dual-function X-Mode.
Fuel Economy: 26 MPG / ~30 MPG Combined (Hybrid)
We’ve talked about plenty of soft-roaders so far, but the Subaru Forester Wilderness has some genuine off-road chops. First introduced on the previous-generation Forester in 2022, the rugged trim returns for 2027 on the latest model with even more capability.
The Forester Wilderness gets 9.3 inches of ground clearance, compared to 8.7 inches on standard models, along with all-terrain tires and, for 2027, an available hybrid powertrain. Subaru’s dual-function X-Mode system offers Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings, while standard skid plates help protect the underbody from rocks and other trail debris. It’s one of the more serious off-roaders in this group.
Toyota RAV4 Woodland
Ground Clearance: 9.1 Inches
Off-Road Upgrades: All-terrain tires, revised suspension, raised roof rails, Multi-Terrain Monitor, Multi-Terrain Select
Fuel Economy: 38 MPG (Hybrid) / 37 MPG w/46 Miles EV Range (PHEV)
The Toyota RAV4 has always had a bit of a rugged side. Even dating back to the fourth-generation model in 2012, this plucky little crossover has had some rally-inspired DNA. The latest sixth-generation RAV4 continues that tradition, and the Woodland trim is designed to take things a little further.
Chunky all-terrain tires and an extra 0.4 inches of ground clearance bring the RAV4 Woodland up to 8.5 inches, making it a solid choice for light off-road adventures. Its standard hybrid powertrain is another bonus, returning up to 38 mpg combined. You won’t mistake it for a 4Runner anytime soon, but it’ll get you to the campsite without much fuss.
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