Going “off-road” or “off-roading” are oft-repeated terms nowadays, but what exactly does off-road mean?
My definition of “off-road" is rough terrain that is not a public road or a sealed surface. Ergo, an off-roader, off-road vehicle, all-terrain vehicle or off-road car is one which is capable of safely traversing a track or terrain that is not a public road and not a sealed surface.
Four-wheel drive vehicles are widely considered ‘proper’ or ‘real’ off-road vehicles, but all-wheel drive vehicles are also capable of tackling off-road adventures in their own right
For safety’s sake, though, AWD drivers should avoid anything beyond well-maintained dirt tracks in dry weather. You could even undertake your very own, very light off-road adventure in a 2WD vehicle – but, of course, driver beware!
For the purpose of this yarn, I'll focus on 4WDs as off-road vehicles.
So, what are the best off road vehicles available to buy in Australia? Well, that depends on what you want to do with it, how far you want to go in it, and how much you want to carry while you’re adventuring.
The best off-road vehicle for you? The one that suits your lifestyle.
Besides, any 'best of' list is bound to spark heated debate. So, get your boxing gloves on because here we go...
What should you look for in a good off-road vehicle?
Despite what many ego-driven Youtubers or misleading SUV advertisements might have you believe, a true off-road vehicle needn’t look like a 4x4 truck capable of surviving a zombie apocalypse and it certainly does not need to be driven aggressively or at high speeds to traverse sand, dirt, mud or climb a steep rocky hill.
True off roading cars can be stock-standard 4WDs or vehicles that have undergone subtle aftermarket modifications. Some of the main factors which make a vehicle capable off-road can be boiled down to a few bare essentials:
Torque
A torqueyengine for off-roading would ideally be one that does away with the need for much throttle input from the driver during low-range 4WDing.
Ultra low-range gearing and ample torque is an ideal combination for low-speed off-roading and, in most purpose-built 4WDs, that should be enough to help you traverse almost any drivable terrain.
True off roading cars can be stock-standard 4WDs or vehicles that have undergone subtle aftermarket modifications.
Tyres
Your choice of tyres, and their pressures, will dictate how easily and safely your vehicle handles any off-road terrain.
Most showroom-standard 4WDs are sold shod with tyres that are not suited to off-roading and certainly don’t offer enough – if any – protection against off-road damage.
A set of decent All Terrain (AT) tyres will save you a lot of stress on the beach or in the bush. They are tough, less susceptible to sticks-and-stones damage than Highway Terrain (HT) rubber and provide plenty of off-road grip.
Your choice of tyres, and their pressures, will dictate how easily and safely your vehicle handles any off-road terrain. (Image: Sam Rawlings)
Light Truck (LT) tyres are stronger than passenger car tyres, but so is my supermarket aftershave. LT tyres have thick sidewalls and are built to carry loads and run at high pressures. They can be noisy on-road, but perform well off-road.
Mud Terrain (MT) tyres are big, knobbly and as the name implies, made for getting through mud. But, remember, ‘muddies’ can be noisy on-road and will add to your fuel bills if you do a lot of highway driving.
A set of top-quality ATs will set you back between $250 and $450 per tyre.
Ground clearance
It’s no good if your vehicle has ample torque but its body is so low you’re continually belly-scraping the ground as you go, and getting stuck on minor irregularities in the terrain, or you’re getting hung up on the crest between deep wheel tracks.
AWDs generally have less ground clearance than 4WDs and are more prone to getting bogged or sustaining mechanical or body damage because of their low undercarriage.
The Ford Ranger Raptor has a best-in-class* ground clearance of 283mm. (*At time of writing.)
Approach, departure and ramp-over angles
Quick knowledge drop for you: a vehicle’s approach angle is the maximum degree measure that an incline can have from the horizontal ground and that your vehicle can still drive up without its front end, bumper or bull-bar becoming stuck on the incline or sustaining damage in doing so.
The departure angle is the same principle but applied to the fact that you will be driving off of the obstacle or terrain – so it refers to the rear end of the vehicle.
With approach, departure and ramp-over angles, the bigger the number, the better. (Image: Sam Rawlings)
Ramp-over angle refers to the angle between your tyres and the centre of your vehicle’s underbody; too shallow an angle and your vehicle will scrape over or even get ‘hung up’ on minor obstacles.
Vehicles with short wheelbases, such as the Suzuki Jimmy, fare rather well in terms of these measures and it shows in their performance in low-speed off-roading.
With approach, departure and ramp-over angles, the bigger the number, the better.
The Jimny has a short wheelbase, benefiting its performance in low-speed off-roading. (Image: Tom White)
Rated recovery points
Get over yourself. At some stage, your all-conquering 4WD will get bogged – no matter how great your vehicle is, no matter how many pockets there are in your cargo shorts, and no matter how many Instagram followers you have.
And when you get bogged, you need to be able to recover your vehicle safely – and for that to happen, your vehicle needs to have rated recovery points.
Never use a vehicle’s factory tie-down points (those are just to secure the vehicle when it’s being shipped) as recovery points because they won’t withstand the forces generated when your vehicle is dragged out of the mud or sand and they will bend, buckle or snap off endangering nearby bystanders and vehicles.
If your standard vehicle doesn’t have rated recovery points, then invest in them. (Image: Brendan Batty)
Also, never put a snatch strap or a tow rope over a tow ball to haul out a stuck vehicle; the results can be fatal.
If your standard vehicle doesn’t have rated recovery points, then invest in them – purchase them either through your car dealer or the aftermarket (via Ironman 4x4 or ARB), and have them fitted by respected professionals.
Having hammered some hard-earned knowledge into you, now I’ll give you five of the best stock-standard 4WDs in Australia that make great off-roaders. By no means is this list exhaustive, but it’s bloody good. Trust me…
Toyota LandCruiser
The LandCruiser, new or used, is expensive.
This legendary 4WD has long been a hit with off-road adventurers because of its driveability (ease of use and comfort); its capability (in general driving terms, as an off-roader, and for hauling heavy loads); its reputation for reliability (which, some say, has lapsed in recent years); and its fixability if something goes wrong.
If you do suffer vehicle-based strife, even in the middle of nowhere, then you should be able to find Toyota parts without too much hassle.
There is a massive trade-off though: the LandCruiser, new or used, is expensive. Just ask anyone trying to buy a second-hand Cruiser about ‘Toyota tax’, i.e. the persistently high re-sale value of any Toyota that’s for sale, especially a Cruiser.
This legendary 4WD has long been a hit with off-road adventurers. (Image: Glen Sullivan)
Plenty of Cruisers are used as off-road vehicles (for work and play), but which Cruiser variant is the preferred choice of those adventurers who rely on a reliable, capable and comfortable long-distance tourer to haul their camping gear or tow their camper-trailer or caravan? Take your pick: 70 Series, 80 Series, 100 Series, 105, 200 Series…
Another Cruiser bonus: you can build up and customise your ultimate tourer with the help of Australia’s fantastic aftermarket industry – think ARB, Ironman 4x4, TJM, and the like.
Towing capacity is listed as 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).
Price: Expect to pay anywhere from $18,000* for a 1998 GXL (with 458,000km on the odo), to more than $85,000 for a new base-spec 300 Series and more than $130,000 for a top-shelf 2021 Sahara.
Order books have closed on any new 70 Series, with wait times stretching to two years or more.
(*Note: All prices in this yarn were correct at time of writing.)
Pros:
Robust
Reliable
Nigh-on unbreakable
Cons:
Hard to find one
Even harder to find one that hasn’t been thrashed
When you do find a good one, it’ll be expensive
Nissan Patrol
The Patrol can be built up and customised as an ultimate tourer.
This well-respected 4WD wagon is another of Australia’s favourite touring vehicles and can be seen everywhere on the nation’s roads, and parked in caravan parks, or set up for camping.
In Y62 Series 5 guise, it’s more than suitable for the nomadic lifestyle and it has proven itself time and time again as one of the most comfortably capable off-roaders when called on to tow grey nomad caravans, or grey nomad camper trailers.
Our recent road-test reviews have proven that any criticisms of the 5.6-litre petrol V8 Patrol’s fuel consumption being outlandish are off the mark because the big Nissan actually uses about the same as its rival, the diesel 300 Series – and the 298kW/560Nm Patrol costs considerably less to buy than the Cruiser.
This well-respected 4WD wagon is another of Australia’s favourite touring vehicles. (Image: Glen Sullivan)
As with the Cruiser, the Patrol can be built up and customised as an ultimate tourer with the help of Australia’s great aftermarket industry (ARB, Ironman 4x4, et al).
Towing capacity is listed as 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).
Price: Expect to pay anywhere from $19,000 for a 2010 Patrol ST (4x4), through to more than $100,000 for a new top-shelf 2021 Ti-L.
Pros:
Gutsy
It’ll go anywhere
Plenty of spares
Cons:
Thirsty
Hard to find a good one for the right price
Hard to find a good one that hasn’t been driven hard
Toyota Prado
The LandCruiser Prado is easy to drive and dependable. (Image: Glen Sullivan)
It’s the Cruiser’s less macho little brother, but the Prado is still very popular because of its reputation as a capable, comfortable touring platform.
Easy to drive and with a dependable 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, the 150kW/500Nm Prado may have less Insta appeal than a 300 or 70 Series Cruiser, but it holds clear advantages for those of us who prefer to spend the lion’s share of our time in the real world.
The Prado is supremely well catered for, in terms of the sheer volume of aftermarket gear available for it.
The Prado is still very popular because of its reputation as a capable, comfortable touring platform.
Towing capacity is listed as 750kg (unbraked) and 3000kg (braked).
Price: Expect to pay from $15,990 for a 2010 Prado GXL (4X4), through to more than $90,000 for a new top-of-the-range Prado Kakadu.
Pros:
Gutsy
Reliable
Plenty of spares
Cons:
Not as exciting as other Cruisers
Hard to find a good one for the right price
Hard to find a good one that hasn’t been driven hard
Ford Ranger/Everest
The Ranger is a refined, comfortable and capable off-roader. (Image: Sam Rawlings)
The Ranger has long been the standard against which all other dual-cab utes are measured, and its wagon stablemate, the Ranger-based Everest, is no different in its section of the market.
Both are refined, comfortable and capable, and make great platforms as on- and off-road touring vehicles.
The Ranger – with either a 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (147kW/470Nm) a 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine (157kW/500Nm), or the new 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine (184kW/600Nm) – is a solid and nice-driving unit.
The Everest has become more and more prevalent on our roads in recent years. (Image: Marcus Craft)
Same goes for the Everest, though because it’s a wagon, it lacks the Ranger’s utilitarian flexibility, but it does yield a smoother ride and handling.
The Ranger and Everest have become more and more prevalent on our roads in recent years and it’s not difficult to see why they appeal to off-road adventurers who want – nay, need – comfortable and capable touring vehicles.
The Ranger has listed towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).
Price: Expect to pay from $11,500 for a 2010 Ranger XL (4X4), through to more than $80,000 for the top-spec 2021 Ranger Raptor 2.0 (4X4).
The Everest has listed towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked) and 3000kg (braked) or 3100kg (braked), depending on the variant.
Price: Expect to pay from about $37,000 for a 2017 Everest Trend (4X4), through to upwards of $85,000 for the top-spec Everest Titanium (4X4).
Pros:
Refined
Nice to drive
Well-appointed
Cons:
Expensive
New versions almost too reliant on tech
New V6 is thirsty off-road
Mitsubishi Pajero/Pajero Sport
The Pajero Sport makes an appealing proposition as a tourer. (Image: Glen Sullivan)
Though Mitsubishi officially ceased production of its fourth-generation Pajero in March 2021, this no-nonsense 4WD wagon still holds tons of appeal for seekers of adventure – and that’s why you see a lot of them everywhere: on the blacktop, out in the bush and on our beaches.
While not the most dynamic or exciting off-roader on the market, in terms of looks or performance, the 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel Pajero (141kW/441Nm) nevertheless has a legion of fans due to its simple, no-fuss and gutsy approach to life on and off the road. It’s not the heaviest hauler around (tow capacity is 3000kg), but it’s a gutsy unit.
It’s easy to drive, very capable and very functional. The 4WD Pajero also has the supremely effective 'Super Select II' 4WD system which offers four drive modes: 2H (two-wheel drive, rear), 4H (4WD high range but, in this, safe to use at high speed on bitumen), 4H LC (4WD/all-wheel drive with locked centre diff; suitable for off-road driving at 30km/h or so) and 4L LC (4WD with locked centre diff and low-range gearing engaged; suitable only for low-speed 4WDing (below 30km/h). Turns out 4H is a good state of play for general driving.
The Pajero 4WD wagon holds tons of appeal for seekers of adventure.
The 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel Pajero Sport (133kW/430Nm), though light on in terms of towing capacity (3100kg, braked) compared to segment rivals and dual cab utes and general standard packability, still makes an appealing proposition as a tourer.
Price: Expect to pay from $21,000 or so for a MY2010 Pajero GLS (4X4), through to approx. $65,000 for a top-spec Exceed (4X4).
Pros:
Nice to drive on-road
Very capable off-road
Decent fuel consumption
Cons:
Feels a bit old compared to rivals
Towing capacity (on paper) is less than rivals
Smaller inside than most rivals
Special mention must go to vehicles such as the Suzuki Jimny, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the Mercedes G-Wagen, and many more because, while they're not mentioned in this yarn, they are all definitely worth considering as an off-road adventure vehicle.
Some are rather impractical for day-to-day life and touring because they don’t, among other things, offer a lot of cargo space inside (yeah, I’m looking at you, Jimny!), but they are capable off-road vehicles and a whole lot of fun to drive.
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