3 of the Best Luxury 4×4 SUVs Under $120,000
In the olden days, finding an off-road capable SUV took a lot of work. Nowadays, most sport utility vehicle brands like Lincoln, Jeep, and Cadillac offer all-wheel or four-wheel drive as an option. Here are some of the best luxury 4×4 SUVs under $120,000 that provide plenty of opulence on the highway and more capability off-road.
The Lincoln Navigator is one of the best luxury 4×4 SUVs under $120,000
When U.S. News gathered some of the best luxury 4×4 SUVs, the 2023 Lincoln Navigator checked many boxes. The Navigator does not come cheap, with an MSRP range of $77,635 to $109,120. But it does have four-wheel drive as an option. The rear-wheel-drive models get 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, but four-wheel drive drops that down to 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.
Four-wheel drive is an option on the Navigator Standard and Reserve trims but comes standard on the Navigator Black Label. On the base 2023 Lincoln Navigator Standard with 4×4, the MSRP is $85,265. There is no charge for 4×4, but it doesn’t come cheap.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 4×4 SUV a four-star score in the rollover test, which dropped to three stars with rear-wheel drive. If you plan to go off the beaten path regularly, the Navigator Reserve starts at $89,825 and has many additional aids available.
Jeep’s Wagoneer is one of the best luxury 4×4 SUVs under $120,000
You can get away with the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer and the base V8 engine with 392 hp, but you might want to upgrade to the inline-six option that gets 420 hp. With an MSRP of $58,995 and $77,220, four-wheel drive on the base Wagoneer starts at $61,995. That adds $3,000 to the standard length option, or the 2023 Wagoneer L with 4×4 starts at $65,495.
Fuel economy for the 4×4 SUV sits at 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Adding four-wheel drive also includes a two-speed transfer case and selectable drive modes. The Wagoneer is one of the best 4×4 luxury SUVs under $120,000 and comes full of the latest technology and features.
Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has yet fully rated the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer. However, it gets forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring.
Even though the Cadillac Escalade goes up to $151,090, it offers 4×4
Some people might think of the 2023 Cadillac Escalade when the word “luxury SUV” comes up. Cadillac’s Escalade offers plenty of luxury, capability, and even towing numbers that make it one of the best luxury 4×4 SUVs. It comes with a 6.2-liter V8, or you can upgrade to the turbodiesel V6 or supercharged V8.
While most people aren’t going to select the Escalade as an off-roading vehicle, the available 4×4 option is still there. With an MSRP of $79,295 to $152,195, selecting four-wheel drive brings the base Luxury trim up to $84,190. It comes available on most of the trims, all the way up to the top-of-the-line $151,090 Escalade-V.
With the base engine and four-wheel drive, fuel economy is 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. That jumps to 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway with the turbodiesel and 4×4. On top of that, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2023 Escalade a four-star safety rating.
The best luxury 4×4 SUVs under $120,000 aren’t going to be as capable as a purpose-built off-road vehicle, but all three options are more capable than the average SUV.
