10 SUVs Built For Workdays And Weekend Adventures

The old Nissan X-Trail was like that, a basic SUV that drove like a car in the city, but you could load it with anything and everything, and go away for adventure weekends, even if those weekends were in pretty rough terrain. That car could go anywhere. Most SUVs/crossovers never do anything more adventurous than brave the mall, or jump a pavement, and that is cool. Most SUV drivers never want to drive anywhere but the mall.

And yet, the higher ride height, the extra cargo space, and the versatility of an SUV make it ideal to use both as a daily drive and for an adventure weekend. Not all SUVs meet these standards. On paper, the Nissan Pathfinder looks like it could do the job, but the new generation is fixed firmly in the city. Ditto the Lincoln Navigator. It can tow a boat, but the lake must be reachable by very good roads. The ideal SUV will be totally practical to drive every day, but one that you can also take out for the weekend or an adventure vacation. Here is a list of such vehicles, ranked according to MSRP, for you to consider.

Models are listed in ascending order based on starting price, from the most affordable to the most expensive.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Starting Price: $37,095

Jeep is an icon, and the Grand Cherokee has been the mainstay for city folk with a spirit of adventure. As a five-seat SUV, the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee is ideal for the baseline family: two parents and two or three kids. It offers the versatility of an SUV, so you can use it for anything from the school run to doing the weekly groceries. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is not a small car, but we like that.

Come the adventure weekend, and your daily drive is ready. There are eight trim levels to choose from, but even the baseline has a large cargo area. The buyer has the option of RWD or 4×4, so that will define how adventurous your weekend can be. Engines range from the comfortable V6 that makes a shade under 300 horsepower, to a turbo four that delivers a lot more power. Towing reaches a reasonable 6,500 pounds, which could be a pretty large boat or a reasonable caravan.

Ford Explorer

Starting Price: $38,465

The 2026 Ford Explorer is a five-seat crossover that can be adapted to carry two kids right at the back as well. It is not a small car, but the comfortable 2.3-liter Turbo inline-four will give you 300 horsepower, while there is also a 3.0-liter turbo V6 that makes 400 horsepower. And we are still in the city! With the kids’ seats not used, the rear cargo space is generous, and the interior, while not luxurious, is comfortable and nice to be in.

The Explorer comes standard with RWD and a ten-speed automatic, but AWD is also available as an option, and this would certainly boost the range of adventures you and your family would like to explore. Towing capacity is mid-range 5,000 pounds, but all Explorer trims come standard with the Class III towing package, which includes a hitch, a trailer wiring harness, and a trailer sway control system. And this turns the Explorer into a serious weekend warrior.

Dodge Durango

Starting Price: $38,995

If the Adams Family drove an SUV that could work in the city and at adventure weekends, they would definitely drive the 2026 Dodge Durango, although they would settle for the 710-horsepower SRT Hellcat version. For the rest of humanity, there is a 295-horsepower V6 and a couple of powerful V8s. The Durango is a seven-seater that has been around unchanged for about a decade. Fuel consumption in the city is not great, but it does get better on the highway.

The Dodge Durango is available in RWD and AWD, with the latter obviously preferable for that adventure weekend. It has a pretty decent eight-speed transmission as well. The V6 engine can tow 6,500 pounds, and that goes up to 8,700 pounds for the two V8s. Cargo space behind the back seats is a bit cramped at 17 cubic feet, which is why towing is important in this car.

Ford Bronco

Starting Price: $40,495

The 2026 Ford Bronco is a four/five-seat SUV that is perfectly drivable in the city, can be used to commute, for the school run, or shopping. It is a bit noisy on the highway, where you will have to be to get to your adventure weekend.

While the Bronco is fine in the city, this wild horse comes into its own in the rough. The 4×4 drive is standard, as is the 10-speed automatic, but the four-cylinder turbo has an optional seven-speed manual transmission. The Bronco can only tow 3,400 pounds, but it is a true off-road adventurer. You can even take off the roof and the doors to get really up-close to nature.

Nissan Armada

Starting Price: $58,840

The 2026 Nissan Armada is a big seven/eight-seat SUV with a strong city driving bias. The level of comfort and luxury that the buyer can opt for is impressive. It comes with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 that makes 425 horsepower, and there is a sportier Nismo version that takes the horsepower up to 460. It comes standard with a nine-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.

And yet this city-biased car is pretty capable on the adventure weekend front as well. Four-wheel drive is available, and the optional height-adjustable suspension and locking differential on the 4×4 give it real off-road grunt. Cargo capacity behind the third row is 20 cubic feet, and this quickly becomes a lot more as you fold the seats flat. The Armada can tow an impressive 8,500 pounds as well.

Chevrolet Tahoe

Starting Price: $59,500

The 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe is a seven-seat, truck-like, full-size SUV, based on the rugged Silverado pickup. Despite its tough underpinnings, it offers a refined urban drive. Although the two V8 options are a bit heavy on gas usage, there is also a more efficient inline-six diesel with better fuel efficiency and loads of torque. As a daily city drive, the Tahoe is ideal for larger families with kids, although the third row does encroach on the available cargo space.

At the end of the day, what large North American families still need is a spacious, reliable, and highly capable people mover that they can hang onto for a long time. And that’s precisely the kind of familiar formula Chevrolet still offers with the Tahoe.

– William Clavey for TopSpeed

The Chevrolet Tahoe comes standard with rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive is available. All models use the same ten-speed automatic transmission. There are various off-roading options that can be added, or you can just go for the off-road-ready Z71, starting at $69,000, which, among other features, has two transfer cases, making this Tahoe a 4×4. The Tahoe can tow between 8,200 and 8,400 pounds, depending on which of the three engines is fitted.

Jeep Wagoneer

Starting Price: $59,945

The 2025 Jeep Wagoneer is a big vehicle, big enough to be problematic in heavy traffic or tight parking. But it is spacious, and the luxury levels move from quite basic to very expensive. Drivers can choose the short wheelbase or long wheelbase options. The engine is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 that makes 420 horsepower. Rear-wheel drive and an eight-speed transmission are standard.

Jeep is synonymous with going off-road, and the big Wagoneer is no exception. There are three different levels of four-wheel drive which can be added, each with different capabilities. You can also add an adjustable suspension, which can raise the ground clearance by 3.6 inches, and there are drive modes for sand/mud, snow, and rocks. This big car can tow 10,000 pounds.

Ford Expedition

Starting Price: $65,400

The 2026 Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV with loads of space for passengers in all three rows, and cargo behind them. There is also a more massive long wheelbase option. The split tailgate makes loading and unloading easy. The engine is a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 making 400 horsepower, and there is a 440-horsepower version available. RWD or 4×4 is available, and the transmission is a ten-speed automatic.

With up to 14.7 inches of ground clearance and instant electric torque at any wheel, we haven’t tested much on this planet that’s as capable off-road.

– Michael Frank, TopSpeed Journalist

Because the Expedition can tow 9,600 pounds in addition to its generous cargo area, it is ideal for a weekend getaway, but the standard vehicle is not overly capable on challenging terrain. For that, you would need the Tremor trim, starting at $81,400, with 33-inch all-terrain tires, locking differential, rock-crawling mode, and more.

Rivian R1S

Starting Price: $76,990

The 2026 Rivian R1S SUV is a luxury seven-seat EV SUV. There are two dual motor options, one tri-motor, and a slightly insane quad-motor that makes 1,025 horsepower. The less powerful tri-motor was tested 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and even the least powerful dual motor version makes 533 horsepower. Range varies from 258 to 410 miles.

Although the Rivian R1S is unmistakably luxurious, it has a rough side and can hold its own in tricky terrain. All trim levels are all-wheel drive, and the quad-motor has one motor per wheel, which can do surprising things on the dirt. There are settings for driving on different kinds of terrain, and the air suspension can provide up to 15 inches of ground clearance. The R1S can tow a maximum of 7,700 pounds, but towing with an EV does reduce the battery range quite quickly.

Hummer EV SUV

Starting Price: $97,200

The 2026 GMC Hummer EV SUV is a practical car for city driving, although by no means a small car. This five-seater has 312 to 315 miles of electric range. The 36 square feet of cargo space and 52/53 MPGe make it practical as a daily drive. It also has loads of luxury features to make the daily commute less of a chore.

The Hummer EV SUV comes with dual motors, making 570 horsepower, and a tri-motor with 830 horsepower. Hummer claims the latter makes 11,500 pound-feet of torque, but sounds more like marketing than fact. The shorter wheelbase makes it ideal on tight trails, and it has the amazing crab walk, four-wheel steering, and adjustable suspension as standard, while there is also an Extreme Off-Road package available. The roof and doors can also be removed; towing capacity is 7,500 pounds.

Sources: Various manufacturers, EPA