6 Best and Affordable Cars for Driving Through Mountains and Valleys

Putting together a roundup of the best, budget-friendly cars for outdoor adventure comes with its ups and downs, much like the mountains and valleys said vehicles careen through in every type of weather.

Because this piece puts affordable cars at the forefront, GOBankingRates didn’t include any car with a starting price of $40,000 or more. Vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Bronco and Land Rover, though all adept at handling rugged terrain, didn’t make it into the final piece due to their starting prices exceeding $40k.

In order from least to most expensive, keep reading to find out which six cars are the most affordable for driving through mountains and valleys.

• Starting price: $26,540

Outdoor adventurers will feel as good about the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek’s affordable starting price as they do driving the SUV. The Subaru Crosstrek comes with standard all-wheel drive for added comfort and safety when driving in all types of weather and good fuel efficiency.

If you have a little extra money to splurge on upgrading your Crosstrek, consider putting it towards the Wilderness trim customization. According to Edmunds, this bumps the MSRP for the Crosstrek Wilderness up to $33,540 but it may be worth it if you have serious off-road driving plans. In addition to all-wheel drive, the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness gains 9.3 inches of ground clearance, an 182-horsepower SUBARU BOXER engine and improved gearing to better climb rough terrain.

• Starting price: $30,070

With a ground clearance of up to 8.6 inches, all-wheel drive and a net combined horsepower of 203, it’s not surprising to see the Toyota RAV4 messaging built around the concept of ditching your routine to adventure in the great outdoors. 

Like the Subaru Crosstrek, a selection of trims is also available for drivers who want to go off-road with equipment that expands beyond the RAV4’s standard offerings. One of the most popular, the RAV4 Adventure, would bring its MSRP up to $36,220.

• MSRP: $33,890

Mountains, valleys, ravines — the 2024 Jeep Wrangler was made for off-road adventures. Its 2024 model features four-wheel drive, a plug-in hybrid engine and a removable top and doors.

Eagle eye readers might notice that we replaced the “starting price” with “MSRP” which starts at $33,890 and ends around $101,890 on the Car and Driver website. Similar numbers are also shown on the Edmunds website, but before anyone panics these prices indicate the customized trims available to the Jeep Wrangler. Except for Sport and Sport S, all other trims for the Jeep Wrangler will put its MSRP well past $40k.

• MSRP: $38,040

Traveling with a big party? Not only does the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder have room to fit up to eight passengers, but drivers can rest easy knowing everyone is safe in inclement weather. According to the Nissan website, Pathfinder drivers may select one of seven Drive and Terrain Modes to help in various weather conditions from Snow Mode to Mud/Rut Mode.

Various trims, like SL and Rock Creek, are popular for off-roading, but these trims bring the Pathfinder’s MSRP past $40k. Some media outlets also speculate if they’re worth the cost. For example, Car and Driver described the Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek as “failing to move the needle on off-road capability.”

• MSRP: $39,790

The 2024 Jeep Gladiator barely makes the cutoff before $40k. Every trim customization outside of the Sport model also sets drivers back several thousand dollars so it’s best to opt for the standard version.

This sounds like a good plan, especially if you’re more of a beginner to rugged off-roading adventures. Like the Wrangler, the Jeep Gladiator features a removable top and doors and four-wheel drive. Drivers also receive up to 11.6 inches in ground clearance and access to the Unconnect 5 system with a 12.3-inch touchscreen.

• Starting price: $39,839

Drivers shopping for the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee will receive a trifecta of benefits in doing so. Edmunds praised the Grand Cherokee for having better off-road capabilities than most SUVs and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the Grand Cherokee a top safety pick for 2024. 

Consumers sticking to the $40k spending threshold will also be excited to learn about a few Grand Cherokee models available to shop. According to the Jeep website, the Laredo A, Laredo and Laredo X models all start at prices under $40k.