Trail Tested: The Best Off-Road Crossover SUVs of 2025 – Passport vs. Outback vs. Santa Fe
After spending a decade reviewing 4x4s, rock crawlers, and family haulers, I’ve watched a massive shift in the automotive landscape. Today’s buyers aren’t just looking for standard grocery-getters; they want rugged, trail-ready vehicles capable of escaping the daily grind. This booming segment of adventure-focused family haulers has given rise to a new breed of utility vehicle. But when you strip away the aggressive plastic cladding, knobby tires, and suspension lift kits, which of the best off-road crossover SUVs actually delivers when the asphalt ends?
To find out, we took three of the most popular unibody adventure rigs—the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness, the redesigned Honda Passport TrailSport Elite, and the Hyundai Santa Fe XRT—on a grueling journey. We left the concrete jungle of New York City and headed deep into the rugged, unforgiving woods of Pennsylvania to see which of these soft-roaders truly goes the hardest.
Meet the Contenders
Before diving into the mud, it helps to understand the hardware each automaker brings to the table.
2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness
Subaru basically invented the lifted-wagon segment back in the day, and they continue to dominate it. The Outback Wilderness is the brand’s aggressive play for the overlanding crowd. It boasts a staggering 9.5 inches of ground clearance, chunky all-terrain tires wrapping 17-inch wheels, and modified bumpers to improve approach and departure angles. Under the hood sits a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four pumping out 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This power routes through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) managed by Subaru’s dual-function X-Mode torque-vectoring system.
2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite
Honda’s fourth-generation mid-size SUV has matured into a genuinely handsome, squared-off brute. The TrailSport trim takes things further with 8.3 inches of ground clearance, 18-inch wheels shod in General Grabber all-terrain tires, and serious steel skid plates protecting the oil pan and gas tank. While others are downsizing, Honda sticks with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 delivering 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, mated to a slick 10-speed automatic transmission.
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT
Sharing its underlying architecture with the Tucson, the Santa Fe XRT attempts to push a family-focused three-row crossover into the wild. It matches the Honda with 8.3 inches of ground clearance and rides on 18-inch Continental TerrainContact tires. The XRT packs the biggest punch of the group on paper, utilizing a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four that generates 277 horsepower and a stout 311 lb-ft of torque. Crucially for 2026, Hyundai ditched the quirky dual-clutch setup for a smoother traditional eight-speed automatic.
Highway Cruising and City Manners
While we’re here to evaluate the best off-road crossover SUVs, the reality is that these vehicles will spend 99% of their lives navigating school drop-offs, commuter traffic, and highway road trips.
Escaping Brooklyn at rush hour proved that the Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is a phenomenal daily driver. Despite weighing 4,400 pounds, its light electric steering and tight 37.9-foot turning radius made dodging New Jersey Transit buses a breeze. On the open highway, the Hyundai feels like a well-insulated, predictable appliance. The cabin is whisper-quiet, the eight-speed transmission shifts invisibly, and the suspension absorbs high-speed imperfections beautifully.
The Subaru Outback Wilderness, by contrast, feels much more energetic. Weighing in at just under 4,000 pounds, it is incredibly agile at low speeds. However, that 9.5-inch ride height and softer suspension setup mean it exhibits more body roll and feels slightly less planted at highway speeds than its rivals. The turbocharged flat-four offers plenty of punch, though you do have to manage a hint of turbo lag and the inherent droning characteristics of the CVT.
Honda’s Passport TrailSport feels like the most substantial vehicle of the trio. At 4,700 pounds, it is wide, stable, and remarkably mature on the highway. Honda engineers managed to tune the off-road suspension so it doesn’t punish you on the pavement. The V-6 engine loves to rev, singing a sweet mechanical tune all the way to its 6,100-rpm peak. It drives exactly like a big Honda should—predictable, refined, and engaging.
Hitting the Dirt: Off-Road Testing
Publicly accessible off-roading on the East Coast is tough to find, which is why we navigated Interstate 78 west to the Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area in Coal Township, Pennsylvania. This 8,000-acre park offers a mix of deep mud, rocky ascents, and heavily rutted trails—the perfect proving ground for the best off-road crossover SUVs.
It’s important to note that none of these vehicles have low-range transfer cases or locking mechanical differentials. They rely on advanced clutch-pack all-wheel-drive setups and brake-based traction control.
Subaru’s exceptional ground clearance paid dividends immediately over rocky terrain. While the other two scraped their underbellies, the Outback Wilderness cleared jagged rocks with ease. However, when we tackled a steep, deeply rutted hill climb, the Subaru’s traction control system panicked. When the vehicle articulated and lifted a wheel, the system completely cut power for a few agonizing seconds before finally figuring out where to send the torque. Furthermore, Subaru’s X-Mode hill descent control is incredibly conservative, restricting speeds to a painfully slow crawl while the cabin fills with warning chimes.
The Hyundai Santa Fe XRT struggled the most when the asphalt ended. Its long 110.8-inch wheelbase and modest ground clearance meant it dragged its plastic underbody protection frequently. On the hill climb, the all-wheel-drive system hesitated under wide-open throttle before eventually clawing its way up. During a deep water and mud crossing, the Hyundai’s traction logic completely fell apart, refusing to send power to the rear wheels even with traction control disabled. It eventually freed itself, but it was a stressful five minutes.
The Honda Passport TrailSport, however, put on a masterclass. Despite only having 8.3 inches of ground clearance, its robust steel skid plates absorbed any necessary impacts without causing damage. It absolutely dominated the steep hill climb thanks to a class-leading 23-degree approach angle and Honda’s brilliant i-VTM4 torque-vectoring system, which instantly shoved power to the rear wheels that had traction. Through deep water and mud, the Passport never hesitated. It was the only vehicle that felt genuinely at home on the trails.
Cabin Comfort and Technology
When you’re comparing the best off-road crossover SUVs, interior packaging matters just as much as traction.
The Subaru Outback Wilderness features a massive 12.1-inch vertical screen and an interior built for getting dirty. The StarTex water-repellent upholstery is incredibly practical, though the cabin itself feels a bit narrow. Headroom and shoulder room are noticeably tighter than in the competitors, and the driving position feels a bit awkward for taller drivers.
Hyundai leans heavily into luxury. The Santa Fe’s dual 12.3-inch displays, ample USB-C charging ports across all three rows, and impressive storage capacity make it the ultimate family road-trip machine. It feels far more expensive inside than its rugged exterior suggests, though the steering-column-mounted gear selector takes some getting used to.
Honda strikes a perfect balance. The TrailSport Elite boasts heated and ventilated perforated leather seats, a highly responsive 12.3-inch touchscreen with flawless wireless Apple CarPlay, and physical tactile buttons for the climate controls. It features a brilliant 12-speaker Bose audio system, though the push-button gear selector remains a slight annoyance.
Value, Pricing, and the Verdict
When shopping for the best off-road crossover SUVs, your financial strategy is just as important as your trail strategy. If you are looking to maximize your budget, exploring competitive SUV lease deals on these models can keep your monthly payments manageable while putting you in a brand-new, warranty-backed vehicle. Additionally, if you plan on actually taking these vehicles off the pavement, it is highly recommended to review your policy for auto insurance for off-road vehicles to ensure you are covered against trail damage.
From a raw pricing perspective, the Hyundai Santa Fe XRT is the undeniable value champion. Coming in remarkably well-equipped without the need for expensive option packages, it undercuts the fully loaded Honda by nearly $9,000. The Subaru Outback Wilderness sits right in the middle, though adding the upgraded infotainment and leather seats quickly pushes the price northward.
The Honda Passport TrailSport Elite is the priciest of the bunch at over $54,000, but you absolutely get what you pay for.
The Winner
If you want an SUV that merely projects an adventurous lifestyle while handling school runs in total silence, the Hyundai Santa Fe is a fantastic, high-value choice. If you live in an area with constant deep snow and need sheer ground clearance, the Subaru Outback remains a legendary tool for the job.
But the winner of this test is undeniably the Honda Passport TrailSport. It doesn’t just wear the rugged badges; it genuinely backs them up. It was the most composed and capable vehicle on the treacherous Pennsylvania trails, easily overcoming obstacles that left the others spinning their tires. Yet, it sacrifices absolutely none of Honda’s trademark on-road refinement, delivering excellent steering, a buttery-smooth V-6, and a luxurious cabin.
Ready to upgrade your weekend adventures? Check out the latest inventory at your local dealerships, compare the best SUV lease deals in your area, and get behind the wheel of a crossover that can actually conquer the trail.
