Which off-roader is the one to get? With the new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro and Mercedes-Benz G-Class, you鈥檙e getting a respectable amount of off-road ability right out of the box. Not all things are equal in this comparison, though. To that end, we take these three off-road machines into the snowy Colorado mountains to find out which is best. However, we aren鈥檛 just taking them off-road for fun. To give a more objective sense of which off-road rigs are the best, we have a new scoring system: the TFL Off-Road Index (ORI) score. We are going to judge these three and many more by criteria every off-roader should have, as well as those that push some off-roaders above and beyond their peers. The ORI scale measures off-roaders out of a possible 100 points. Cars on the lower end near zero couldn鈥檛 make it over a speed bump. Think NASCAR or slammed tuner-mobiles on this end of the spectrum. Up near the 100 end, you have cars with serious off-roading cred, like the three we鈥檙e featuring here. The purpose of this test is to judge most 鈥渟oft-roaders鈥?or light-duty off-road vehicles based on relatively equal capability. Once you get into the tougher portions like ground clearance and approach, departure and breakover angles, then only the purpose-built off-roaders will win points. How do these three fare? After going through the ORI scale, we have to take the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro to the track. It may be a bit of a foregone conclusion, but it鈥檚 still fun.

The front seats are big and comfortable, and the cabin features more width than before: 2 inches more hip room, 1 inch more shoulder room, and 1.5 inches more legroom up front. It鈥檚 in back that you really notice the improvement, though: There鈥檚 a whopping 6 inches more legroom in the backseat versus the outgoing model, which was surprisingly cramped for such a big SUV. Previously, you had to slide the front seats forward a considerable distance if you wanted to fold the second row down, but that鈥檚 not required anymore, making it easier to carry cargo and maintain a comfortable driving position. If you have passengers, they鈥檒l also be far happier in that backseat than before, as legroom and headroom are now adequate for human occupation. That change makes the G-Wagen a bit more competitive with larger vehicles like the Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne and Maserati Levante. There鈥檚 no extended-wheelbase version like the Range Rover has, but with a new GLS-Class coming for 2020, there doesn鈥檛 need to be.

The twin 12.3-inch display screens definitely look slick in the G-Wagen, but we鈥檙e disappointed the SUV still has Mercedes鈥?old-style Comand multimedia system instead of the new MBUX interface we鈥檝e enjoyed on the latest Benzes, like the GLE-Class and A-Class. MBUX apparently requires a different electrical architecture that the G-Wagen didn鈥檛 get in this latest redo. The G550 does feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it also has touch-sensitive controllers on the steering wheel that are maddeningly easy to activate accidentally. Those controllers are the only blemish on the control system for the G-Wagen. Otherwise, it鈥檚 a fully modern look that doesn鈥檛 use center console touch-sensitive controls, as do many competitors 鈥?like Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover 鈥?instead relying on conventional buttons and a large rotary controller to make everything work. The G-Class has not been crash-tested by either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, as is common with super-expensive, limited-volume luxury vehicles.

But it does have a considerable amount of safety equipment installed, including automatic emergency braking, Distronic automatic cruise control, lane keep assist, active park assist, blind spot warning and more. 125,495, including delivery fee from its factory in Graz, Austria. There鈥檚 a surprising number of vehicles operating in this price category. The most direct competitor is Land Rover鈥檚 Range Rover, which has a wider price range but offers other powertrains and a long-wheelbase version. They鈥檙e pretty comparable in their off-road abilities, as well; both rely pretty heavily on electronics to cross difficult terrain that the vast majority of their owners will never visit. So the new G-Wagen maintains its iconic status, adds a very healthy dose of newfound civility, luxury and utility, and retains its lofty price in order to protect its exclusivity. It was the height of irresponsibility to love the old one as much as we did and it continues to be an irrational decision to love the new one, and yet we do. Jeep Wrangler owners love their rigs despite their flaws and quirks. Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen owners are exactly the same 鈥?they鈥檙e just more well-off. Cars.com鈥檚 Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com鈥檚 long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don鈥檛 accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com鈥檚 advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

If you want something large, imposing and powerful, it鈥檚 tough to go wrong with a G-Class. For nearly forty years, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has soldiered on as a military vehicle and as a status symbol above nearly all others. Seriously, it鈥檚 a car that鈥檚 as capable as you like off-road, and also classy enough to cut it on the streets of Beverly Hills. It鈥檚 rare to capture both in the same vehicle, but after four decades, it鈥檚 time for some serious changes. Mercedes agreed, and introduced this second-generation G-Class at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. G550 with a substantial 416 horsepower, but where鈥檚 the fun in that? That鈥檚 why AMG stepped in and also worked more power into this redesigned G-Class. Now, the G63 puts out a massive 577 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to that level of power and a new nine-speed automatic transmission, this top-spec G-Class will hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. According to Mercedes, this new G63 makes the sprint almost a second faster than the previous-generation G65, with its 6.0-liter V12 engine. Here鈥檚 the rub: it鈥檚 not cheap. 23,000 more than the standard model. 170,000. It may have awesome performance on paper, but is it really worth that kind of money? Check out the video above to find out!