Conquering the Wild: Dissecting the Best Mid-Size Off-Road Trucks of 2025
As an industry veteran with a decade embedded in the dirt, dust, and sheer exhil
aration of off-road vehicle testing, I’ve witnessed the mid-size pickup segment transform into a battleground for ultimate trail prowess. For 2025, the competition is fiercer than ever, with manufacturers pushing boundaries in suspension design, powertrain innovation, and advanced off-road technology. The days of simply slapping on knobby tires and calling it a trail truck are long gone. Today, consumers demand sophisticated machines that can crawl rocks, blast through desert washes, and still handle daily commutes with a modicum of civility.
We recently put the segment’s heavy hitters through their paces at Michigan’s rugged Holly Oaks ORV Park. This wasn’t a casual stroll; we engineered a series of grueling challenges designed to expose every strength and weakness. From treacherous rock crawls and relentless hill climbs to heart-pounding high-speed desert runs and critical on-road evaluations, our objective was clear: identify the definitive leader in the 2025 mid-size off-road truck arena. The contenders? The aggressively re-engineered 2025 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, the formidable 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor, the adventure-ready 2025 Jeep Gladiator Mojave X, and the hybrid-powered 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.
Our testing regimen was comprehensive. Each truck was scored across four distinct off-road scenarios: high-speed maneuvers, precise rock crawling, daunting hill ascents, and controlled hill descents. These scores were weighted heavily, reflecting the primary mission of these vehicles. Complementing this, an extensive on-road evaluation assessed comfort, usability, and daily driving dynamics—a crucial factor for trucks that often double as family transporters or workhorses. The results offer a clear roadmap for anyone looking to invest in a truly capable off-road pickup this year.
The Verdict: Our 2025 Mid-Size Off-Road Truck Rankings
After crunching the numbers and countless hours behind the wheel, the hierarchy of capability emerged. Here’s how these titans of the trail stacked up:
2025 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison
2024 Ford Ranger Raptor
2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
2025 Jeep Gladiator Mojave X
Let’s delve deeper into each contender, dissecting what makes them excel—or fall short—in the challenging world of off-road driving and everyday practicality.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Mojave X: The Analog Adventure Seeker
The 2025 Jeep Gladiator Mojave X, with an as-tested price of $66,905, positions itself as a high-speed desert runner, boasting a “Desert Rated” badge that distinguishes it from its “Trail Rated” siblings. Equipped with Fox internal bypass shocks, a 1-inch front suspension lift, a locking rear axle, robust 33-inch all-terrain tires, and protective rock rails, it certainly looks the part. However, our extensive testing revealed a nuanced truth: while capable, the Mojave X leans more towards traditional, slower-speed off-roading than its high-speed aspirations suggest. Its more analog controls offer immense satisfaction for experienced off-roaders but can present a steeper learning curve for novices.
What Makes the Gladiator Mojave X a Strong Contender?
Unrivaled Approach Angle: At 44.7 degrees, the Gladiator boasts the best approach angle in this comparison. This is critical for tackling steep obstacles without damaging the front fascia, allowing drivers to confidently engage tricky terrain head-on.
Exceptional Low-Range Operation: When the going gets tough, the Gladiator’s 4-Low gearing shines. It effortlessly scales obstacles, providing a finely controllable throttle response that allows for precise wheel placement and minimal fuss. This capability is a testament to Jeep’s long-standing off-road heritage.
Tactile Physical Controls: In an era of touchscreens, the Gladiator’s abundant physical controls for climate, audio, and crucial off-road functions are a welcome throwback. This design allows drivers to keep their eyes on the trail, making adjustments intuitively without fumbling through menus, a significant advantage in dynamic off-road scenarios.
Premium Interior Quality: The interior of the Mojave X impresses with its rugged yet high-quality trim and robust materials. This blend of durability and comfort earned it one of its few category wins, proving that a utilitarian vehicle doesn’t have to sacrifice cabin appeal.
Superior Hill-Climb Visibility: The Gladiator’s low, narrow hood, combined with an excellent forward camera view, provides unparalleled visibility when navigating steep ascents. This crucial feature allows drivers to perfectly aim the truck and confidently crest inclines, enhancing safety and control.
Where the Gladiator Mojave X Trails the Competition:
Frustrating Hill Descent Technology: The Selec-Speed Control system was, quite frankly, a letdown. It frequently brought the vehicle to a complete halt when only a slow, continuous crawl was desired, creating frustrating interruptions and undermining confidence on steep descents.
Compromised Breakover Angle: The Gladiator’s extended wheelbase, while offering stability, results in the worst breakover angle of the group (20.9 degrees). This became painfully evident during our tests, with the truck’s underside frequently grinding and bumping on obstacles, limiting its versatility on certain trails.
Lackluster High-Speed Off-Road Performance: Despite its “Desert Rated” moniker, the Gladiator felt out of its element on high-speed courses. Its solid front axle contributed to a clumsy feel, and the vague, numb steering made it the most challenging truck to control through sweeping corners and undulating terrain.
Imprecise On-Road Steering: On pavement, steering inputs felt more like suggestions than directives. The Gladiator exhibited a tendency to wander, requiring constant corrections from the driver, which can be fatiguing on long highway stretches and impacts overall driving confidence.
Subpar Seat Comfort & Cramped Cabin: The front seats, while offering adequate bolstering, were overly firm and stiff, becoming uncomfortable on longer drives. The backseat is tolerable for short stints but severely lacks room for adults, contributing to its lowest score in seat comfort. Our editors also lamented the generally cramped cockpit.
Modest Pentastar V6 Power: The 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, at 285 horsepower, offers minimal power reserves. It struggles to get up to speed on the highway, and passing maneuvers require considerable planning, highlighting a noticeable performance deficit compared to its turbocharged rivals.
Poor Landing Dynamics: During high-speed maneuvers involving jumps or quick dips, the Gladiator landed hard, often inducing a wince from the driver and severely hindering momentum into subsequent corners. This indicates a suspension tuning that isn’t optimized for sustained high-speed impacts.
Ground Clearance: 11.6 inches (second best)
Approach/Departure/Breakover Angles: 44.7 / 25.5 / 20.9 degrees
2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro: The Hybrid Trailblazer with Quirks
The 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro, priced at $66,410 as tested, represents a significant evolution for Toyota’s mid-size truck legend. The redesigned 2024 model year introduced an all-new gas-electric hybrid system, which powers this TRD Pro variant, delivering a stout 326 total horsepower. Alongside Fox shocks and 33-inch tires, it features unique IsoDynamic front seats, engineered with a shock absorber system to minimize body motions. While it excelled on our high-speed off-road course, an overly sensitive accelerator pedal proved to be its Achilles’ heel during slow-speed rock crawling.
Where the Tacoma TRD Pro Shines:
Exceptional Camera Views: The large multimedia screen provides the best forward camera view for navigating tricky terrain, particularly on steep hill climbs. This comprehensive camera system is arguably the best of the group for precise rock crawling, offering invaluable situational awareness.
Strong High-Speed Off-Road Performance: The TRD Pro demonstrated impressive stability and control on our high-speed course, second only to the Ranger Raptor. This performance underscores its “go-fast” credentials within the Tacoma lineup, making it a blast to drive on open dirt tracks.
Responsive On-Road Powertrain: The gas-electric hybrid powertrain is a marvel on pavement. It delivers immediate responsiveness thanks to ample torque, complemented by quick and decisive transmission downshifts. This eager power delivery makes the TRD Pro surprisingly engaging and enjoyable in daily driving.
Innovative IsoDynamic Seat Bolsters: The TRD Pro’s trick IsoDynamic seats effectively kept our drivers firmly in place during aggressive maneuvers on hill climbs and high-speed off-road tests. This unique technology significantly reduces driver fatigue and enhances control in dynamic situations.
Visceral Exhaust Note: The Tacoma TRD Pro consistently delivered the most engaging exhaust note on the off-road course, generating a muscular, aggressive sound that genuinely made our editors feel like they were piloting a dirt-spewing muscle car.
Areas Where the Tacoma TRD Pro Needs Improvement:
Overly Sensitive Pedals: A significant drawback was the touchy pedal calibration in 4-Low and Rock modes. The throttle was bizarrely jumpy, making smooth modulation exceptionally difficult, while the brakes were equally abrupt. This forced a frustrating two-foot driving method for precise rock crawling, hindering control and confidence.
Tire Traction Issues: The TRD Pro’s Falken WildPeak A/T AT3W tires lacked the superior traction of some competitors. This became particularly evident on our hill climb, where they struggled to maintain grip at the apex, impacting the truck’s overall ascent capability.
Compromised Backseat Space: While the IsoDynamic seats are innovative, their presence utterly eliminates valuable backseat space. Accommodating adults in the rear for any length of time is almost impossible, significantly limiting the truck’s practicality for passengers.
Unimpressive Interior Quality: For its premium price point, the Tacoma’s interior quality leaves much to be desired. The prevalence of hard, hollow-sounding plastics creates a somewhat cheap-feeling environment, further exacerbated by noticeable hood shake at highway speeds that bordered on alarming.
Isolated Multimedia System: Despite its large size, the multimedia screen feels disconnected from the rest of the truck’s core functions. Most essential truck systems are frustratingly relegated to the fussy gauge cluster and steering-wheel controls, rather than being easily accessible and managed on the massive central display.
Clunky Instrument Panel Interface: All editors found the digital instrument panel’s menus unintuitive and difficult to navigate, making on-the-fly setting adjustments unnecessarily complex and distracting.
Impractical Off-Road Gauges: While the display attempts to offer tilt and inclinometer readouts in off-road modes, their minuscule size renders them virtually useless in practical driving scenarios, failing to provide actionable information at a glance.
Ground Clearance: 11.5 inches (third best)
Approach/Departure/Breakover Angles: 35.7 / 25.3 / 27.4 degrees
2024 Ford Ranger Raptor: The High-Speed Desert King
The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor, with an as-tested price of $60,730 (2025 model-year equivalent), bursts onto the U.S. scene bringing the full-size F-150 Raptor’s high-speed off-road DNA to the mid-size segment. Its focus is unequivocally on desert running and high-velocity trail attacks. Key features include a wide-track suspension with a Watts-link rear setup, advanced Fox shocks, locking front and rear axles, aggressive 33-inch all-terrain tires, and a suite of seven drive modes, including the iconic Baja setting. This truck didn’t just perform well in its intended environment; it also proved to be the most refined on pavement, earning it top marks for on-road driving.
Why the Ranger Raptor Dominates High-Speed Terrain:
Exceptional High-Speed Off-Road Dynamics: The Ranger Raptor is truly in its element when pushing the limits. Its steering and handling are superb, allowing for precise control and confidence through fast, sweeping corners. It was, without question, the easiest truck to manage at high speeds on our challenging dirt course.
Potent Twin-Turbo V6 Power: The 405-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, paired with a seamless 10-speed automatic transmission, delivers exhilarating performance both on and off-road. On hill climbs, its ample, easily modulated power allowed for an effortless surge over obstacles. On pavement, the linear, predictable power delivery and abundant torque made for a truly responsive and engaging driving experience.
Flawless Hill Descent System: The Raptor’s hill descent control system is a masterclass in precision. It smoothly and steadily eased the truck down our test hill, requiring minimal driver intervention and fostering immense confidence on steep, uneven grades.
Class-Leading On-Road Ride Comfort: Surprisingly, for a truck engineered for extreme off-road punishment, the Ranger Raptor offers an exceptionally comfortable on-road ride. In its Normal setting, the suspension adeptly soaks up road imperfections without beating up occupants, providing a level of feedback and control that its rivals simply couldn’t match. Even the Sport setting noticeably sharpened performance without sacrificing too much comfort.
Superior Seat Comfort: The Ranger Raptor’s front seats were a revelation. Offering an ideal blend of support and plushness, they were the preferred choice for longer drives, earning the highest seat comfort score in our test—a critical factor for sustained adventures.
Graceful Landings: Unlike some competitors, the Ranger Raptor handled jumps and airborne moments with remarkable composure. Its finely tuned Fox suspension absorbed impacts seamlessly, allowing for maximum speed to be carried into subsequent turns without jarring the occupants or compromising stability.
Areas Where the Ranger Raptor Could Improve:
Impractical Side Steps: The large, fixed side steps proved to be a liability on the trail. They frequently scraped and sustained damage on rock obstacles, and given the Raptor’s relatively accessible ride height, they felt largely unnecessary for entry and exit.
Vertically Oriented Touchscreen: The 12-inch touchscreen, while sizable, is vertically oriented. This design choice resulted in a smaller viewing area for the critical external cameras, diminishing their utility during precise off-road maneuvers.
Unintuitive Shifter Design: The transmission gear selector was not intuitive for quick, decisive use. Our editors frequently mistook the left-side button for the primary shifter-release, leading to minor frustrations during rapid gear changes.
Limited Lateral Seat Bolstering: While generally comfortable, the front seats lacked sufficient lateral bolstering in the bottom cushion. This became noticeable during spirited driving or aggressive off-road cornering, where more support would have been beneficial despite the well-bolstered backrest.
Ground Clearance: 10.7 inches (worst)
Approach/Departure/Breakover Angles: 33.0 / 26.4 / 24.2 degrees
2025 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison: The Undisputed Rock-Crawling King
The 2025 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, with an as-tested price of $64,915, is not just a truck; it’s a statement. With its colossal 35-inch mud-terrain tires and a towering 12.2 inches of ground clearance, it presented itself as the true “monster truck” in our competitive stable. This formidable tire-and-clearance combination proved to be its winning formula, propelling the Bison to outright victories in our demanding rock crawl, hill climb, and hill descent tests. While its sheer size presented some challenges on high-speed courses, its low-speed off-road dominance was undeniable.
The Colorado ZR2 Bison: Peak Off-Road Performance Unveiled:
Unparalleled Rock-Crawling Capability: The advantages of the Bison’s massive 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires were immediately apparent. They provided superior ride quality over rocky steps, exceptional damping over large obstacles, and contributed significantly to the truck’s class-leading ride height. This combination delivered unrivaled grip and control, making the most challenging rock sections feel almost effortless.
Masterful Hill Descent Control: Equipped with those dominant 35-inch tires, the Colorado eased over the top of our steepest hill descent with absolute composure, offering supreme grip throughout the entire descent. The truck’s finely tuned hill descent system made this otherwise high-stress event a remarkably calm and controlled experience.
Effortless Hill Climb Performance: The Bison’s ample ground clearance and the second-best breakover angle in the test allowed it to crest challenging hills with room to spare. Its ability to maintain traction and articulate over uneven surfaces gave it a distinct advantage, instilling immense confidence in the driver.
Intuitive Off-Road Technology: Chevrolet has truly nailed the user experience for its off-road systems. The Colorado is remarkably easy to engage in various off-road modes and activate its suite of systems, thanks to simplified controls and a large, horizontal display screen featuring outstanding graphics. This design philosophy keeps the driver focused on the trail, not on navigating complex menus.
Exemplary Overall User Interface: Chevrolet has found a near-perfect balance between touchscreen controls for less frequently accessed functions (like headlights and traction control) and physical hard buttons for critical features (climate controls, audio). This thoughtful design earned the Colorado the highest rating for its screens and controls.
Cutting-Edge Screen Technology: The customizable digital instrument panel is bright, vivid, and highly informative. The integrated Google Built-In infotainment system is both responsive and intuitive, seamlessly supporting Apple CarPlay and enhancing connectivity on and off the grid. The Bison’s 11-inch digital instrument panel and 11.3-inch center touchscreen are among the best in the business.
Indispensable Down-Low Visibility: The inclusion of underbody cameras is a game-changer for precise off-road driving. These cameras provide invaluable real-time views of the terrain directly beneath the wheels, making precise wheel placement significantly easier and minimizing potential damage.
Where the Colorado ZR2 Bison Faces Roadblocks:
Compromised On-Road Manners from Massive Tires: While a boon off-road, the large 35-inch mud-terrain tires contribute to a bouncier, floatier ride on pavement. The truck feels less precise than the Tacoma or Ranger, exhibiting a degree of vagueness and slower responses in handling. While better than the Gladiator, it’s not a highway cruiser.
Limited High-Speed Off-Road Agility: The Bison, despite its overall capability, struggled somewhat at higher speeds. Its elevated center of gravity, coupled with poorer forward visibility, led to a bouncier ride that limited driver confidence and pace on our high-speed course—the only off-road test it didn’t outright win.
Challenging Entry and Exit: The sheer height necessitated by the 35-inch tires makes climbing into the driver’s seat a significant endeavor, even for taller individuals. The absence of a driver’s-side grab handle is a noticeable oversight that could greatly assist ingress.
Crucial Rearview Camera Mirror Omission: The most glaring practical flaw is the lack of a rearview camera mirror. The truck’s bed-mounted, full-size spare tire severely obstructs the rear view, making highway driving without adequate rear visibility feel unsafe and considerably hindering its utility as a daily driver. This is a feature readily available in other GM vehicles that the ZR2 Bison desperately needs.
Ground Clearance: 12.2 inches (best)
Approach/Departure/Breakover Angles: 38.2 / 26 / 26.9 degrees
Your Next Adventure Awaits
The mid-size off-road truck market in 2025 is a vibrant landscape of innovation and specialized capability. Each of these contenders brings a unique flavor to the table, catering to different driving styles and adventure priorities.
The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison stands as the undisputed champion for those whose primary mission is conquering the most technical, slow-speed off-road challenges—rock crawling, steep ascents, and controlled descents. Its formidable tire-and-suspension package, combined with intuitive off-road tech, makes it a beast on the toughest trails.
For enthusiasts craving high-speed desert thrills and exceptional on-road refinement, the Ford Ranger Raptor is the clear victor. Its potent powertrain, sophisticated suspension, and comfortable cabin make it a joy to drive aggressively off-road and surprisingly civil on the pavement.
The Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro offers a compelling hybrid powertrain and impressive high-speed off-road prowess, though its idiosyncratic pedal feel and interior quirks hold it back from the top spots. It’s a strong choice for those who appreciate Toyota’s legendary reliability and cutting-edge hybrid tech, but with some compromises.
Finally, the Jeep Gladiator Mojave X delivers a raw, analog off-road experience that rewards skilled drivers, particularly in low-range rock crawling. However, its struggles with high-speed handling, an uncomfortable hill descent system, and overall on-road refinement place it at the back of this highly competitive pack.
Choosing the best off-road truck isn’t just about raw scores; it’s about aligning a vehicle’s strengths with your personal adventure ambitions and daily driving needs. Whether you prioritize extreme rock crawling capability, blistering desert performance, or a blend of trail versatility with daily comfort, one of these 2025 mid-size marvels is undoubtedly engineered for you.
Don’t just read about these incredible machines—experience them. Visit your local dealership, explore their features firsthand, and schedule a test drive to feel the power and precision yourself. The open road, or more accurately, the open trail, is calling. Are you ready to answer?
