looking at vehicles, how insane do I need to go for overlanding?

[Uneasyboosh]

Hey all! Sorry for the wall of text but want to be thorough lol

So quick background: I am city folk, but enjoy hiking and the outdoors. Want a vehicle that can be a daily driver and be my overland vic. I have never done any over landing or off-roading, have always owned small hatchbacks.

Currently looking at Subaru Forester XT, but as I started looking more into overlanding I am back looking at 4runners and Tacomas again. I prefer the features and creature comforts of a fully loaded forester but not sure if I need more off-road chops.

End goal: Was planning a cross-country road trip that I would like to turn into a trans-American trail trip.

Question: How offroad is overlanding? can I get away with Subaru AWD with good tires or should I be thinking of 4wd? rear diff lock? If I went with one of the Toyotas, is 4wd drive enough or should I be looking at the TRD pro models? I will most likely be alone with my dog unless I meet some people on here to do some of the legs, so my biggest fear is getting stuck in mud or something wishing I had more capability.

stole this from another thread
1. How many passengers? Kids? myself and a dog, although in upgrading from my 2dr coupe I would like something with atleast a backseat to carry some fullsize adults.
2. What are you interested in? Camping? Rock crawling? Cross country adventures? Camping/overlanding goal is to do TAT.
3. What other outdoor hobbies do you have? Boating? Climbing? Cycling? Fishing? Hiking? Kayaking? Skiing?
love hiking and kayaking but I don't own my own kayak
4. What brands are you loyal too (if any)? scared of brands which are considered less reliable(jeep), prefer Japanese brands.
5. Do you want to sleep in the vehicle? not needed
6. New or used? either, although I don't want to pay for things I don't need IE TRD Pro. With the Toyotas the resale value is so high it doesn't seem like its any benefit to buying used because they are about the same price.
7. Do you plan on modifying it or keeping it stock and just outfitting it? I live by simple means, I don't plan on adding fridges and roof tents but I will add necessities to survive the trail.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Lindenwood]

Honestly, the Forester is a plenty capable rig, but for "gentlemen's offroading," the simple ground clearance of a 4runner or Taco would probably the single biggest advantage. That, and the beefier tires will make it less prone to pinch flats or damaged rims on washboard roads and the like. The obvious downsides will be you will definitely lose the last vestage of "sportiness" that the subaru might offer, and of course fuel efficiency.

But, don't let yourself confuse "overlanding" with "offroading." I haven't been out West yet, but I think even the most famous offroad regions like Moab are still spiderwebbed with roads easily traversed by 2WD trucks or AWD sedans that will still get you to plenty remote spots.

 

[TerryD]

I would say to start with whatever you already have. When you find yourself being turned around by what's on your path, then you can make the decision to go bigger or you might decide those are places you don't need to go. The best way to decide what you need is to take what you have out and figure out what you consider the shortcomings.

A stock Xterra has taken me everywhere I've wanted to go so far but I know I want to build it up more. I came from the hard core off-road background and I want something more capable so the Xterra will get lockers, lift and bumpers. You might not need or even want to go that far.

 

[Theoretician]

Most of the TAT would be fine in a forester, but there are parts going through Colorado and Utah where you'll appreciate the ground clearance and sidewall height of a proper 4x4.

Add a lift, cut some sheet metal, and buy the biggest tires with the smallest wheels that you can bolt onto a forester and you'd be able to keep up on anything short of rock crawling. However, that's a lot of work to get those mods just to do what a 4R can do stock.

I'd go for the 4R, or its ilk, but I have different priorities. I actually went for an F150 with the HD payload package because I was planning on stuff like a RTT and the payload of Tacomas and 4Rs don't leave much on the table after you start bolting things on.

If you're buying new, I would definitely go for any factory options like a locker or Hill descent control. Get the lowest package you can with those devices, but definitely go for them. It costs a lot more to add later, and they're another tool in your pocket to pull out when needed.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

We have quite a few Subaru members on here that can attest to just how well they go off road. Almost anything you do to them above that will only add to their ability but they are most definitely a compromise between a car and something traditionally taken off road. Water fording is made more interesting because the body is lower but the benefit is that so is the roofline. It’s easier to put things on the roof and this whole package has a much lower CG than anything else with this clearance. Stock they don’t have the greatest approach/departure angles but it’s still plenty good enough for a lot of off road tasks. A stock Forester or Outback has 8.7” of ground clearance which is respectable and if you look at a model with X mode you will get additional traction in technical sections and downhill assist. Then there’s the aforementioned added fuel efficiency although just like with anything else the more off road capable you make it the more the MPG goes down. Lastly I will leave with my far from stock Outback that I take everywhere. * No cut sheet metal or anything drastic as @Theoretician might suggest.

 

[Ripley1046]

I'd say the Forester would be a good place to start. My family is doing our first overlanding trip in June in our 2010 Outback (though we've been car camping in parks for years). Fully stock, with good A/T tires. Once we do that, and maybe one other close range trip I may decide to do a small lift, maybe a nudge bar in the front similar to Wawa's above. But I can say that the Outback gets unstuck from snow better than my 4wd Silverado with a limited slip diff. I'm amazed at what this thing can do in stock form. All the while getting 25 mpg with me driving like it's stolen and being able to pack more gear than we would likely ever need.

 

[Lead K9]

What are you currently driving and what are its faults in your adventures so far? Have you gotten stuck and, if so, how? Do you need more cargo room for gear? Do you need something that is more comfortable on the street than on the trail? Asking questions like these and providing honest answers to yourself may help define what you want to look for as your next vehicle. There are so many capable vehicles out there that it could be overwhelming to choose a particular one.

My Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is a great vehicle for me. It is versatile enough for all the things I need. But I've gone off-roading with other vehicles that I could easily see myself driving too. A friend picked up an old Bronco that was a beast. I never would have thought of that as a choice, but it tackles everything he demands of it. If you are looking for something used and are mechanically inclined, an older Jeep Cherokee XJ is a great choice too. If you are going new, sky is the limit. There are so many great models out there that will more than fill the need of an overlander.

You may also want to consider joining a local off-road club and see what others in your area are driving and how they are modifying their rigs. Even if they don't exactly fit your needs, it will definitely give you ideas.

Good luck in your research and choice!

 

[1Louder]

My 2 cents. If you are staying on Forest roads the Forrester would be fine. My wife owns one and it is a great vehicle. It does need better tires to be more dirt capable. If you want to go down anything that is labeled as a Jeep Trail then I would look at something a bit more capable. I would get a ForeRunner. But hey that's me. As for buying a TRD Pro you can easily "Pro" your vehicle as you see fit on your own and probably save some money along the way. I have done the Arizona Border to Border, Utah B2B, and ID B2B. Parts of the Utah route would require more than a Subaru in my opinion. AZ maybe a few sections might be tough for a Subaru and ID from what I was able to run, some sections were closed the Subaru would have been fine.

 

[Uneasyboosh]

Thanks all, plenty of food for thought here. I think a lot will come down to how I feel about them after test drives since they all seem like sensible options for my needs. Seems I could just raise the Forester and add decent A\T tires and be good for most of the travel I am interested in.

Honestly looking around online, there is slim pickings for the used vehicles I am interested in within 200 miles of my home. (A decent Xterra/foresterXT/4R)

Although a lot more up front it seems like I could get a TRD Pro, drive it for 2 years and if I don't like offroading that much I can sell it for almost zero loss. The resale value is insane.

Altough for that same price I can get a XT or Xterra and add a 1000 aftermarket parts to it....

Decisions decisions...

 

[Uneasyboosh]

I would say to start with whatever you already have

What are you currently driving and what are its faults in your adventures so far?

Currently I drive a 2 door coupe that is lowered with summer tires and racing wheels so even strong grocery store road bumps give me issues.

I wanted to upgrade to something crossover size and then I got sucked into this overlanding research adventure. Currently working overseas at a very slow pace job, so I have plenty of time to research for hours and let my imagination take over lol

 

[DK_XV]

I vote Subaru. I had a Crosstrek put a lift and some springs on it and it was good fun. With the lift and tires it had a solid 10-11" of clearance.
The biggest problem I had was the 5-sp the lack of torque and gears made for much a burned clutch.
The new XT has the CVT and Xmode which will drop the CVT into lower gears and some other trans tricks.
The subies are really capable and super city friendly. And mods are pretty cheap and easily done. It's a great all around rig.

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[tsteb112]

As some have mentioned above, start stock, see what it can do and go from there. I like the 4 runner idea. I personally have an 03 Grand Cherokee and traveling with my dog and girlfriend is very easy and it’s nice having everything inside nice and dry and the ability to sleep in it if need be.


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[Junktj]

Buy a 4runner, and you will be a Toyota fan for life!

If you are on an overland website, asking for advice between a car and truck based suv, then I can't imagine how you could go wrong with a 4runner ...
.

 

[JeffG98034]

I vote Subaru. I had a Crosstrek put a lift and some springs on it and it was good fun. With the lift and tires it had a solid 10-11" of clearance.
The biggest problem I had was the 5-sp the lack of torque and gears made for much a burned clutch.
The new XT has the CVT and Xmode which will drop the CVT into lower gears and some other trans tricks.
The subies are really capable and super city friendly. And mods are pretty cheap and easily done. It's a great all around rig. View attachment 48599View attachment 48600

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Cool Looking Subaru.

 

[Smileyshaun]

I have probably taken a old 88 Toyota Camry on more back road , gravel , forest road off the beaten path adventures then a lot of the built "overlanding" rigs you see that are "built". Don't get overwhelmed with building a rig , a forester will take you over 90% of the forest roads in the USA, just remember with a xt you will need to run super and that can be sometimes hard to find in small towns .

Here's what you do . go explore some gravel roads and go camping with what stuff you already have but keep a list of what works and only buy more gear if it's really needed . Don't build and buy a rig from what you see online everybody has different needs , what works for someone in the south might not work for someone in the north .
Also find some people to go explore with and see what works for them and what they like about their setups .

 

[Smileyshaun]

Another thing to think about , how important is mpg to you ? How far are you comuting ? If it's your daily driver think more about what you use it for everyday rather then what you use it for sometimes on the weekend.

 

[Kage]

I have probably taken a old 88 Toyota Camry on more back road , gravel , forest road off the beaten path adventures then a lot of the built "overlanding" rigs you see that are "built". Don't get overwhelmed with building a rig , a forester will take you over 90% of the forest roads in the USA, just remember with a xt you will need to run super and that can be sometimes hard to find in small towns ..

Another thing to think about , how important is mpg to you ? How far are you comuting ? If it's your daily driver think more about what you use it for everyday rather then what you use it for sometimes on the weekend.

I snipped a bit out Smiley's post, but all of this and some of what has been said before in this thread. You can get out an see a ton of places in the lowly FWD econo-box platforms. The wife and I have logged many miles on her old stratus and G6, often taking them places they really shouldn't have been, but it was what we had to work with. Remember, "Gearing up to get out there" isn't nearly as important as just "Getting out there".

But to stray closer to the point of the thread, we have a divided approach;

1) If we are heading somewhere that is more "Fire Road" type stuff, we tend to jump into whatever gets the best MPG since where we live usually means lots of interstate just to get to the fun places. In our travels across the states, we have found that just having decent ground clearance is enough to get to most of the trail heads we are after. So a cute ute like the CRV/Rav4 or a Subaru offering will get us to most of the places. Carry a full sized spare and keep decent rubber on it and you'll be very surprised where you can get some very pedestrian cars.

2) If we are heading somewhere that might be a bit sketchy, we take something with real 4x4 (Part time transfer case, not something AWD). Think shelf roads in CO and the like, areas where ground clearance is necessary, and traction is usually lacking just enough that AWD won't cut it.

Since you're just starting out, I wouldn't worry about getting something with lockers and such right out of the gate (unless you happen across a deal). Yes, my current adventure mobile is locked front and rear, but I have wheeled plenty of stock 4x4's without lockers for years and made it work. Lockers just let me do more dumb things :-)

 

[Smileyshaun]

Something else to think about if your buying new , how comfortable are you with the possibility of scratches , interior stains or possible body damage ? Are you comfortable with driving by dropoffs, off camber situations?

I've seen people go all out buying fully built rigs and all these plans for extreme offroading then taking one trip and finding out they are scared to death of the whole experience and never going offroad again .

Put up a post for your local area asking to ride along with some people and see what you like and don't like about going offroad and you'll also make new friends to help you with your overlanding Journey.

 

[Traveling Together]

The Subaru can be taken anywhere if you are willing to push it, but it would be a lot easier to get there in the 4runner.

It depends what appeals to you.
The Subaru would offer more excitement and challenge on mild off-roading trails. Meanwhile, if your goal is just to get to locations that may involve difficult terrain, than the 4runner would make that easier.

 

[Wawa Skittletits]

Now I know the limitations of my Outback but its worth noting that the only thing holding it back from doing more is not having a low range. I'm saying doing more than what I already do which I'm sure would surprise most of you. The limiting factor is not ground clearance or traction (especially with X mode) because even a stock Subaru being discussed only has less than an inch less clearance than a new TRD Pro 4Runner. By comparison my outback has nearly 3" more than that same T4R.

Something else to think about if your buying new , how comfortable are you with the possibility of scratches , interior stains or possible body damage ? Are you comfortable with driving by dropoffs, off camber situations?

I've seen people go all out buying fully built rigs and all these plans for extreme offroading then taking one trip and finding out they are scared to death of the whole experience and never going offroad again .

Put up a post for your local area asking to ride along with some people and see what you like and don't like about going offroad and you'll also make new friends to help you with your overlanding Journey.

I bought my Outback new and I came to terms with all the pinstriping early haha.