• Auto123 presents its annual awards in 22 categories.
• For the Best Off-Road Vehicle in 2023, here are our finalists and winner!
• In the running are the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco.
• The three finalists are all purchases that are recommended by the Auto123 team.
Every year, you our readers are kind enough to await with interest Auto123's verdicts in declaring the winners across various vehicle categories. This year, the battles were once again ferocious, with many of the votes very close. There were arguments and maybe a couple of tears.
Nevertheless, at the end of the day, 22 vehicles were declared winners in their category. If you want to know what are recommended buys in the off-road vehicle segment, here’s what happened this year in this category.
This category is not to be confused with the Adventure Vehicle category. In the latter, mainstream vehicles were highlighted, with one variant adapted to five it more off-roading capabilities.
In this case, we’re sticking under the microscope true off-road vehicles, what were commonly called 4x4s not so long ago. In fact, our finalists all have one thing in common: they're assembled on ladder frames. This is one of the reasons behind their incredible capabilities.
Since such offerings are no longer commonplace, we often end up with the same finalists, and so it in 2023. Each of the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco and Toyota 4Runner offers impressive capabilities when operating in inhospitable terrain. As a result, they are all great choices for anyone who really wants to venture away from paved roads.
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In the case of the Jeep Wrangler, the model needs no introduction. It's been seducing enthusiasts for decades. Owning a Jeep is all about the Wrangler. The Rubicon version is still the most capable when the trails get rough.
As for the Ford Bronco, let’s hand it to the Blue Oval brand: it has done its homework with this model. It comes in a variety of forms and offers some impressive off-road features. It's also more modern, conceptually speaking, which gives it a certain edge.
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On the other hand, while the Toyota 4Runner's skills are not in question, it is an aging model, designed over 10 years ago. It's definitely ripe for a makeover. To give you an idea, it still offers a 5-speed automatic transmission.
It's the most reliable of the bunch, though, which is something you can't say about the Ford Bronco, which has had its share of snags, glitches and other assorted problems since its debut in 2020. Consequently, and not too surprisingly, it was the Jeep Wrangler that snuck in between the two to earn the title of best off-road vehicle this year.