We took three crossover SUVs to their limit on- and off-road and one was the clear winner

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 Contenders

2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness

• Base Price: $46,445
• As-Tested: $50,535

Subaru has been supplying rugged all-wheel-drive sedans, station wagons, and crossovers around the globe since the Eighties. But, in an effort to capitalize on the emerging overlanding boom, the Japanese automaker launched its Wilderness line, adding ground clearance, rugged plastic cladding, and meatier 17-inch all-terrain tires to its most popular crossovers. The Outback Wilderness is the freshest of the crop, powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine making 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. Power is delivered to all four corners through a continuously variable automatic transmission, capable of synthesizing eight stepped ratios, and Subaru's proprietary X-Mode torque-vectoring system.

2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite

• Base Price: $54,145
• As-Tested: $54,145

The Passport has grown more handsome with age. The fourth generation of Honda's two-row mid-size SUV features an attractive squared-off design and the option of adventure-ready TrailSport trim. This brings 8.3 inches of ground clearance, 18-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, a revised all-wheel-drive system, and robust steel underbody protection. The pleasing exterior is not without function, as the TrailSport's approach and departure angles have been significantly improved with the redesign. Power comes from a familiar 3.5-liter V-6 that combines 285 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque, this driving a 10-speed automatic transmission.

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT

• Base Price: $43,640
• As-Tested: $45,285

Hyundai makes the most of its SUV platforms, the Santa Fe sharing its core with the smaller Tucson and Kia Sportage. But the XRT version pushes the envelope of where a three-row, family-focused SUV is supposed to venture. The boxy crossover has 8.3 inches of ground clearance, terrain-specific drive modes, and 18-inch Continental TerrainContact tires. The turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four produces 277 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque—the most of any vehicle in our test. Hyundai has also swapped out its sometimes-problematic dual-clutch transmission for an eight-speed torque-converter automatic in the 2026 Santa Fe.

Where We Tested

The 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 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.

On the Road

Despite the addition of matte-plastic body panels and all-terrain tires, eating highway miles and navigating fast-food drive-throughs remains the primary mission of these crossovers. These less pedestrian versions deliver just as well on the everyday. I found it difficult to pinpoint any of the compromises that accompany proper off-road SUVs, with no busy steering, bouncing suspension, or wind whistle at regular speeds.

The Santa Fe XRT receives the lightest off-road upgrades of the bunch, and its on-road performance shines as a result. Escaping New York City at the height of rush hour, the 4400-pound, three-row crossover exhibited an easygoing demeanor. Both the pedals and the electric power-steering rack required little input force, and their outputs were similarly gentle. With a curb-to-curb turning diameter of 37.9 feet, the Santa Fe's strapping build felt surprisingly agile in my hands, the SUV punching rapidly through gaps in a crowd of New Jersey Transit buses.

Once on the open road, the Hyundai's turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-four delivered adequate levels of poke at an unremarkable pace. The engine makes hardly a peep inside the cabin, and its forced induction isn't obvious, even with the four-banger's top-of-the-test torque figures. Shifts from the eight-speed automatic transmission were seamless, ride quality remained properly padded at high and low speeds, and cabin noise was kept to a minimum. Driving the Hyundai was like operating a well-built appliance—predictable and a little bit boring. Oh, and one that just happened to look like a refrigerator thanks to its boxy lines and matte-gray hue.

The Subaru Outback Wilderness was the jumping jackrabbit of the test, and not just because of its 9.5-inch ground clearance. Once a proper station wagon, the Outback, now in its sixth generation, has become a crossover, but it hasn't lost its Subaru quirks and carlike handling. Its tall ride height, stiffened suspension, and spry curb weight of 3973 pounds (about 800 pounds less than the Passport) made the Outback Wilderness feel less stable than the heavier cars at highway speeds but more maneuverable at lower velocities.

Short spurts of Pennsylvania mountain roads were mildly enjoyable at the Subaru's helm, though the Outback handled bumps and dips with more obvious suspension movement than its competitors. The characteristic turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four engine pushes the elongated crossover along well enough once spinning, but responses were marred by a little turbo lag and also the drag of Subaru's CVT. If the stars of boost pressure and the simulated gears aligned, acceleration was swift and enjoyable, thanks in part to the shortness of the Outback's final-drive ratio. The CVT’s pseudo upshifts and downshifts are delivered snappily in manual mode too.

In a world of downsized hybridized and turbocharged engines, there are more and more replacements for displacement. Yet, in this company, the Honda Passport TrailSport's old-fashioned 3.5-liter V-6 offered a charming package that only served to validate a capacity-based bias. Paired to the 10-speed automatic transmission, the naturally aspirated V-6 sang satisfyingly on its way to the 6100 rpm at which it makes its peak 285 hp. Shifting timing is crucial, especially with so many gearbox ratios, and Honda's programming acted just quickly enough for my liking. Even with the Passport's peak torque arriving at a high 5000 rpm, shorter lower-numbered ratios made low-rev response acceptably brisk in the city.

The Honda was the largest vehicle in the test in nearly every dimension and felt the most mature and stable on-road. Its off-road-focused suspension tuning didn't sacrifice highway ride compliance, and all-terrain tires didn't ruin Honda's characteristically good steering system either. At 4700 pounds, the Passport TrailSport isn't meant for back-road bombing, but its front end moves quickly and communicates pleasurably on the road. All told, the stout TrailSport packaging doesn't make the driving experience any less Honda, and that's a good thing.

Of course, a three-hour interstate stint is where all three crossovers should feel at home. The lanes of our westbound journey were littered with sibling models, carrying families to sporting events and swimming pools. Thousands of customer surveys tell Subaru, Honda, and Hyundai that even those who buy the rugged, adventure-ready trim won't actually take them off-road. But the automakers don't engineer these vehicles for the 99 percent. And we're here to test for that one percent use case too.

Off the Road

Let's start with the obvious points that none of these turned-up soft-roaders brought genuine off-road hardware to the battle. There were no mechanical locking center differentials, two-speed transfer cases, or vast 35-inch tires. Instead, each had a clutch pack–based torque-distribution system and brake-based traction-management systems in place of low-range gearboxes. But there was still plenty of fun to be had.

Setting off into the crusty sediment of Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area, I recalled each challenger's ground-clearance limits closely. The car-based frames of all three crossovers mean mechanical componentry sits low to the ground—the chosen trail was deliberately close to the hardware limits.

Subaru's ground clearance is the most generous, offering 9.5 inches with a trick set of adaptive dampers and clearing rocks that would make contact with the other easily. Equipped with the shortest wheelbase of the bunch, the Outback Wilderness's underbelly only touched once, grazing its exhaust on a protruding pile of rocks mid-descent.

Honda takes a different approach, believing a crossover platform can only grow so tall without bringing too much on-road compromise. With only 8.3 inches of ground clearance and a lengthy 113.6-inch wheelbase, the Passport TrailSport is reinforced accordingly, fitted with robust steel underbody skid plates over critical drivetrain components. Even with the fisheye camera setup active, it was difficult to avoid dragging the Honda on ridges and rocks alike, the noises of such contact eliciting teeth-sucking groans in the cabin. But, fortunately, without causing damage underneath: smoke 'em if you've got 'em seems to be Honda's approach.

The Hyundai's pleasant roadgoing manners don't translate to success off-road. A middling 8.3 inches of ground clearance is only nominally augmented by a sheet of plastic underbody protection, and the 110.8-inch wheelbase offers little dimensional benefit over more jagged terrain. As a result, the bottom of the Santa Fe met surfaces regularly, albeit with less sonic drama than the Honda's steel-drum underbody.

Driving through a powerline cut in the woods brought the SUVs to a section of steep, rutted soil, testing the trio's capability to deliver traction on a sharp rise tackled from a standstill. Also approach angles and the ability of all-wheel-drive systems to distribute power with wheels hanging in the air.

Despite its short stature, the Passport TrailSport bested the climb with the least effort, owing to its test-leading 23-inch approach angle and quick-acting torque-vectoring system. On paper, Honda's i-VTM4 AWD system sends 70 percent of engine power to the rear axle and then 100 percent of this to either rear wheel as required, and the system was rapid in practice.

The Santa Fe XRT also impressed on the hill-climb test, managing its approach with grace despite a lackluster 19.3-inch approach angle. Possessing the strongest torque rating didn't initially help the Hyundai, as the H-Trac AWD system faltered for a few seconds of wide-open throttle before the correct wheels powered up and boosted it out of the soft ruts.

With a 20-degree approach angle and ground-clearance metrics on its side, the Outback Wilderness assumed its hill-climb position confidently before its traction-control system panicked as the crossover articulated. Titled 20 degrees, nose high, the Subaru wouldn't initially deliver power to the wheels at all even in its most traction-lenient drive mode, Deep Snow, before eventually spinning the two outboard wheels to safety.

Each manufacturer has taken a different approach to on-trail automation and safety systems, and the Subaru Outback Wilderness was by far the most conservative. Subaru's Hill Descent Control feature kicked in automatically in X-Mode, the brand's off-road-specific dynamic setting, and wouldn't allow for speeds greater than 12 mph downhill. Paired with Subaru's low-ratio gradient control, which simulates a low ratio gear in the CVT to manage descents, the speed-management system was so conservative and, frankly, annoying that I took to driving the Wilderness without X-Mode engaged and with traction control off. Plus, the Subaru beeped and chimed regularly, warning of every rock and branch in its path.

Honda's descent-control function adhered to a 12-mph limit as well but required manual activation and was overall smoother. Similarly, Honda's off-road drive modes (Trail and Sand) optimized throttle response and gear position without negatively altering the driving experience. The Santa Fe XRT occupies the technological middle ground, with a competent automatic descent control, three off-road drive modes (Mud, Sand, and Snow), and the most useful camera setup.

Of course, no off-road test can be considered complete until at least one vehicle has gotten stuck. A shaded section of the off-road park presented the equivalent of a great lake for our tadpole off-roaders, and I dove in nose first. Again, the Honda's combination of proper torque logic and confident footing made the water crossing undramatic. Onlookers would see the Outback also cross the pond smoothly, though a foot full of throttle and a considerable countersteer were occurring behind the wheel. The Santa Fe XRT's earlier power-delivery confusion was only compounded underwater, as the AWD system failed to deliver power to the rear wheels even with traction control defeated. After five minutes of inching back and forth, the Hyundai was ultimately freed under its own power, but it was clearly well out of its comfort zone.

In the Cabin

Buyers in this part of the market prioritize comfort and features, and increased off-road ability doesn't change that. The Outback Wilderness features Subaru's best shot at an interior in years. The 12.1-inch screen is oriented horizontally, and the user-interface system worked pretty cleanly. The combination of optional nappa leather trim and plethora of storage cubbies blended luxury and kitsch well. Apple CarPlay integration was a bit spotty—I couldn't use the steering-wheel buttons to change songs at times—but it didn't do Subaru's characteristic screen crash either. Subaru provides one USB-A and one USB-C charge port for each row of seats, a total of four charging points. The driving position is tall and slightly unergonomic; you approach the pedals from the top, even if you lower the seat or stretch out your legs. Similarly, the cabin felt a bit cramped; room for heads, shoulders, and elbows is tighter than the Hyundai. However, the Subaru wins praise with its traditional gear shifter and easy-to-use climate-control buttons.

The appliance theme continues inside the Santa Fe. The plethora of screens and leather upholstery make it feel significantly more luxurious than the Subaru, but don't be fooled into thinking the Hyundai is a Land Rover Defender competitor. The Apple CarPlay interface on its 12.3-inch infotainment screen was flawless, while USB-C charging points (two up front, two in the second row, and an additional pair in the third row) and storage capacity are ample. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster wasn't that easy to read, and I found the awkwardly placed stalk shifter to be far from intuitive. The presence of a third row, the impressively quiet cabin, and roomy dimensions are Hyundai's biggest interior wins.

Honda has standardized its interior experience across the majority of the model lineup, and our Passport TrailSport Elite test car fit right in. A standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, a three-spoke leather steering wheel, button- and knob-centered climate controls, and perforated-leather seating with heating and cooling capabilities were the highlights. Charging-port availability is ample, with two USB-C ports for the front seats and two for the rear seats. A 12-speaker Bose Audio system and seamless Apple CarPlay connectivity also stood out. Detractions include a button-style shifter, tighter passenger dimensions, and slightly gauche "Passport" lettering above the center console. But the Passport Trailsport was quiet and refined at highway cruising speeds.

Bang Per Buck

Mid-size crossovers are far from affordable these days, but the Hyundai Santa Fe XRT was the only tester without an option-inflated price. Save for the $1000 matte paint job and carpeted floor mats, the Santa Fe XRT was as close to base as possible, giving it a starting price nearly $9000 lower than the Honda's. That's a serious advantage for those looking to maximize value.

The TrailSport Elite package is Honda's most luxurious off-roader, fit with extra leather and winter-ready amenities such as a heated leather steering wheel and heated rear seats. Even though our test car lacked any additional options, its price still elicited sticker shock at $54,145. If off-road capability is more important than leather upholstery, I would suggest the non-Elite TrailSport trim for a discount of around $4000.

Without any extras, the Subaru Outback Wilderness's sticker price is within spitting distance of the Hyundai's. However, matching amenity levels requires some sizable additional spend. I liked the Subaru's upgraded 12.1-inch multimedia display, which adds $2095 to its base price. And you'll have to pay an extra $4090 for leather upholstery, though the base StarTex seats are perfectly acceptable.

And the Winner Is . . .

Buying any one of these chunky crossovers is more likely to be about projecting the image of an adventurous life as much as living it but also delivering more capability on the rare occasions it is required.

Against that criteria, the Honda was the standout contender. It's not the tallest or the roomiest of the test, nor the best value, but it is the most assured vehicle both on- and off-road. While the Subaru and Hyundai feel like enhanced versions of their regular siblings, the Passport TrailSport stayed unflappable even when asked to tackle genuinely challenging terrain, its off-road modes dealing with gear selection and torque distribution quickly enough to keep rolling where the others struggled.

The Subaru may be better able to get over obstacles, but the caution of its onboard nannies proved to be more limitation than enhancement in sticky, tricky conditions. It boasts one of Subaru's nicest cabins yet, but it felt a little tight inside in this company. Conversely, the Santa Fe XRT seemed to come from the next segment up in terms of size and benefits from generous standard equipment, all at an enticing price. But the Hyundai's struggles for traction in places where neither of the other cars encountered difficulties was a critical limitation in terms of the testing criteria being employed here. The XRT might better withstand a trip to the trails than the regular Santa Fe, but that doesn't mean it's well suited to such use.

On the road, the Honda belies its rugged design and smooths out everything in a very traditional Honda way. Excellent steering and dynamic stability make it a much more confident companion, and the plush leather and cocooned cabin make it feel like a quality item regardless of the terrain underfoot. The Passport TrailSport combines personality and a whole lot of talent. That's why it's the winner here.

More Specs

2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite

Powertrain: 3471 cc V-6, naturally aspirated

Power: 285 hp @ 6100 rpm

Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm

Transmission: Ten-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

0-60 mph: 7.3 sec (C/D)

Weight: 4782 pounds (C/D)

2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness

Powertrain: 2387 cc flat-four, turbocharged

Power: 260 hp @ 5600 rpm

Torque: 277 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed continuously variable, all-wheel drive

0-60 mph: 6.0 sec (C/D)

Weight: 4016 pounds (C/D)

2026 Hyundai Santa Fe XRT

Powertrain: 2497 cc inline-four, turbocharged

Power: 277 hp @ 5700 rpm

Torque: 311 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

0-60 mph:6.9 sec (C/D)

Weight: 4331 pounds (C/D)