Second And Third Place (Two-Way Tie)
Jeep TJ
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40
A mix of the old and new tied for Second place in our list. Now, before you ask why a current production vehicle is on this list of "classic" 4x4s, understand that we asked our experts for their picks of the best 4x4s of all time. Most responded with vintage rigs, but a few pushed the envelope a bit to include the TJ, which Smith called "undoubtedly the best four-wheel-drive vehicle today."
"This vehicle raised the bar to a much higher level, and did so the day it came out," said Currie of the TJ. Perronne praised it for making so much off-roading ability available to so many buyers: "No more figuring out how to swap stuff. Just go max out your plastic by getting a flexy suspension, custom Dana 60s front and rear, and an Atlas. You'll have one bombproof Jeep that will go anywhere."
Several of our voters were looking forward to being able to buy awesome 4x4 capability right off the showroom floor in the form of the upcoming Wrangler Rubicon. Brubaker put it at the top of his list. "By adding Dana 44 axles, air lockers, and a 4:1 transfer case to the proven TJ, Jeep has created what is quite possibly one of the most capable production 4x4s of all time, and I need one. Of each color."
Now, the Land Cruiser didn't score this highly just because of sentimental votes, as was the case with the vintage Jeeps. Like the TJ, ability was the key. "Put a Chevy V-8 into this Army tank and go!" said Sickles, who put the FJ-40 at the top of his list. "There's nothing make-pretend here. The hot-riveted frame flexes for years and still stays tight. It has massive axles, bearings, and gears, plus thick, tough-body construction." Sickles isn't blind to the FJ-40's faults, noting the poor fuel economy and power-to-weight ratio you get with the stock six-cylinder. But the ease of swapping a V-8 into this puppy is part of what makes it so popular.
Smith and Thompson put the FJ-40 on their lists because of the fun they had in them on the Rubicon. "This was the first machine I ever drove over the Rubicon," said Thompson. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Our Experts And Their Lists
Jim Sickles
Downey Off Road
Jim Sickles' love affair with Toyotas dates back to 1970, when he became a Land Cruiser enthusiast and began selling Land Cruiser parts and accessories out of the parts department of Downey Toyota, a Southern California Toyota dealership. Sickles acquired the accessory business from the dealer in the mid-'70s and changed the company's name to Downey Off Road Manufacturing. As Toyota's success with 4x4 models grew, so did Sickles' business. He became a parts manufacturer as well as retailer, adding modern CAD-CAM designing systems and full in-house CNC computerized machining facilities to the company.
1. Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40
2. '79-'85 Toyota four-wheel-drive pickup
3. Jeep Wrangler TJ
4. Early Scout
5. Early Land Rover
6. Jeep CJ family
7. Ford Ranger pickup
8. Early Ford Bronco
9. Late-model Land Rover
10. Early Chevrolet Blazer