Many modern SUVs have quietly dropped the low-range gearing that once defined serious off-roaders, relying instead on all-wheel-drive systems tuned mostly for slippery pavement rather than rock crawling or deep sand. A low-range transfer case, which multiplies engine torque at low speed, still matters for serious trail use, towing on steep grades, or crawling over obstacles. The twelve trucks and SUVs below have kept a genuine low-range system as standard or available equipment.
1. Toyota 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner has stayed body-on-frame across its entire modern history, and its TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro trims include a genuine two-speed transfer case built for serious trail use rather than a marketing badge over a soft crossover platform. That mechanical honesty is a major reason the Toyota 4Runner remains popular with overlanders and off-road clubs even as many midsize SUVs have moved to unibody construction and dropped low range entirely. Its long-running nameplate has also produced a large aftermarket geared specifically toward serious trail builds.
2. Jeep Wrangler
Low range is not an option on the Jeep Wrangler; it comes standard across the lineup because rock-crawling capability is central to the vehicle’s identity. Solid axles paired with a two-speed transfer case give the Jeep Wrangler genuine mechanical advantage over obstacles that would stall a crossover, and that combination has remained essentially unchanged in principle since the original military Jeep decades ago.
3. Toyota Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser has built its global reputation on going anywhere and getting back, and low-range gearing paired with full-time four-wheel drive has been part of that formula for generations. Sold around the world in some of the planet’s most remote regions, the Toyota Land Cruiser is engineered for terrain where a stalled vehicle can mean real danger, not just an inconvenience. Aid agencies and militaries have relied on the model for that reason for decades.
4. Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma offers a two-speed transfer case on its four-wheel-drive trims, keeping true low-range capability available on a midsize truck that many buyers use for genuine off-road recreation rather than just light gravel roads. That low-range system, combined with the Tacoma’s reputation for durability, is why the Toyota Tacoma remains a default choice for overlanders building out long-distance backcountry rigs.
5. Ford Bronco
When Ford revived the Bronco in 2021, it built the SUV around genuine off-road hardware, including an available two-speed transfer case and factory locking differentials through the Sasquatch package, rather than treating low range as an afterthought. That decision positioned the Ford Bronco as a direct rival to the Wrangler on serious trails, not just in styling. Reviewers specifically noted the transfer case as evidence the revival was built for genuine off-road use.
6. Toyota Sequoia
The Toyota Sequoia shares much of its underlying platform with the Tundra and Land Cruiser, and its TRD Pro trim carries over a genuine two-speed transfer case, an unusual feature for a full-size, three-row SUV built primarily for family duty. That capability gives the Toyota Sequoia real trail credentials most similarly sized family SUVs simply do not offer.
7. Lexus GX
The Lexus GX is a luxury-badged relative of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, and it has kept the same body-on-frame construction and full-time four-wheel-drive system with low range that underpins its Toyota sibling. That mechanical foundation makes the Lexus GX unusual among luxury SUVs, most of which have shifted to car-like unibody platforms without true low-range gearing.
8. Ram 2500 Power Wagon
The Ram 2500 Power Wagon is a factory-built off-road special equipped with locking front and rear differentials, a front sway bar that disconnects for extra wheel articulation, and a low-range transfer case, all aimed at serious backcountry and work-site use. Few heavy-duty trucks ship with this much dedicated off-road hardware from the factory, which is why the Ram 2500 Power Wagon keeps a devoted following among overlanders and search-and-rescue operators. Its factory hardware often replicates aftermarket upgrades that owners of lesser trims must add themselves.
9. Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 pairs factory locking front and rear differentials with a genuine two-speed transfer case, giving a midsize truck off-road hardware normally reserved for larger, more expensive trucks. That combination lets the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 tackle terrain that would challenge trucks with a purely cosmetic off-road trim package.
10. Jeep Grand Cherokee
Higher trims of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, including Trailhawk and Overland configurations, offer the Quadra-Drive II system with a genuine low-range setting, giving a comfortable, road-oriented SUV real trail capability when equipped. That option keeps the Jeep Grand Cherokee credible off-road even as it competes primarily as a family and luxury SUV.
11. Nissan Frontier
The Nissan Frontier’s Pro-4X off-road trim keeps a traditional part-time four-wheel-drive system with true low range, along with a locking rear differential, rather than moving toward the softer all-wheel-drive setups increasingly common on midsize trucks. That mechanical layout keeps the Nissan Frontier genuinely capable for buyers who actually use their truck off pavement. That commitment stands out as more affordable midsize trucks increasingly trim off-road hardware to cut cost.
12. Ford F-150 Raptor
The Ford F-150 Raptor was engineered as a desert-racing truck first, and its two-speed transfer case is built to handle high-speed off-road running as much as slow rock crawling, a different but equally demanding use case for low-range gearing. That racing pedigree is central to why the Ford F-150 Raptor commands such a devoted following among off-road enthusiasts. Its long-travel suspension and low-range gearing together let it tackle terrain most full-size trucks avoid entirely.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors.
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