Our Outdoor Lifestyle
Best Car Camping SUVs for 2026

Waking up in the back of your SUV with a mountain view beats any hotel alarm clock. Car camping has blown up over the past few years, and automakers are responding with SUVs built for trailside living. The 2026 model year brings a strong lineup for weekend warriors and road trippers alike, and picking the right one comes down to cargo space, ground clearance, fuel economy, and how flat those rear seats actually fold.

  • The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness leads the pack with 9.3 inches of ground clearance and roof rails rated for 800 pounds, enough for a rooftop tent and then some.
  • Toyota’s redesigned RAV4 now runs exclusively on hybrid power, offering up to 44 mpg combined and nearly 70 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats folded.
  • Ford’s Bronco Sport continues to impress with its rubberized cargo floor, built-in tie-downs, and an available camp-ready accessory bundle.

Subaru Forester Wilderness Takes the Lead

The 2026 Forester Wilderness deserves a long look from anyone shopping for a camping rig. Subaru bumped ground clearance to 9.3 inches this year, beating both the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands and Hyundai Tucson XRT. Approach and departure angles sit at 23.5 and 25.5 degrees, so forest service roads won’t keep you up at night.

Those reinforced roof rails handle up to 800 pounds of static weight, meaning rooftop tents, kayaks, and cargo boxes are all fair game. Inside, 69.1 cubic feet of cargo space greets you when the 60/40 split seats fold down. Water-repellent StarTex upholstery is a nice touch when you’re tracking mud into the cabin after a trail day. Towing maxes out at 3,500 pounds, and Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires come standard.

Toyota RAV4 Brings Hybrid Efficiency to Camp

Every 2026 Toyota Rav4 now runs on hybrid power, and that’s a big deal. In AWD form, the system pushes 236 horsepower while returning up to 44 mpg combined. Fewer gas station stops means more time at the campsite.

Cargo space measures 37.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to roughly 70 cubic feet when they fold nearly flat. Campers should keep an eye on the Woodland trim, which borrows rugged front-end styling from the 4Runner, comes with AWD, and tows up to 3,500 pounds. The plug-in hybrid version adds 50 miles of electric-only range, perfect for quiet cruising around a campground.

Ford Bronco Sport Was Built for Basecamp

Ford designed the Bronco Sport for people who actually spend weekends outside, and the details prove it. A rubberized cargo floor wipes clean after hauling muddy boots. MOLLE straps let you mount water bottles and tools inside the cargo area, and there’s a slide-out table for trailside cooking.

Stepping up to the Badlands trim with the Sasquatch package adds steel bash plates, all-terrain tires, and an upgraded torque-vectoring rear drive unit. Ford even sells a Camp Outfitter bundle that includes roof crossbars, a Yakima rooftop tent, an awning, and all-weather floor mats. Fold the seats and you get 65 cubic feet of cargo space, enough room to sleep inside on milder nights.

Two More Worth Considering

Don’t sleep on the Toyota 4Runner, which has earned its reputation through decades of durability and a massive aftermarket parts community. Want to build a sleeping platform or bolt on a rooftop tent? Guides for the 4Runner are everywhere online. It can tow over 6,000 pounds and handles serious off-road trails with confidence.

Subaru’s Outback Wilderness is another strong contender, bringing 9.5 inches of ground clearance with a turbocharged engine and 76 cubic feet of cargo space with seats down. That wagon-like roofline creates extra headroom that taller campers will appreciate, and it still works as a comfortable daily driver during the week.

Picking the Right Rig for Your Next Trip

Spec sheets only tell part of the story when shopping for the best car camping SUVs for 2026. Pay close attention to how flat the seats fold and whether there’s a hump between the cargo area and the seatbacks. Both the RAV4 and Forester score well here with nearly level sleeping surfaces. Anything above 8.5 inches of ground clearance should handle most campground access roads without issue.

Roof load capacity is easy to overlook until you’re shopping for a rooftop tent. Most weigh between 100 and 350 pounds, so check your rail ratings before buying. Fuel economy counts too, since remote campsites often mean long stretches between gas stations. On that front, the RAV4’s hybrid powertrain stretches each tank further than anything else on this list. Before signing anything, measure the cargo area against your height. One practice night will tell you everything the brochure can’t.

The Benefits of AWD vs. 4WD in SUVs

Which Is Best for Your Outdoor Adventures?

AWD and 4WD seem like they should offer the same benefits. The two systems are similar, but 4WD is a better fit for outdoor adventures.

Many SUVs come with either all-wheel drive (AWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD) drivetrain options. Both these configurations send power to all four of an SUV’s wheels, but they don’t operate in quite the same way.

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The Best Off-Road SUVs on the Market
The Best Off-Road SUVs on the Market

Off-road vehicles are exploding on the market these days. Ford dealers and other manufacturers are coming out with trucks and SUVs that are more capable of tackling rough terrain than ever. If you want to take your next adventure to the trails and enjoy the thrill of rock crawling or mudding, you have choices. But every off-road SUV vehicle is not created equal. Take a look at some of your best options.

Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

The Toyota 4Runner is a capable SUV whether you need it for running errands or adventuring. And while every 4Runner can handle some rough roads, the TRD Pro turns the 4Runner into a legitimate off-roader. It starts with the electronic locking rear differential and 2.5-inch Fox internal-bypass shocks, but this is just the beginning. It also has underbody skid plates and front springs that raise the front by an inch, so it will easily make its way over large obstacles.

Ford Bronco

The latest Ford Bronco is a reimagined version of the original. It’s a well-rounded SUV that can handle any terrain with ease, but it’s still smooth and comfortable on the road. The Bronco’s GOAT system has several driving modes, making is capable of going over any terrain. Add the Sasquatch Package, and you can take on even more with its 35-inch mud-terrain tires, a higher clearance suspension, and flocking front and rear axles.

Jeep Wrangler

There can’t be a list of off-road vehicles without the Jeep Wrangler. This iconic SUV comes standard with four-wheel drive, almost 10 inches of ground clearance, and a strong V-6 engine. The Jeep can handle rough terrain better than many other SUVs, and it’s even more capable if you have the Rubicon model. In addition to the heavy-duty Fox shocks that push the ground clearance to over 10 inches, the Rubicon has 33-inch mud-terrain tires, a disconnecting front sway bar, and rock sliders.

Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender is another name that’s synonymous with off-road capability. It returned to the lineup with an all-new design in 2020, but it still provides the same notorious off-road capabilities as the classic model. The new Defender has 11.5 inches of ground clearance and an approach angle of up to 40 degrees for crawling over and around off-road obstacles. It can also wade through 900mm of water.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has more off-road chops than most upscale SUVs. It comes loaded with equipment such as skid plates, an air suspension, tow hooks, and a terrain management system. Jeep’s legendary four-wheel drive systems make sure drivers have plenty of traction, and the Trailhawk’s high air intakes help it drive through high water.

If you’re a hard-core off-road driver, these are the vehicles you’ll want to take a look at. The Ford Bronco is one of the newer off-road SUVs on the market and is worth a trip to your Ford dealer for a closer look.