2024 Three-Row SUV Throwdown (2024)

From the October 2023 issue of Car and Driver.

On the family-car evolutionary chart, the station wagon slithered out of the primordial ooze to beget the minivan, which the body-on-frame SUV drove to the brink of extinction. Soon enough, car companies realized that all most people want from an SUV is the look, which led to another form of mass-market people-moving machinery: the three-row crossover.

This genetic mutation combines a buff-truck attitude with a carlike driving experience, and just about everybody makes one—hell, even Bentley. Thus, the competition is ruthless, with a new crop of candidates arriving nearly annually.

Indeed, there's a slew of fresh competitors vying to oust the reigning champ of the segment, the four-time 10Best-winning Kia Telluride. Mazda's CX-90 brings a new rear-drive platform with turbocharged inline-six power and an upmarket interior. The Honda Pilot is redesigned for 2023 with a new V-6 and a beefed-up torque-vectoring rear end. Toyota's Grand Highlander Platinum is a hybrid powerhouse, putting 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque to the task of family schlepping. Jeep now has the stretched Grand Cherokee L, which adds a third row while avoiding wiener-dog proportions. And, of course, there's the Telluride, aging gracefully in its fourth model year.

Yes, there are plenty of other three-row crossovers—we know. If your favorite isn't here, that's because it's due for an incipient overhaul, it posted a mediocre showing in a previous comparo, or we asked for one and couldn't get it. We also aimed for a mid-$50,000s price point, give or take a few thousand bucks, so that rules out your Dodge Durango Hellcats and Bentley Bentaygas. Think of this like the Academy Awards: It's an honor just to be nominated. Nonetheless, over three days of pounding pavement and crunching gravel around Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a winner emerged. Try to avoid skipping ahead, because the results might surprise you.

5th Place: Honda Pilot

The Pilot is chock full of typically clever Honda engineering. Consider its eight-passenger seating stat, which lends the Pilot people-moving capability on par with minivans and the largest of body-on-frame SUVs. The center seat in the second row is removable, so if you don't need to accommodate a full Olympic rowing team, you can convert the second row to captain's chairs and stow the center seat in a cubby under the rear cargo floor.

HIGHS: Flexible seating for seven or eight, nice price, tail-happy torque-vectoring rear end.
LOWS: Powertrain just wants to chill, interior materials won't wow you, needs more steering heft.
VERDICT: A three-row SUV that's more of a mutant minivan.

Like the off-road-oriented TrailSport, the Elite also gets Honda's trick torque-vectoring rear differential. Its all-wheel-drive system can send up to 70 percent of the engine's torque to the rear axle, where an electric motor powers a pair of hydraulic pumps and clutch packs that can then send 100 percent of that torque to either side. Translation: The Pilot was the only vehicle in the test that could hold a drift, howling its way to a first-place 0.84-g skidpad result. It was also the second-least-expensive machine, with an as-tested price of $53,755. Plus, its third row offers easy access. Push a button, and the second-row seat slides forward out of the way. So what gives with the last-place finish?

Blame the lack of acceleration. The Pilot uses Honda's new double-overhead-cam 3.5-liter V-6, which makes 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque—five more horsepower and identical torque relative to the old SOHC engine. That nominal power increase is up against significant weight gain (more than 300 pounds compared to a 2020 model we tested), with predictable results: The Pilot got poky. Whereas the 2020 Pilot hit 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, the 2023 needed 7.2 seconds, putting it in second-to-last place in that category here. It was the slowest to 30 mph, pointing to off-the-line sluggishness that never really improves as the revs rise. One tester noted, "When you floored it to pass, you had to hope a car wouldn't come around the bend a half-mile ahead." Mind you, this was all with a single human aboard, near sea level. Add a carload of passengers and a mountain grade, and the Pilot will need even more time.

If that lack of acceleration and the Pilot's featherlight steering effort were compensated by a rock-star interior or a breakthrough exterior design, that would be nice. But the Pilot is merely fine on both counts. Compared with the previous generation, it didn't make any huge leaps forward and took at least one step back. Honda obviously knows how to build fun cars, but this isn't one of them. Paging Acura: Get that 355-hp turbocharged V-6 over to the Pilot production line, stat.

2023 Honda Pilot Elite AWD
285-hp V-6, 10-speed automatic, 4670 lb
Base/as-tested price: $53,755/$53,755
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.2 sec
1/4-mile: 15.7 sec @ 90 mph
100 mph: 20.1 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 189 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft skidpad: 0.84 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 22 mpg

4th Place: Jeep Grand Cherokee L

The Jeep is a bit of an anomaly here—it belongs, yet it doesn't. On paper, the Grand Cherokee L aligns with this crowd, but in reality, it fancies itself a more serious luxury SUV. "I am America's Range Rover," it seems to say. "If you try to compare me to a transverse-engine anything, I will climb that dune over there and pout."

HIGHS: Sublime isolation and ride quality, stretch-out interior room, beefy towing ability.
LOWS: Skinny on features at this price, not quick, seats only six.
VERDICT: A slow but otherwise premium experience at a premium price.

And a Grand Cherokee is an American Range Rover, if you spend enough money. That's the challenge in this context—there are a lot of features you can tack on to a Grand Cherokee L that were absent on this one because its $61,000 as-tested price already pushed past our target budget. So: no sunroof, no front passenger's-side display screen, no V-8. All of those things are available, and going wild with options can rocket the price beyond $80,000. At which point, you might start considering actual Range Rovers.

This Limited L seats only six passengers, but all of them hospitably. There's enough legroom for six-footers to occupy each row comfortably (simultaneously, we should add), and the third row's scooped-out headliner—sort of like SUV Gurney bubbles—ensures adequate headroom in the wayback. The balanced rear-drive platform and its longitudinally oriented engine pay dividends in both styling and handling, with the Grand Cherokee L notching a second-place showing on the skidpad at 0.82 g. The Jeep was in a dead heat with the Honda in almost every acceleration test, which means the same criticism applies here—needs more power. Although we did like the vocal nature of the Jeep's 293-hp 3.6-liter V-6, and the Jeep's 6200-pound tow rating far surpasses everyone else's 5000-pound max. It also has a ride so frictionlessly serene that at least one of us crawled underneath to see whether it had air springs. Nope, steel coils at all four corners, but expertly dialed in (air springs are standard on the pricier Overland and Summit trims).

This points to a philosophical problem for the Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4: As nice as it is, you know what you're missing by sticking to a budget. McIntosh audio, nappa leather, massage seats, and a Hemi under the hood could all be yours. But not for $61,000.

2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4
293-hp V-6, 8-speed automatic, 4750 lb
Base/as-tested price: $54,025/$61,000
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.3 sec
1/4-mile: 15.6 sec @ 90 mph
100 mph: 20.0 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 194 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft skidpad: 0.82 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 20 mpg

3rd Place: Kia Telluride

The Telluride has been such a smash hit for Kia that sometimes a civilian would infiltrate our comparo convoy and confuse us. Hey, which one of you put that Pearl Jam decal on the Telluride? Whoops, wrong white Telluride. But in this case, familiarity doesn't breed contempt since we love the 10Best-winning Kia as much as we always have.

HIGHS: All the goodies, magical packaging, refinement and value.
LOWS: Lacks the Mazda's showstopper interior, shorter drivers have a tough time getting comfortable, midpack acceleration.
VERDICT: As good as ever and the best value, but the competition is eroding its supremacy.

Again, we were amazed at the sheer amount of equipment the Telluride crams in while boasting the lowest price, both the SX Prestige's base ($51,955) and as-tested ($52,970). The top-trim Telluride wants for nothing, with leather, a faux-suede headliner, heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, and a panoramic roof. The Telluride is also much roomier inside than its exterior dimensions would imply. What black magic is at work when the shortest vehicle can fit the longest length of pipe—more than 12 feet!—inside? The Kia also tied for first place in front- and second-row passenger volume, as well as in cargo volume behind the third row. And, as we've raved ever since its 2020 introduction, the Telluride just feels good. The moment you put your hands on the wheel, you sense that this is a refined machine built by people who care. Among the gripes directed solely at the Telluride, one five-foot-three tester opined that the driving position is calibrated to NBA small forwards, saying, "It feels designed for taller people, longer-legged people, bigger-footed people. There's no seating position where my arms and legs are both comfortable. I end up sort of tiptoeing the accelerator, and my knee starts to hurt."

But mostly, critiques of the Telluride end up framed as juxtapositions against its fresher competitors. The 291-hp V-6 underhood returned only midpack acceleration. Its interior is nice, but some of the materials lack the richness of the CX-90's.

Ever since it came on the scene, we've maintained that you can't do better than a Kia Telluride. We're amending that statement slightly to say that you have to spend a little more to do better than the Kia Telluride. But the Telluride had a target on its liftgate, and eventually, somebody was going to score a direct hit. Or, as it turns out, two somebodies.

2023 Kia Telluride SX Prestige AWD
291-hp V-6, 8-speed automatic, 4490 lb
Base/as-tested price: $51,955/$52,970
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.7 sec
1/4-mile: 15.1 sec @ 93 mph
100 mph: 17.6 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft skidpad: 0.79 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 22 mpg

2nd Place: Toyota Grand Highlander

If you've driven a Toyota hybrid of the Prius ilk, the Grand Highlander will utterly destroy your expectations for a hybrid. There's no CVT, no groaning naturally aspirated four-cylinder. This is the new hybrid system that debuted in the Crown, and it's a riot. The gas engine is a turbocharged 2.4-liter four, the transmission is a six-speed automatic with a wet clutch, and the total output is a swole 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, the latter attained at just 2000 rpm.

HIGHS: Hauls ass and families, huge cargo space, best fuel economy.
LOWS: Inhospitable third row, unrefined suspension noises, so-so interior finishes.
VERDICT: A hulking speed demon with a few foibles.

In our unscientific rolling drags on northern Michigan's uphill passing lanes, the Toyota collected pink slips from all challengers. The subsequent test-track numbers confirmed its dominance, as the Toyota sprinted to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and hit the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds at 98 mph. At the same time, it delivered the best overall fuel economy, at 25 mpg. This powertrain makes good on the longtime hybrid promise of enhancements to both acceleration and fuel economy.

The Grand Highlander's gusto is even more impressive given its hugeness. Grand indeed, the Toyota took first place in nearly every cargo-volume metric and could swallow the largest flat panel (not quite the prototypical four-by-eight sheet of plywood, but not far off). If only it were a little more generous to cargo of the human variety. The third row would challenge the resilience of a Naked and Afraid contestant, with scant legroom unless the second row is all the way forward. And can we please stop trying to reinvent the shifter? The setup will be familiar to anyone coming from a Prius, but it might confound drivers graduating from the regular Highlander, which has a perfectly useful conventional shifter.

Other than that, the interior design works well, although moving from the plushness of the CX-90 and Telluride back into the Grand Highlander makes it apparent that the Toyota is leaving the best materials for Lexus's version, the TX. Supple ride quality does enhance interior comfort, but impacts resonate loudly through the suspension and into the structure. The Grand Highlander is big, fast, and efficient, but it's not quite the complete package.

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max Platinum AWD
362-hp inline-4, 6-speed automatic/direct drive, 4936 lb
Base/as-tested price: $59,520/$59,520
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.6 sec
1/4-mile: 14.3 sec @ 98 mph
100 mph: 14.9 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 187 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft skidpad: 0.80 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 25 mpg

1st Place: Mazda CX-90

You come at the king, you best not miss. It's as if Mazda had a punch list of the Telluride's best attributes and went right down, item by item, and surpassed them all. Smooth, powerful engine? The Mazda's turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six makes 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, enabling a 6.4-second sprint to 60 mph, second only to the Toyota. (The Mazda does require premium fuel to make its full rated horsepower—on regular fuel, it's 319 ponies.) The CX-90 was not only quickest to 130 mph, but it's also one of only two vehicles here that even do 130 mph, which speaks to Mazda's confidence in the CX-90's high-speed composure.

HIGHS: Gorgeous interior, powerful engine, refined manners.
LOWS: Tightest cargo volume, needs premium fuel to hit its rated horsepower, it costs how much?
VERDICT: A winning balance of luxury, performance, and practicality.

When our testers opened the crossovers' doors for the first time, only one interior consistently drew involuntary wows—the Mazda's, with its quilted leather and swath of faux suede across the dash. And while Mazdas are known for pleasing the driver, the CX-90 is mighty fine for the passengers too. One logbook note read, "Feels the most business class of the second rows. Everything you're looking at and touching is nice."

The rear-drive platform enables a rakish long hood and athletic proportions, which are enhanced by the biggest tires in the group—275/45R-21s. Pull out into traffic with an aggressive jab of the throttle, and the Mazda will bark the inside rear tire, reminding you of its rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. Sluggish steering with odd weighting makes the CX-90 seem ponderous on the interstate, but the rest of the experience is quiet and refined.

Any demerits mainly boil down to price—the CX-90 in this test is expensive. While the 280-hp Turbo Select model starts at $40,970, our loaded-to-the-gunwales Turbo S Premium Plus carries a $61,920 as-tested price. And you know what? It's worth it.

2024 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus AWD
340-hp inline-6, 8-speed automatic, 4884 lb
Base/as-tested price: $61,325/$61,920
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.4 sec
1/4-mile: 14.9 sec @ 97 mph
100 mph: 15.8 sec
Braking, 70­–0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft skidpad: 0.81 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 24 mpg