Etosha National Park, Namibia - February 6, 2020: Offroad motorhome Toyota Hilux at the countryside.Spring is in the air! The world is coming back to life, and wouldn't it be nice to explore it all? Maybe take a road trip, maybe go off-roading through your nearest national park, maybe just pick a direction on the compass and drive until you see something interesting. Regardless of your idea of exploration, though, your Miata likely isn't the tool for the job. That's why I asked you all for the best exploration car earlier this week. You turned in a wealth of answers, a deeply unsurprising number of which came from Toyota. Surprisingly, though, not a single Hilux among them! I thought I'd maybe made a mistake, leaving out the Hilux and Hilux Surf as suggestions, but none of you beautiful people called me on the omission. Instead, you suggested everything from Sequoiae to Prii — and even a Subaru or two in between. Let's take a look at your picks for the best car to go exploring in. Honda PassportAn orange Honda PassportSo I'm interpreting this as a vehicle that does really well on the highway, gets good mileage, holds lots of stuff and can handle gravel roads and rough driveways, NOT off roading that would require low range.That eliminates pretty much all frame-based overland-style rigs.My vote goes to the new Passport. Bonus, you can tow a longer and heavier trailer if your needs change and you start using a camper as a regional basecamp.Submitted by: cintocrunch1 Subaru Outback WildernessA blue Subaru Outback WildernessI thought it was my 4Runner, but my girl has an Outback Wilderness, and after putting in some miles on some camping trips and adventures, I actually like the Wilderness better. It has similar ground clearance, the 4WD is great, and it drives much better on the highway than a truck. And better mileage is definitely a plus. Submitted by: 17SecondsI can't say I love the looks of the new car, I miss when the Outback was more of a true wagon and less of a crossover. Maybe that's why this press shot is so dark. Lexus GX470Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia July 03, 2024, car Lexus GX470 in the desertGX470. Absolutely unstoppable pinnacle of the Land Cruiser Prado's design, just big enough, comfy, plenty of storage, locker control and a bulletproof 2UZ V8. Watch video of one going up a rock canyon wall with the stock suspension articulation. The follow-ons were more and more suburban-only design, bigger, heavier and less capable with inferior departure angle. Submitted by: Winter CatMy first car! They weren't cool yet back then, so I thought I just had some dweeby mom car. Subaru AscentA Subaru Ascent in the snowBeing 70's+ and the wife mid 60's our definition of exploring has mellowed out a bit, just back roads, forest roads, etc. Last summer it was the Dempster highway to the Arctic Ocean and this year the Trans-Labrador in our Subaru Ascent (it does have skid plates tho)Submitted by: 87Samurai Toyota SequoiaA blue Sequoia TRD ProCurrently my 2nd gen Sequoia 5.7 4x4 Limited with the captains seats. Without the rear center console a have a cooler/fridge that fits. It's quiet and comfortable and even on hwy tires it's extremely capable offroad. I've had it in mud/water to the bottom of the doors and passed trucks on trails that were struggling. Most of the time if I want to explore I do it on the water and the Sequoia can easily tow our seadoo and boat anywhere we want.Submitted by: Er_mpg404 Mitsubishi DelicaHighlands, NC - June 10, 2022: Low perspective front corner view of a 1993 Mitsubishi Delica Potenza Pop-Top Camper Van leaving a local car show.I generally think of "exploring" as going off the beaten path as well. As such, I'm going to pick the Mitsubishi Delica. It has the 4WD capability to tackle off-road terrain with the space and utility of a van. Thus, Americans were very eager to import these as soon as they hit 25 years old, and they were already hugely popular in the rest of the world. Submitted by: Giantsgiants Toyota PriusToyota Prius hybrid hatchback compact car parked in London, UK. There are 2.6m cars registered in London.2nd gen Prius.Fantastic gas mileage. Hatchback means plenty of space, add a roofbox if you need more. Extremely reliable. Cheap.Basically, when exploring, keep your priorities straight. Get a cheap, efficient, reliable car. Almost any normal car will get you to the trailhead. Spend your money on reservations, park passes, the right gear, and time away from work.Submitted by: Tim Connors Jeep WranglerA blue Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392The JL Wrangler 4 door. Exploring involves going places you haven't been and maybe running into conditions that might be beyond the capabilities of a typical car or SUV. The Wrangler, even in the most basic Sport trim level, has capability to go almost anywhere in any weather.The good news is our friends at the Jeep brand have polished the rougher edges and improved the ride and steering. That's not to say Wranglers aren't still relatively crude compared to almost anything new you can buy.As a road tripper, they work surprisingly well. MPGs in the low 20's are a vast improvement over prior years. Sitting up high with excellent outward visibility makes for a pleasant highway experience. Plus, the slightly wandering steering keeps you awake on long trips. (No, really it does).If you need to car camp, the 4 door has just enough room to stretch out with your camping mattress and sleeping bags. And of course, there's a whole world of overlanding accessories available of you want to really dial in your exploring prep.And the top comes off too. Submitted by: Factoryhack Toyota Land Cruiser 100 SeriesNovyy Urengoy, Russia - May 10, 2020: Grey 4x4 vehicle Toyota Land Cruiser 100 at the dry grassland.The only answer is a 100 series land cruiser or lx470.Submitted by: jslodenOne of my all-time favorite cars, the Hundy. One you didn't buySACRAMENTO, CA- DECEMBER 27: An Avis and Budget car rental counter at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) on December 27, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images)Rental car?Submitted by: Crucial TauntYeah, you've got me there. Want more like this? 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