Off-road vehicles have never been as popular, capable and well-accessorized as they are today. They also have never been this expensive. Fully-loaded editions of the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, Ford Bronco and others treading into luxury SUV price territory. Even lower-tier new models can be difficult for the average buyer to afford. That was not always the case.
We decided to take a trip back in time and look at what the comparably spartan ancestors of our favorite off-road vehicles today cost at the time based on NADAguides data. We adjusted the price to 2020 using the NerdWallet inflation calculator. Check out the prices in the gallery.
Here’s What Our Favorite Off-Roaders Used to Cost
Off-road vehicles have never been more capable, popular and expensive than they are now. Here are what SUVs like the Wrangler, 4Runner and Tacoma used to cost.
Toyota
Jeep Wrangler
Willys began offering the first civilian jeep, the CJ-2A, in 1946.
Base Price (1946): $1,241
Adjusted Price in 2020 Dollars: $16,684
Cost of Gas (1946): $0.21 per gallon
Current Base Price: $28,295
Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota began selling the FJ40 Land Cruiser in 1960. Here’s what it cost in 1965.
Base Price (1965): $2,995
Adjusted Price to 2020 Dollars: $24,592
Gas Price (1965): $0.31 per gallon
Current Base Price: $85,515
Ford Bronco
Ford started selling the first-generation Bronco in 1966. (You may have heard them mentioning that in the past few months.)
Base Price (1966): $2,480
Adjusted Price to 2020 Dollars: $20,639
Gas Price (1966): $0.32 per gallon
Current Base Price: $29,995
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota threw a cab on the back of its pickup for the 1984 model year, and the 4Runner was born.
Base Price (1984): $10,298
Adjusted Price to 2020 Dollars: $25,983
Gas Price (1984): $1.13 per gallon
Current Base Price: $36,340
Land Rover Defender
Land Rover’s four-year run selling NAS Defenders in the U.S. began in 1994.
Base Price (1994): $27,900
Adjusted Price to 2020 Dollars: $49,353
Gas Price (1994): $1.11 per gallon
Current Base Price: $49,900
Toyota Tacoma
Toyota replaced the Hilux in the U.S. market with the Tacoma in 1995.
Base Price (1995): $11,848
Adjusted Price to 2020 Dollars: $20,380
Gas Price (1995): $1.15 per gallon
Current Base Price: $26,150
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
Mercedes began importing the G-Wagen to the U.S. market itself in 2002, starting with the G500.
Base Price (2002): $73,165
Adjusted Price to 2020 Dollars: $106,617
Gas Price (2002): $1.36
Current Base Price: $130,900