These TrailSport, Wilderness, and XRT–badged SUVs are more rugged than your average crossover, but how far off the beaten path can the adventure-ready trim levels really go? There is no shortage of tough, trail-ready SUVs on the market, plus more specialized off-road rigs that can be bought or built for those seeking adventure. But there is also another group of vehicles that is running away with the hearts of American buyers—the rugged-looking crossover.
It's the one that brings us here. With protective plastic cladding, gentle suspension lift kits, and all-terrain tires, an increasing number of brands are trying to convince buyers that road-biased SUVs can deliver a useful amount of off-road ability. And if cars like the Subaru Outback Wilderness, Honda Passport TrailSport, and Hyundai Santa Fe XRT all wear these upgrades as badges of honor, it is Road & Track's duty to test them properly. Which is why we took this trio of unibody crossovers deep into the woods of Pennsylvania to see how they cope when the asphalt runs out.
The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness is powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine making 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. The 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite features an attractive squared-off design and comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 that combines 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT has a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque—the most of any vehicle in our test.
View Price on AmazonThe appeal of a lifted, sturdy SUV reaches well into the dense metropolis of Brooklyn, New York, where this test began, the three challengers dodging crateral potholes on the way to New Jersey. Publicly accessible off-road sites are almost nonexistent on the Eastern Seaboard, with few miles of undeveloped space and strict state-park conservation rules, so we opted to head west.
After 170 miles on Interstate 78 and a handful of billboards warning of the Rapture, we reached the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area in Coal Township, Pennsylvania. The 8000-acre off-road park offers a diverse network of trails, with standing water and glutinous mud holes, suited for dirt bikes, ATVs, and full-size SUVs alike.
Source: roadandtrack.com
