10 Japanese SUVs That Are Off-Road Legends

Japanese automakers may not have invented the 4WD system but, by most accounts, they sure have gone a long way in making it highly capable, reliable and efficient. In fact, some would argue that Japanese automakers make some of the best and most capable off-road vehicles in the world.

With some iconic nameplates like Land Cruiser, Armada, Montero, and Jimny in the game worldwide, Japanese automakers sure flipped the script on early detractors who looked down on their vehicles back in the 1950s.

1

2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

MSRP: From $56,700

Toyota’s Land Cruiser is arguably one of the most famous off-road nameplates. The first Land Cruiser broke cover in 1951, tagged the Toyota Jeep BJ Series. Since then, the extended range of the Land Cruiser has earned itself a rock-solid reputation as a tough, reliable and go-anywhere ability. The latest Land Cruiser has been on sale in the USA since 2024. The retro-styling has universal appeal, as does the 4WD system’s off-roading abilities. With options such as a front sway bar disconnect system, low range transfer case, and all the 4×4 tricks in the book, the latest Land Cruiser can go the off-road mile.

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Is it perfect? Well, some punters rue the fact that the Cruiser does not come with the option of a big-horsepower V6 or V8. Some say the 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid powertrain may be efficient and all, but it lacks the character and feels of a traditional ICE engine with heaps of horses under the bonnet. We don’t think that negates how good the Land Cruiser is.

2

2006 Mitsubishi Montero

MSRP: $10,000 (estimated used retail value)

The Mitsubishi Montero has a long and celebrated history, with the legendary Dakar Rally forming an intrinsic part of its legacy… between 1985 and 2007, Mitsubishi won the Dakar a record-breaking 12 times. The Montero SUV was on sale in the USA until 2006. Mitsubishi’s biggest party trick is its SuperSelect 4WD system: This part-time system can be selected between the default rear-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high range (4H with an open center differential), four-wheel drive high range with a locked center differential (4HLc) and 4LLc, the low range option with a locked center differential. It also has a rear differential lock.

The unibody architecture and all-round independent suspension, ensuring an extremely comfortable ride on-road, does limit wheel travel in an off-road environment. But with the SuperSelect and other systems at play, it can go quite the way in an off-road environment. A 200-hp 3.5-liter V6 was later updated with a 3.8-liter V6, producing 215 hp.

3

2025 Nissan Armada

MSRP: From $56,520

The 2025 Nissan Armada needs no introduction. Wearing the Patrol badge, it has been around since 1951. Like Toyota did with the first Land Cruiser, Nissan created its own version of the trend-setting Jeep from the Second World War. Nissan chose a novel way of announcing its new 4×4 to the world… it drove the 4W60 up Mount Fuji in Japan, the first 4WD to do so. The stunt attracted some attention, and the Japanese army put in an order for a batch of vehicles.

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The latest Armada is light years removed from that basic first 4WD, but it is still as tough as nails. The new version is large, luxurious and plush, and equipped with all the latest safety and technological features. It now comes with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 425 hp on tap, bringing a new level of efficiency to the range. Can it still do the 4WD thing? You betcha. It has more 4×4 tricks than David Copperfield would if he were into off-roading, including low range and all the electronic driving and mechanically locking parts that ensure it is virtually unstoppable in an off-road environment.

4

1999 Isuzu VehiCROSS

Price: $10,000 (estimated used retail value)

Look, it’s a hatch with big wheels! No, it’s an SUV that shrunk in the wash. Nope, it’s just the weird and wonderful Isuzu VehiCROSS. Isuzu’s VehiCROSS is a special breed of 4WD. Based on the hardcore Trooper’s ladder-frame 4WD power train, the VehiCROSS weighs about 500 pounds less than the Trooper. It also gets a Borg Warner Torque-On-Demand system, which automatically channels drive to the wheels with grip in slippery conditions. This system, combined with the beefed up frame and high-end, external bypass shocks, and the 215 hp V6 engine, results in a 4WD that can also double up as a competitive rally car. And yes, it even has low-range gearing, so you can crawl over boulders too. On the inside, you get Recaro seats and a sporty steering wheel. With less than 6,000 VehiCROSS units made, it has turned into a bit of a collectors’ item.

5

2025 Toyota Sequoai

MSRP: From $62,425

Named after California’s Giant Sequoia tree, the Sequoia was the Toyota SUV flag bearer until the Land Cruiser arrived back on the scene. Now in its third generation, the body-on-frame SUV is powered by a 3.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine and hybrid drive train, replacing the 5.7-liter V8 from the previous generation vehicle. With 583 lb-ft in the game, the new iForce Max hybrid drive system certainly packs a punch.

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The 1794 4WD version gets Toyota’s 4WDemand part-time four-wheel drive with an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case and an automatic limited slip differential system (Auto LSD). This should suffice for 95% of 4WD applications. However, if you preside in that five percent space, the Sequoia TRD Pro ($84,500) is just the ticket. In this version you not only get some protection plates, beefed up parts, extra clearance, bigger wheels and extra testosterone in the styling department, there is also a TRD Pro off-road suspension with 2.5-inch Fox Racing internal bypass coilover shocks, and TRD front stabilizer bar.

6

2025 Lexus LX700h Overtrail

MSRP: $114,000

Feeling particularly flush? Got too much cash burning a hole in your pocket? Then the Lexus LX700h Overtrail may be right up your alley. And if you want to go four-wheeling in complete and utter luxury, and go anywhere too, it doesn’t get much better than this. As a high-end Lexus, it obviously gets all the bells and whistles, and then some.

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The Overtrail gets the Land Cruiser 300’s super capable 4WD system with low range. But it also has three locking differentials… front, center and back. There is also a multi-terrain system with all the 4WD tricks in the book (and then some), as well as 33-inch all-terrain tires and variable height suspension. The drive train is protected by proper bash plates – and not some fancy-looking plastic bits. It is expensive, yes. But it is also absolutely spectacular and capable too.

7

2025 Suzuki Jimny

Price: $28,000 (estimated/converted price)

The Suzuki Jimny is, sadly, not for sale in the USA, because the small Japanese 4WD doesn’t meet the required safety and emission standards. But it remains one of the most capable 4WDs, straight from the box. Based on a ladder-frame chassis with live axles at both ends, the Jimny is certainly not the most pleasant or comfortable 4×4 to drive on the road. But hit that off-road track, or sand dune, and the Jimny is so much in its element. And it can run circles around 4WDs, costing five times the money too.

With a low-range transfer case, compact dimensions, excellent approach and departure angles and the articulation afforded by the live axles, the Jimny can go a long way on an off-road track. For more extreme situations, the Jimny has an off-road traction control system, which works pretty well. With 100 hp in the game, the Suzuki is not fast. And with that suspension set-up, it is most comfortable cruising at a relaxed 70 mph on the open road.

8

2025 Toyota 4Runner Trailhunter

MSRP: $66,900

The Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro represents one of the top trims in the 4Runner 4WD lineup, with bags of tricks. But if you want a more middle-of-the-4WD-track kind of 4Runner, the Trailhunter version, aimed more at overlanding applications than driving over boulders, ticks a lot of cool boxes – and it sells for the same price as the TRD Pro.

It comes standard with a 2.5-inch Old Man Emu suspension set-up, with forged monotube shocks with external reservoirs. An ARB roof-rack, 33-inch all-terrain tires on bespoke 18-inch bronze-finished rims, and Rigid Industries fog lights. The part-time 4WD system can be selected between 2H, 4H and 4Low. There is also a rear differential lock, the front swaybar can be disconnected, and it has a full range of off-road driving modes. So all in all, a very capable 4WD in its own right.

9

2002 Isuzu Trooper

Price: $7,500 (estimated used retail value)

The Isuzu Trooper, on sale in the USA until 2002, shares its underpinnings with another car on this list: The Isuzu VehiCROSS is powered by the same drive train, albeit with a few updates like the Torque-On-Demand system. In the big and lumpy Trooper, the 3.5-liter V6 engine (the 3.5-liter replaced an earlier 3.2-liter V6 version) also produces 215 hp, but it has a lot more weight to move, so the Trooper is not nearly as fleet-footed as the VehiCROSS.

For the rest, the solid axles, transfer case and ladder-frame chassis are as tough as old boots, and the Trooper can go all the off-road miles, even though it doesn’t have modern 4WD tricks like multi-terrain control, traction control or other such nanny systems. In the Trooper, it comes down to a combination of the driver’s skills and the Isuzu’s inherent abilities. A true legend, it is.

10

1995 Nissan Pathfinder

Price: $8,000 (estimated used car retail)

Yes, we know the Nissan Pathfinder is still on sale in the US, but we’re highlighting an older model here for a reason. The Nissan Pathfinder 3.0 V6, on sale in the USA in the 1990s, was a proper old-school 4WD. It had manually locking front hubs, a transfer case and a limited slip differential… well, that was about it. The 153 hp 4WD had no fancy terrain management system, traction control or other such systems. Based on truck underpinnings, it was as tough as could be expected.

Offering an analogue 4WD experience, the Pathfinder offers a unique peek into 1990s off-roading. With a torsion beam front suspension, it is not as popular in the aftermarket bigger-is-always-better 4WD market. The good news about that is that you can pick up a period Pathfinder for a relative steal. If nothing else, the Nissan VG30E V6 engine is renowned for its longevity. Throw some money at it, adding a few horses… and you can end up with a smile-per-mile kind of 4WD.

Sources: Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Lexus, Suzuki, Mitsubishi.