In the move to make everyone in America feel like they’ve got the mountains in their backyard, we’ve seen an onslaught of “adventure-grade” packages for SUVs that typically amount to little more than all-terrain tires and fancy emblems on the headrests.

Both Nissan and Toyota, however, have typically done a more authentic and robust job of real off-road capability in their respective Pro-4X and TRD Pro models. Recent rides in a substantially upgraded Nissan Armada and a Toyota Tacoma wearing those badges showed that to be the case, with turbocharged power, rugged suspension and ultra-bulky looks to round out the deal.

The 2026 Armada Pro-4X, which came to me at $82,430 (including a striking two-tone, black-and-white paint job, custom lighting and a $2,010 delivery charge), certainly makes the most of the newly updated Armada platform. And yes, that price is indeed close to the base price of the mechanically related Infiniti QX80.

While the Armada’s 425-hp 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 is unchanged — you’ll need to explore the deeply insane NISMO race version to get 460-hp — the Pro-4X build adds 20-inch wheels and Yokohama Geolandar A/T tires, skid plates, an electronically locking rear differential and a robust air suspension system.

Mix that with a customized front fascia that looks meaner and also gives the big truck-based beast more aggressive approach angles for obstacles, plus tow hooks and LED fog lamps, and you have a substantially road-hardened and dedicated machine that’s ideal for summer exploration. 

At 6,100 pounds, the off-road Armada is one solid machine, but the chunkier tires are blissfully smooth on pavement and the air suspension means ride is not as bonky or nauseatingly troublesome as full-sized ultra-off-roader crew cab trucks. Hit a gravel road, or a rutted-out uphill trail, and as long as you actually fit, the abundant power and grounded feel from those giant tires make it a pretty remarkable experience.

This build also allows you to make more use of the eight driving modes on the very busy central control stack, with the off-road modes activating front wide view or even see-through-the-hood views on the 14.3-inch touchscreen.

Mine had second-row bench seating that combines sculped “zero gravity” outboard seats with a flat middle spot, with dedicated captain’s chairs as another option.

For a somewhat smaller and more capable off-road experience, the hybrid-powered rendition of Tacoma’s TRD Pro escalates the many stylistic and performance upgrades of the new truck.

Smaller is actually a misnomer, besides parking it next to an Armada, as the $67,410 TRD Pro includes 18-inch wheels and positively gigantic Goodyear Wrangler Territory A/T tires, plus black glossy wheel arches and window frames and an oversized hood scoop that makes it seem like a 1970s muscle car. There are also full-cabin rock rails and a standard LED light bar on the grille.

Underneath that oversized hood, this 5,030-pound TRD Pro gets the 326-hp i-Force Max system, combining a 2.4-liter four-cylinder turbo with a hybrid battery back and electrical motor system. The 465 lb-ft of torque is the major difference, as highway cruising suddenly feels like no Tacoma has ever felt, and uphill engagement is additionally powerful. And, thankfully, no water-crossing snorkel to woof and chuff every time you hit the gas pedal.

Suspension has also been upgraded to Fox QS3 internal bypass shocks, adding an inch of lift up front and about a half inch in the back, giving it a much taller look. It’s also got Jeep-styled electronically disconnecting stabilizers, an electronic rear locker and Toyota’s full package of multi-terrain select, crawl control and downhill assist controls, plus side and front off-road camera views on the 14-inch touchscreen.

The trademark add-on here is a pair of Toyota’s Baja racing-styled IsoDynamic performance seats, with adjustable shocks in the seatbacks. The seats get very substantial side bolsters that are often a physical pain to hop over as you struggle to board the truck, but if you plan on spending a lot of time driving 100 mph on rock-strewn desert roads as you head to La Paz, they’ll perhaps make more sense.

I tried a scaled-down version of that on Two Brothers Road above Idaho Springs and, yes, the overall power, shocks and 4WD system provides rather alarming stability as you power over washboard conditions. On a very steep slope, climbing power also seems effortless, even backwards, when needed.

Like the Armada, the suspension setup does mean highway driving is pleasant on those giant tires, and it’s quite entertaining to see exactly how much cornering capability it has – and then suddenly does not, so probably keep its off-road focus in mind.      

Andy Stonehouse’s column “Mountain Wheels” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Stonehouse has worked as an editor and writer in Colorado since 1998, focusing on automotive coverage since 2004. He lives in Golden. Contact him at summitmountainwheels@gmail.com.