The Top 10 2025 Vehicles With the Highest Ground Clearance (And 5 That Should Be Embarrassed)

Which off-roader has the most ground clearance? It matters, at least if you’re planning to tackle serious terrain. An extra half-inch under your rig could be the difference between making it through or finding another way around. Or between making it and leaving your exhaust system on the ground behind you.

But there are hundreds of trucks and SUVs on the market right now. All with different suspension types, tire sizes, and then, because they’re so popular right now, the off-road-intended variants. Some have the clearance to back up their badge, but others have all-terrain badges that don’t mean anything at all.

10 Highest Ground Clearance 2025 Vehicles

Here, I separate the high and the low to find the winners and losers in the ground clearance wars. First, let’s dive into the 10 2025 models that have the most ground clearance. Then let’s highlight a few that just don’t stack up, delivering disappointing figures where you wouldn’t have expected to find them.

10. Ram 1500 RHO (11.8″)

The Ram 1500 RHO is the replacement for Ram’s beloved TRX model. It might have two fewer cylinders and a few hundred fewer horses under the hood, but it still has all of the good off-road parts. Those include Bilstein adaptive dampers, frame reinforcements, and 35-inch tires.

It still has an impressive 540 horsepower, and it still has a 2-inch lift with 14 inches of rear suspension travel. And this Ram can still drive over a rock that’s about 11.8 inches tall.

9. Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison/GMC Canyon AT4X AEV (12.2″)

The smallest of GM’s trucks has no shortage of off-road capability, especially in the top ZR2 Bison/AT4X AEV forms. Each of these trucks gets a 4.5-inch lift to bring the clearance up to 12.2 inches. They have Multimatic’s magic DSSV shocks and 35-inch tires. They also come with locking differentials at both axles.

To help make sure you can use the clearance, both trucks have AEV bumpers that let you get up close and personal before dinging either end. And, if it turns out you needed 12.3 inches of clearance, the boron steel skid plates should help save your truck.

8. Land Rover Defender Octa (12.7″)

Land Rover’s Defender Octa is a beast. The twin-turbo V8’s 626 horsepower makes it the most powerful Defender ever, and it’s one of the most powerful gas models on this list.

The Defender Octa has a 6D Dynamics air suspension with interlinked shocks instead of anti-roll bars and suspension height adjustment. Its 33-inch tires, the ability to wade through more than 3 feet of water, and more wheel articulation than other Defender models all help make it clear that this Defender will bash through nearly anything. If you don’t mind the price tag that is, which starts in the mid-$150K range.

7. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon X (12.9″)

Every Jeep Wrangler has loads of ground clearance, but which one has the most? It’s no surprise it’s the Rubicon, but it might surprise you that it’s the four-door Unlimited model that maxes out the difference between you and the ground. The two-door has a still impressive 12.6 inches, and the 392 just 11.1.

To get the most, you need to get a Rubicon X or a standard Rubicon fitted with the Xtreme 35 tire package. Its BFG T/A KO2 all-terrain tires help get you that extra reach.

All Rubicon models come with 4×4 with a low-range transfer case. A 4.0:1 ratio is standard, 2.72 on the 392. They also have Dana 44 axles with up to a 4.88:1 ratio available. Locking rear differentials and a front sway bar disconnect are also part of the equation.

5 (Tie). Ford F-150 Raptor R (13.1″)

Ford’s V8 Raptor is the ultimate Blue Oval off-roader. Sure, it has a 720-horsepower supercharged 5.2L V8, but that’s not what makes it so capable. What makes it so capable are its 13.5 inches of front and 14 inches of rear suspension travel along with Fox Dual Live Valve adaptive shocks. 37-inch tires certainly don’t hurt, either.

This Ford is big, mean, and loud. And, while it leaves plenty of space underneath when you’re stopped, it can leave even more under it if you jump it — which it handles impressively well.

5 (Tie). Ford Bronco Raptor (13.1″)

The other Raptor might be a lot smaller on the outside, and have a lot less power under the hood, but it is no less capable for it. It even has exactly the same ground clearance, partly because it also has 37-inch tires.

Bronco Raptor’s HOSS 4.0 suspension with Fox Live Valve tech lets it soak up almost anything along the trail. It has more than a foot of suspension travel at both ends, seven terrain modes including jump-ready Baja, and can ford more than 3 feet of water.

Though the basic Bronco almost made the disappointment side of this list. The base model with standard tires only has 8.3 inches of clearance, which is slightly less than a Nissan Kicks.

4. Ram 2500 Power Wagon (14.2″)

Ram’s Power Wagon is an unusual beast. It’s no longer the only HD off-roader, but it is the first and the most capable off-road.

The Power Wagon comes with electronic lockers front and rear. It also has a special rear suspension for better articulation and extra travel with the lift. Its 33-inch tires and a Warn 12,000-pound winch all help complete the package.

Despite being an HD truck, its towing and payload are disappointing at 10,530 pounds and 1,570 pounds, respectively. That’s half the payload of a non-power Wagon Ram 2500 and only 160 pounds more than a Hyundai Santa Cruz.

3. Rivian R1T/R1S (14.9″)

From here on out, the list is electric vehicles. That might be a surprise, but there’s something about electric models that lets automakers really pull out all the stops and throw all the tech they can at a vehicle.

The Rivian R1T pickup and R1S SUV have huge ground clearance thanks to their air suspension systems and flat bottoms. The best part of an air suspension is that you can also lower it, and these vehicles will drop to 7.9 inches which can help increase range on the highway and make it so you don’t need a stepladder to get out.

With up to four motors, you get excellent off-road torque control as well as massive amounts of power and torque. All-terrain tires are available if you really want to put this truck through its paces.

2. GMC Hummer EV (15.9″)

Hummer has always been about extreme, and the new electric SUV and pickup are no different. Four-wheel Crabwalk steering, 35-inch MT tires, front and rear virtual locking differentials, and 18 camera views to let you see the whole trail, including underneath you. The Hummer EV’s air suspension comes with an Extract mode that raises the height a shocking 6 inches, giving you 15.9 inches under the vehicle.

There’s just one problem with that Extract mode: you can only use it up to 12 miles per hour. Above that, the vehicle drops to Maximum Ground Clearance mode. That one gives you 11.9 inches and works up to 30 mph. From there, at full speed, you get around 11 inches of clearance. Still, it’s nice to have when you need it.

1. Tesla Cybertruck (16″)

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Cybertruck tops this list. The most controversial truck ever built is a product made entirely of extremes. Three electric motors, active air suspension, and rear-wheel steering. The company’s CEO claimed it was bulletproof and could work as a boat for a while. Even if those plans didn’t pan out, the Cybertruck is an attention-getter in nearly every way possible.

Like the Hummers, this ground clearance is only available at low speeds. In this case, up to 10 mph. Above that speed, it has 14 inches, which is still enough to put the Tesla truck in fifth on this list of trucks and SUVs with the most ground clearance.

The Highest Ground Clearance Losers

When it comes to SUVs and trucks, you expect a certain amount of ground clearance. Nothing close to the best on the list, but enough to clear things like parking curbs. Sure, some models can get away with less, like the Mercedes-AMG GLA45 that has just 4.6 inches. Here are the ones that can’t.

Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition (6.3″)

The Volkswagen Atlas Peak Edition is VW’s rugged model. It has all-terrain tires and more cladding and badges to make it look tough. The total ground clearance, though, is just 6.3 inches — half an inch less than a Kia Soul.

Jeep Wagoneer S (6.4″)

Every Jeep is an off-roader, at least that’s what the automaker wants us to think. Even its tiny (and now departed) Renegade offered 8.7 inches of clearance.

But the new electric Wagoneer S is a disappointment. It has just 6.4 inches of ground clearance, which is even worse on this EV since instead of scraping the floor or exhaust, you’ll scrape the expensive battery pack. We can’t believe this Jeep has less ground clearance than a front-drive Hyundai Venue.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT (7.0″)

Hyundai’s XRT badge is the one it gives to models it wants you to take off-road. Not very far off-road, evidently, since its Palisade and Tucson XRT models ride at the same height as their “normal” counterparts.

The electric Ioniq 5 XRT does get a suspension lift — just under 1 inch, giving it 7.0 inches of clearance. Less than a Volvo EX30, an EV that doesn’t even pretend that it wants to go off-roading.

Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek (7.7″)

Nissan is all about the Pathfinder’s ruggedness and ability to handle rough terrain. It boasts a 6,000-pound towing capacity and is styled to look like there’s a truck underneath. But in Rock Creek form with a “lifted off-road tuned suspension” and all-terrain tires, it still only has 7.7 inches between you and the ground. That’s less than the pavement princess Mazda CX-5 and Maserati Grecale models.

Final Ground Clearance Thoughts

Look, I know that ground clearance isn’t the be-all and end-all of off-road capability. Driver skill can account for it, if you’re careful. But it is important.

It’s the biggest reason you’d take a Subaru Outback off-pavement and not a Legacy. Plus, it’s fun to brag about, and having all of the SUVs and trucks with the best ground clearance in one place makes that easier for you.

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