The trend toward more rugged and adventure-ready vehicles straight from the factory continued in 2025. While more refreshes hit the market this past year than truly new vehicles, there are a few standouts worthy of a 2025 GearJunkie Adventure Vehicle of the Year Award.
As usual, we got behind the wheel of lots of new vehicles and reviewed many of them. So, as the year comes to a close, let’s dive into the best on- and off-road adventure vehicles to hit the market in 2025.
GearJunkie Best Adventure Vehicles of 2025
Best 4×4: 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro hit the market in early 2025. It remains the performance king in the 4Runner lineup, largely due to its three-way adjustable FOX QS3 remote reservoir shocks. A smooth and controlled ride is assured with this suspension, whether blasting across desert washboards or inching over boulders.
Also standard is a Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM), which significantly enhances off-road comfort and capability with the touch of a button. Thoughtful touches like the dash-mounted JBL Flex portable speaker and side-of-dash accessory hole — with various optional inserts, like a light, multitool, or first-aid kit — show that Toyota knows its audience.
The latest 4Runner, especially in TRD Pro trim, is a mid-sized SUV capable both on and off-road. It also has a sporty and adventurous vibe, with the power and capability to back it up.
The 2025 Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter has to get a mention here, as it comes in a close second to the TRD Pro for us. It comes with usable rock rails and without the annoying hood scoop. It also comes with a snorkel, which makes some great induction noises — but the sound can get annoying over time. The “granite” interior trim isn’t our favorite, and the OME shocks are great, but not nearly as good at speed off-road as the Fox units on the TRD Pro.
Read the full review here: 2025 Toyota 4Runner First Drive Review: A Rugged SUV That Outshines the Land Cruiser.
Best Truck: 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid AWD
We don’t know why Ford waited so long to build an AWD hybrid Maverick, but we’re glad it is finally here. The AWD model delivers virtually the same excellent fuel economy as the front-driver, losing just 1 mpg combined, for a 37 mpg sticker. But for that, you get more traction and the ability to do more when the terrain is slippery.
The best part, though, might be that you can now add the 4K Tow Package, previously limited to the gas truck. It lets you tow the same 4,000 pounds as the gas truck. Enough for a smaller camper or powersports trailer, and enough to finally make the hybrid truly useful as a truck.
You can get all of that for just under $32,000, which is an incredible value in 2025. More than that, though, it’s just a solid and fun right-sized truck. Full review coming soon, as our News Editor, Evan Williams, spent some time recently in multiple versions of the Hybrid AWD Maverick.
P.S.: We know this one technically hit the market in December 2024, but we let it slide as it’s such a great vehicle and very few people were able to get their hands on one that early.
Best 2-Row SUV: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport
The 2026 Honda Passport is all-new, featuring a more aggressive appearance and enhanced off-road capability, particularly in TrailSport trim. It hit the market in early 2025, and despite the lack of a low-range transfer case, it has a host of compelling off-road features that give it legitimate adventure chops. The parts come together to make an impressively civilized and capable package, on- and off-road.
There’s not a whole lot not to like on the new Passport TrailSport, sans perhaps the fuel economy and noticeable wind noise on the highway. If you’re looking for an adventurous but civilized daily driver, this Honda SUV is worth consideration.
Read the full review here: Is the 2026 Honda Passport the Most Off-Road-Capable Honda Ever?
Best 3-Row SUV: 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid
The most agreed-upon category winner by our team is the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, as this year’s best new three-row SUV. It hit the market just a few months ago and added impressive fuel economy and pep to the already adventure-ready Palisade.
Plan to pay about $2K more than the V6 version, but get a massive fuel economy boost, which translates to significant savings at the pump and increased range. The hybrid model even lets you keep the AC on for up to 40 minutes when parked, without running the engine, which is a great feature for pet lovers.
Besides the suspension being a bit soft and the cargo room being underwhelming for the vehicle’s size, the 2026 Palisade Hybrid offers impressive value.
Read the full review here: Quicker and Much More Fuel Efficient for Just $2K: 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Review.
Best City Car: 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
Subaru’s bestselling vehicle got even better when it hit the market in hybrid form this past fall. The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid sips fuel (38% better than non-hybrid), has a bit more power, and offers long-range (597 miles) capability. Its AWD system and best-in-class ground clearance also continue to impress.
However, it’s still not quick, the interior still feels somewhat cheap, and the safety system alerts are a bit aggressive. All in, though, you get a lot here for the money, especially if you’re looking for a crossover that can handle gravel roads, forest service trails, and snowy mountain passes as easily as it handles the daily commute.
Read the full review here: Added Power and Efficiency With Little Compromise: 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid First Drive Review.
Best Fun Car: 2025 MINI Cooper JCW Convertible
The latest MINI Cooper John Cooper Works (JCW) hit the market very early in the year. The two-door convertible version offers open-air motoring in a small, powerful, and premium-feeling package. The powerful turbocharged engine and responsive DCT, now with paddle shifters, combined with go-kart–like handling, make for an incredibly fun drive.
The drawbacks of the 2025 MINI Cooper JCW Convertible are that it has no manual transmission option, has an infotainment system that takes a lot to get used to, and has a steep price tag. However, it’s a small driver’s car that offers up big performance and massive smiles.
Read the full review here: Still Small, Still Fun: 2025 MINI John Cooper Works Lineup First Drive Review.
Best UTV: 2026 Can-Am Defender
After a trip in the latest evolution of the Can-Am Defender UTV, our Hunt and Fish editor, Rachelle Schrute, was seriously considering having an uncomfortable chat with her lender. She says, “Can-Am took one of the best rigs out there and overhauled it, making it far more badass than I ever would have imagined.”
The upgrades on the new model aren’t fluff, but are actually very functional. Expect a quiet, cool, and comfortable cab. Dreamy suspension, sharp power delivery, and accessories that hit that sweet spot between clever and genuinely useful are also part of the new 2026 Can-Am Defender.
Read the full review here: We Tested the Redesigned 2026 Can-Am Defender Lineup: What Was Good Is Now Great.
Best Motorcycle: Stark Varg EX
The Stark Varg EX electric dirtbike hit the U.S. market in early 2025. I flew to Spain and rode one in the Pyrenees for a few days, and was beyond impressed. Vehicles don’t get much more adventurous than this!
What impressed? The power (up to 80 horsepower), the nearly 50 miles of off-road riding range, and how nimble the relatively light motorcycle was on tight trails in the mountains and on paved backroads. The Varg EX is so quiet that I could talk to other riders while trail riding and easily sneak up on wildlife.
Stark Future isn’t just pushing the tech for performance benefits, but also to offer a lower environmental impact with the product. A cool example: the skid plate on the bike is made of biodegradable plastic, which means no microplastics enter the environment as the skid plate wears.
But the software and phone as a dash system on the Varg is buggy and in need of refinement. Luckily, it can receive over-the-air updates, which are pushed out regularly. And, Stark employs app and phone developers in-house to keep improving in this known area of weakness.
The bikes also come with a 2-year warranty, which helps considerably when buying from a relatively new company that is pushing the envelope of a new high-tech product category, one that takes some serious abuse by its users. Oh, and 24/7 email/phone customer support is available.
2025 GearJunkie Adventure Vehicle Honorable Mentions
There were a few new adventure vehicles for 2025 that didn’t manage to nab a top spot on our list, but for sure deserve a mention. So, here they are.
2025 Ford Expedition Tremor
Our biggest positive surprise this year was the 2025 Ford Expedition Tremor, which hit the market in spring 2025. It is super-comfortable and usable for daily tasks while also being great at eating up big highway miles, towing, and offering up impressive off-road capability.
We would have never thought we’d want to off-road a Ford Expedition, but we’d very much like to spend more time in the 2025 Tremor edition in rugged terrain.
Read the full review here: The Big SUV You Want to Take Off-Road: 2025 Ford Expedition TREMOR Review.
2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness
We must also acknowledge the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness, which debuted in November 2025. It impressed us during initial testing and offers some big updates on the ubiquitous adventure wagon turned crossover.
Read the full review here: Adding Refinement to Rugged: 2026 Subaru Outback Review.
2026 Nissan Leaf
The 2026 Nissan Leaf hit the market this fall, 15 years after its original debut, but this time it comes in crossover form. It’s still plenty quirky-looking, but far more appealing than the original. It also delivers better performance, better handling, a massive increase in range, charges faster, and has lots of useful features. And then there’s that $29,990 starting price, which makes it among America’s most affordable EVs.
Read the full review here: From Car to Crossover, and That’s a Good Thing: 2026 Nissan Leaf Review.
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