Latest News
2025 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ReviewThe Best Classic 4×4 Off-Roaders
These classic 4x4s offer an alluring mix of real-world ruggedness and vintage styling perfect for a weekend out on the trails or your next Cars & Coffee.
4WD Legends
Classic off-roaders are like Golden Retriever puppies, impossible to dislike. Even for those more into muscle cars, GT cars, or even RVs (RVs?) It’s hard not to appreciate a vintage 4×4. As you’ll see, some of these classics have exploded in popularity (and prices) in recent years as collectors and enthusiasts alike seek to get out on the trials in their favorite vintage off-roader. Below we’ve assembled a list of some of the most compelling classic 4x4s listed on Carsforsale.com, from OG Broncos to tough-as-nails Toyotas.
Toyota Pickup
Before it became the Taco(ma), the Toyota pickup was simply…the Toyota Pickup. The North American version of the internationally renowned Hilux, the Toyota pickup has long been regarded as the gold standard for reliability and durability. That reputation has made it beloved by off-road enthusiasts. We found a stellar example, a 1987 Toyota Pickup (technically a 4th generation Hilux). The ’87 model was a redesign year for the pickup, with new gauges and an updated front end. This truck runs one of Toyota’s legendary 22R 2.4L inline-four engines. The 22R came carbed or fuel-injected (the 22R-E) and even turbocharged (the 22R-TE). This example is powered by the updated 22R (’84 onward) making 109 horsepower and mated to a five-speed manual. Modifications include a 3-inch lift, 33-inch off-road tires, and a bull bar up front. Retained from the original: all that ‘80s beige, inside and out.
International Harvester Scout II
The Scout name has been in the news lately, with the recent launch of an EV version more than forty years after the last gas-powered version rolled off the line. Despite that interval, nostalgia for this classic off-roader remains undiminished by time, a testament to the original’s charismatic curb appeal. Though International Harvester has mostly concentrated on buses, tractors, and other heavy vehicles, during the 1960s and ‘70s they also produced passenger vehicles, specifically, Jeep-like 4x4s the Scout and Scout II (along with related wagons like the Travelall). The example that caught our eye is a 1979 Collector’s Edition Scout II with a numbers-matching 345 cu.-in. V8. The vehicle is in an immaculate condition with restored Burgundy and White paint and factory-correct plaid upholstery.
Chevy Suburban
Before there were SUVs and crossovers, there were big burly station wagons like the Suburban that gave birth to those later designs. Of course, the Chevy Suburban evolved itself, getting taller, longer, and stronger as the years went along. One of our favorite versions of this long-running nameplate goes back to the early Chevy C/K era of the early and mid-1960s. This was a time before the Suburban even had four doors (which didn’t happen until 1973 with the advent of the seventh generation). It did, however, have small-block V8s, a wrap-around windshield, and optional factory-equipped 4WD (the K in C/K, C indicating 2WD). The example we found is a 1966 model year, making it a two-door build by default.
It’s finished in teal green with a tan and plaid interior. The 327 V8 under the hood was the largest offered for the fifth generation and only for the ‘66 model year.
Jeep Cherokee XJ Comanche
The XJ-generation Jeep Cherokee is beloved among not just hardcore Jeep fans but off-road enthusiasts writ large thanks to its combination of ruggedness and day-to-day livability. Across its impressive 18-year run, the XJ saw only one major redesign (for the 1997 model year) even as Jeep was passed from AMC to Chrysler. The XJ’s longevity is a testament to getting the big things right the first time like its legendary AMC 4.0L straight-six. The 4.0L was not especially powerful, boasting just 170 horsepower, but it was remarkably reliable, happily piling on 200,000, 300,000, or more miles. There are still plenty of XJ Cherokee out there, but we did one better and found the pickup variant, the Jeep Comanche. This example is a 1988 model and comes in museum-quality condition with a gorgeous Bronze Metallic paint job and the highly-lauded 4.0L straight-six under the hood.
Jeep CJ-7
No list of classic off-roaders could exclude the grandad of them all, the Jeep CJ. The Jeep was well into its third decade by the time the CJ-7 arrived. The CJ or civilian jeep emerged after WWII as Willys-Overland’s attempt to make a commercial success out of the MB Jeep’s military success. The CJ steadily improved over the years, becoming more livable day-to-day while retaining all the grit and go-any-where capabilities that inspired so many imitations (including a lot of vehicles on this list). The CJ-7, produced between 1976 and ’86, ended up as the final jeep with a direct lineage to the MB military jeeps of yore, succeeded by the thoroughly modernized YJ-Series. Our example is a 1983 Jeep Renegade in red with orange and yellow decals (very ‘80s, indeed). It runs the 4.2L straight-six, one of the CJ-7’s larger engine options, and adds an updated cooling system and a brush guard up front.
Ford Bronco
Among classic 4x4s, the first generation of Ford Bronco, running from 1966 through 1977, has seen the biggest boom in popularity among collectors. For every beat-up heap you find of this fifty-year old vehicle, you’ll run across half a dozen that are beautifully restored, run a swapped 5.0L Coyote V8, and cost well in excess of $100,000. The first-gen’s boxy styling served as direct inspiration for the recent, triumphant return of the Bronco, and as a lot to do with the current craze for vintage 4x4s. Rather than dig for a proper project candidate, as those are getting harder and harder to find while also costing more and more, we scoured our listings for a restored example that hewed as closely as possible to the original’s design, albeit with a few key updates. The 1968 Ford Bronco we found is finished in a stunning Brittany Blue and runs not the typical Coyote crate motor but an even larger 5.7L V8. The two-door version, as this Bronco happens to be, is what we consider as one of the most perfectly proportioned vehicles ever built. Don’t believe me? Check the price tag again.
Chevy K5 Blazer
It’s hard to talk about the CJ Jeep and the first-gen Bronco without also giving a nod to Chevy’s answer to those vehicles, the K5 Blazer which debuted in 1969. The K5 Blazer was based off the 4WD K10 pickup, hence the K in K5. Its height and robust off-road suspension made it every bit as capable as any among its 4×4 cohort. The second-generation, starting with the 1973 model year, marked the beginning of an 18-year run for the Rounded Line Chevy’s, Blazer included. Our pick is a 1977 K5 Chevy Blazer with period-correct plaid upholstery, brown paint, faux wood interior trim, and perforated leather steering wheel. This Blazer is equipped with the generation’s largest motor, a 400 cu.-in. V8 185 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque.
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
Like the original Jeep, the Toyota Land Cruiser had its beginnings in was, as a copy of the American version built for the US Army for the Korean War starting in 1951. The BJ-Series Land Cruiser was a jeep by another name, featuring the same 4×4 driveline and basic footprint but with larger 3.4L straight-six under the hood. Like the MB Jeep the BJ Land Cruiser was adapted for civilian use starting with the FJ Series. The FJ Land Cruiser was built for a staggering 24 years. If the Toyota Hilux is known for its toughness and durability, remember that Toyota learned all those lessons building the original Land Cruiser. Our pick was a final year example from 1984, a two-door version in tan with a 4.2L 2F straight-six and a four-speed manual transmission. New leather upholstery and door trim furnish a no-nonsense interior. Sure, you could get a newer, fancier Land Cruiser or even one of the Lexus equivalents, but for those looking for the rough and tumble of a classic off-roader, the old school charms of the FJ40 and its ilk can’t be duplicated.
