Motor Trend Takes Three Toyota Off-Roaders to Hell’s Revenge in Moab and Finds No Losers

When it comes to off-roading, Toyota offers plenty of options. There are five different body-on-frame models with multiple off-road grades available. If you don’t want a full-size vehicle, there are three smaller models, each with various 4×4 grades from which to choose. These are the Toyota Land Cruiser, 4Runner, and Tacoma, all of which are based on the same platform as the Tacoma. Motor Trend decided to take all three models to the famous off-road destination Moab, specifically to a part known as Hell’s Revenge. Valley Hi Toyota shares highlights of the editors’ experience. 

It is worth noting that the models they brought weren’t necessarily the most hardcore off-road models in the lineups. The 4Runner TRD Off-Road is a distinct $17,000 step down from the TRD Pro and Trailhunter off-road flagship models. The Tacoma Trailhunter is $1,000 less than the TRD Pro version. It is built more for overlanding than dune-leaping, which will likely spark endless debates about which model is best off-road. The Land Cruiser is simply called the “Land Cruiser,” setting itself apart only from the less expensive 1958 model in this two-grade lineup. 

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road was the only model among the three with a non-hybrid drivetrain, featuring the i-FORCE 2.4-liter turbocharged engine that produces 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque on its own, with no electric assistance. The Tacoma Trailhunter and Land Cruiser both had the full I-FORCE MAX setup with the same 2.4-liter turbocharged engine combined with an electric motor, which together generate 326 horsepower. Both deliver 465 lb-ft of torque.  

This wasn’t a comparison test. It didn’t end with a winner and ranking of losers. Instead, it was an opportunity to take these three vehicles out in the conditions they were built for. All three vehicles were bone stock, and the only real preparation was lowering the tire pressure a bit—a standard off-road procedure. They also benefited from knowledgeable spotters who helped guide the drivers through the trickier areas. The spotters supplanted the need for the front-facing cameras mounted on all three vehicles, although the author observed that the Land Cruiser’s camera had the best resolution of the three, even though it was displayed on the 12.3-inch center touchscreen compared to the 14.0-inch screens of the other two models.  

If this was originally a test of which vehicles could make it and which could not, the good news for Toyota off-road enthusiasts is that all three models had little trouble making it through a trail the Moab guidebooks label as “difficult.” “I had all the traction and articulation I needed without ever locking the rear differentials or disconnecting the front anti-roll bars.” Still, skid plate front bumpers and rear trailer hitches made contact with the sandstone. The vehicles climbed grades that the author stated he would have struggled to walk up. 

All three models made steady progress in first gear with the transfer case set to “Low.” This, as stated, multiplies engine torque by 40, and thus, it made little difference that the 4Runner had 47% less torque than the other two models. Going down, the Toyota Crawl Control, which works as a crawling cruise control, worked so well that the author shut it off to challenge himself. 

Aside from the off-road challenges, Hell’s Revenge offers a bonus reward. After three miles, you reach an overlook described as “…stunning vistas of the Colorado River, the snow-dusted La Sal Mountains, and a ribbon of road far enough below you to make the cars on it look like ants.” It reminds us that one reason these vehicles exist is to let us see things we might not otherwise see. And with these stock Toyotas, it’s in vehicles that can also get you to work and handle errands at Home Depot without any fuss. 

If you have an itch to go far beyond where the pavement ends and the surface is anything but level, visit Valley Hi Toyota and test out the Toyota off-roader that suits your practical needs while remaining ready for large doses of fun and adventure.