These Are the 12 Best Off-Road Pickup Trucks for 2024
Off-road enthusiasts have lifted and kitted out their pickup trucks for decades. Only in the past few years have truck manufacturers collectively decided to build these same kinds of upgraded 4x4s in-house sand send them to dealerships with a full warranty.
Where there once was only the Ford F-150 Raptor and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, there are now a several factory off-road trims on the market. We've gathered a dozen pickups we've recently run through our instrumented testing and reviewed on- and off-road. At such high prices, these shiny pickups probably won't be bashing rocks right off the bat. But from small to huge, they are the best off-road-ready 4x4 pickup trucks you can buy right off the showroom floor.
Compact: Ford Maverick Tremor
Base Price: $39,945
While a little Maverick won't make anyone tremble, the Tremor trim is viable as a light off-roader. The package includes retuned springs and special dampers, along with a mechanically torque-vectoring rear axle and an 1-inch suspension lift. The turbo-four's has 277 pound-feet of torque, and Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires are standard. It's one stability control switch away from a rally car. But ground clearance stands tall at 9.4 inches, plus the redesigned front bumper and skid plate allow a generous 30.7 degree approach angle, which is more than a huge off-roader like the Ram 2500 Rebel. On pavement, the Tremor's unibody frame and eager handling prove that small can be better. That's why it's been on our 10Best Trucks list for two years running.
Mid-Size: Ford Ranger Raptor
Base Price: $57,065
Now that we finally get the Ranger the rest of the world enjoyed for years, the Ranger Raptor has stolen our hearts from the Colorado ZR2 and Canyon AT4X. It's also a hell of a deal (some $35,000 cheaper than the Bronco Raptor with which it shares a twin-turbo V-6 engine and four-wheel-drive system). Compared to a standard Ranger, the track is wider, the tires are 33 inches tall, and there are Fox internal bypass shocks and a snorty active exhaust. The fact that it's just as quick as an F-150 Raptor yet easier to drive on narrow trails should make the Ranger Raptor most appealing.
Mid-Size: Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road
Base Price: $43,295
Taco owners are in committed relationships. That's why this rugged Toyota outsells all mid-size pickups every year. But even the beloved Tacoma needs a makeover once a decade, as the fourth-generation TRD Off-Road proved in our tests. The new turbo-four and eight-speed automatic transmission are peppier than the old V-6 with its laborious six-speed, especially when passing from 30 to 50 mph. The brakes are stronger (stopping nine feet shorter than a 2017 TRD Pro) and the engine burns less gas. A new TRD Pro will go hard as a turbo hybrid with shock-absorbing seats, but take it from us, now's the time to break up and leave your Taco for a new one.
Mid-Size: Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
Base Price: $48,395
A ZR1 is Chevy-speak for the ultimate Corvette, but ZR2 means a badass truck. When the ZR2 package is applied to Chevy's smallest pickup, it creates the Colorado ZR2 pack mule. The key bits are the Multimatic DSSV dampers, which are effective way to soften abrupt wheel travel when the ZR2's 33-inch tires come off the mud. It's no quicker than the last ZR2, and the turbo-four guzzled more and groaned just as loudly as the old V-6, but there's no arguing with 430 pound-feet of torque and a Baja mode that allows for big slides. A fraternal twin, the GMC Canyon AT4X, does the same job with a different front end. Both are available with parts from American Expedition Vehicles that up the ante on the standard 3.0-inch suspension lift.
Mid-Size: Jeep Gladiator Mojave
Base Price: $64,890
The Gladiator is the pickup-truck version of the legendary Wrangler, and it's just as old-school as its SUV sibling. Both are updated for 2024, though, with new features including available power front seats and upgraded infotainment. The diesel is gone, leaving the 3.6-liter V-6 as the only engine choice. In our long-term test with a 2020 Mojave, we found the "Desert Rated" badge to be only half true, as the live front axle made it unsettled at higher speeds (and the manual transmission broke after 8400 miles). Jeep has made some meaningful improvements for 2024, including three upfit packages from AEV that offer 37-inch BF Goodrich tires and a 57-degree approach angle. We recently drove the 2024 Gladitor Mojave and appreciated the interior upgrades, though it remains a bit expensive for what it is.
Full-Size: Ram 1500 TRX
Base Price: $98,335
The worst we can say about the Ram 1500 TRX is that it will soon ditch the Hellcat V-8 for a tamer twin-turbo six. 2024 will be the final year of the current model, and it's being sent off with a Final Edition trim. Until the 2025 model arrives, we'll remember what 11 mpg and 702 hp felt like when we had one as a long-term tester. The TRX does everything. As testing director Dave VanderWerp summarized: "It's a Hellcat with a Mercedes S-class–size rear seat and a 3.5-ton truck with a suspension that enables great leaps through the air. Plus, it's still useful as a pickup." We recorded a 60 mph time of 3.7 seconds. We slept over it inside a bed-mounted tent. And one year of fuel cost us more than $16,000.
Full-Size: Ford F-150 Raptor
Base Price: $80,325
As the original factory dune-hopper, the Ford F-150 Raptor spawned a new class of high-performance pickup trucks and continues in its third generation with an impressive suspension capable of landing jumps and a twin-turbo V-6 with a great-sounding exhaust. The Raptor R shoves a supercharged 720-hp V-8 into the same truck for scary speed and incredible sound. Consider how a three-ton pickup truck with 37-inch tires can shoot to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. There's only 0.71 g of lateral grip, so tread carefully on the pavement.
Full-Size: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2
Base Price: $71,895
While it's not quite a TRX or Raptor, the Silverado 1500 ZR2 is a good time on the trail with Multimatic dampers that give it an uncannily smooth ride. And while it doesn't offer nearly as much power as its competitors, it's nice to have the choice of a torquey diesel engine. The Bison adds five skid plates and steel bumpers from American Expedition Vehicles that improve the approach angle. It's much easier to place on the road than its power-hungry American competitors, which are between 5.4 and 6.8 inches wider, even though the ZR2 towers above the ground with more than 11 inches of clearance. The Sierra 1500 AT4X and AT4X AEV do the same thing as the Silverado but with a different face.
Full-Size: Toyota Tundra TRD Pro
Base Price: $73,980
The Tundra doesn't sell in nearly the numbers that the American full-size trucks do, and its off-road trim takes an entirely different route with its twin-turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain. In a recent comparison test, the TRD Pro was very thirsty, with an observed 16 mpg in our test, and the hybrid battery took up precious rear storage under the rear seat. There are bright spots to match the orange paint, though, including a 1.1-inch lift for the front and 2.5-inch FOX Internal Bypass coil-overs with remote reservoirs for the rear. The light bar in the middle of the grille saves the TRD Pro from awful aftermarket accessories, and the power rear window makes the entire cab feel like an open-air Jeep.
Heavy-Duty: Ram 2500HD Power Wagon
Base Price: $70,220
Pack a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in a heavy-duty Ram 2500, give it a ridiculous name, and you get the preposterousness of the Power Wagon. It sits 14.2 inches off the ground and can tow more than 10,000 pounds. The soft coil-sprung suspension makes for a better-than-expected ride, though despite all the extra wheel articulation and the body lift, the approach angle is a mere 29.4 degrees due to a plastic aero piece fitted below the bumper. For heavy-duty buyers who want the Cummins diesel, there's the 2500 Rebel with only slightly less capability.
Heavy-Duty: Ford Super Duty Tremor
Base Price: $71,110
Who's got 1200 pound-feet of diesel torque? The Super Duty Tremor does, and despite weighing 8100 pounds this truck shot to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds in our testing and still returned 20 mpg on our highway test. It's not as off-road-capable as the Power Wagon or the Silverado 2500 ZR2, but the Tremor brings 35-inch tires, a locking rear differential, a limited-slip front differential, plus a few skid plates. But more than anything, it's the speed, plushness, and unbelievable pull from the Power Stroke V-8 that makes this Super Duty feel special.
EV: GMC Hummer EV Pickup
Base Price: $98,845
The Hummer EV is so heavy that it feels like it could sink itself stuck in deep mud and snow. But if you can take this nearly 10,000-pound truck in areas with solid ground, the 1000-hp Hummer, with three electric motors, is unlike anything even from Rivian or Tesla. Super Cruise hands-free driving, rear-wheel steering that makes tighter turns than an Accord, and fast 350-kW charging make this pickup strangely lithe and livable. Crab Mode is a silly party trick, but the Extreme Off-Road package's 35-inch tires and locking diffs do their intended job. The 58 MPGe rating means it's far less efficient than other EVs, and the massive battery pack means you can still have a $100 fillup in this thing even if you never visit a gas station.
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