Welcome to our latest mega comparison. Rugged is the new cool. At least, that’s the playbook for crossovers and SUVs rWelcome to our latest mega comparison.Rugged is the new cool. At least, that’s the playbook for crossovers and SUVs right now. Every major automaker is launching an off-road-adjacent sub-brand—think Tremor, TrailSport, Wilderness, and AT4. What started as a trend reserved for purpose-built off-roaders has officially taken over the entire market. Today, everything from a compact Toyota RAV4 to a family-sized Volkswagen Atlas can be optioned with knobby tires and trail-ready body cladding.But what about the vehicles caught in the middle? We aren't talking about the ultra-popular compacts like the Subaru Forester, nor the massive three-row haulers like the Kia Telluride. Instead, we’re focusing on that hard-to-define mid-size sweet spot.This year, we’re pitting five contenders against each other to see which one best balances mall parking lots with muddy trails:The Traditional Two-Rows: The Honda Passport TrailSport and Subaru Outback Wilderness.The Rugged Icon: The body-on-frame Toyota 4Runner, tested here in its more street-friendly TRD Sport trim.The Three-Row Contenders: The GMC Acadia AT4 and Ford Explorer Tremor, both offering extra seating without sacrificing trail hardware.We spent a week putting this fleet through its paces across highways, city streets, and moderate off-road trails. Here is how they stack up.