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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangBest 2024 3-Row SUVs for Families
If you’ve got a bunch of kids to haul around, a 3-row SUV is the ideal vehicle to own. But which are the best of the bunch?
The Perfect Vehicles for a Growing Family
The ideal family vehicle has shifted a few times over the years. Back in the good old days with was the humble station wagon. Then we moved to the minivans. Now we’re in the era of the SUV as the dominant vehicle for family garages. Three-row SUVs in particular are the perfect choice for a growing family as these couple the capabilities of an SUV while maintaining the available seating found in a minivan. While this setup creates an ideal environment for hauling kids to school or for going on a family road trip, some models do it better than others.
We looked at all the different sizes and takes on three-row SUVs available in 2024 and narrowed it down to the best options for families. These SUVs not only have all the cargo and seating your family needs while also providing a comfortable cabin, family friendly tech features, and some of the best safety suites in the industry. Find your family’s next ride here!
Honda Pilot
Honda is a great place to start when shopping for any vehicle, but their Honda Pilot excels with families. Shoppers have the choice of three rows of seating to fit eight passengers or the option to split that second-row bench in favor of some nice captain’s chairs. As for cargo, you have 22.4 cubic feet behind the third row and a dual-position reversible cargo lid to help further organize your family’s things or open up the cargo floor for bulkier items.
Honda provides plenty of cup holders for every row, additional storage along the sides to keep each kid’s things in their place, and the CabinTalk feature that allows parents to utilize the Pilot’s rear speakers to put an end to sibling arguments on road trips easier. Honda of course also includes the Honda Sensing safety suite that’ll help keep family drivers safe with its extensive list of driver-assistance technology.
Subaru Ascent
Looking for a family hauler that’s paired with one of the industry’s most capable all-wheel drive systems? The Subaru Ascent is for you! Not only do you get Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system as standard equipment, ideal for those winter months and outdoor excursions, but you also get a host of great features for any family. There’s three-rows of seating with the option of a second-row bench to bring passenger capacity up to eight or grab the captain’s chairs instead for one less seat and easier third row access. The cabin is roomy for passengers and features durable, stain-resistant and even available water-repellent upholstery, because you know those kids are going to spill something.
Similar to Honda, Subaru offers Cabin Connect, a push-button intercom connection that lets the front passengers speak through the rear speakers. The Ascent is also bolstered by the Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist Technology suite of advanced safety features that’ll keep commutes safe at every speed. That safety suit along with the architecture from the Subaru Global Platform helped give this three-row SUV a five-star rating from the NHTSA and an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
Kia Telluride
Another IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awarded three-row SUV that is ideal for families is the Kia Telluride. Kia packs a good list of standard driver assistance and safety features into their SUV along with big infotainment screens and plenty of space. Kia even includes Passenger Talk as their intercom feature to make parents’ voices heard over kid commotion. If you have real little ones, a Quiet Mode is included in the infotainment system so you can listen to tunes up front while keeping the noise down for the kids snoozing in the back.
Tellurides can be had with easily cleanable SynTex synthetic upholstery or leather upholstery, either of which being ideal for cleaning up rear seat spills. Behind the third row is 21 cubic feet of cargo space and hideaway storage area under the cargo floor to keep your family’s odds and ends in one place. An AWD drivetrain featuring a center-locking differential is available on every trim but the base LX model, so the Telluride can capably traverse snow or those forest trails during a family outdoors trip.
Toyota Grand Highlander
The Toyota Highlander is a nice three-row option, but it’s a bit cramped in comparison to other three-row midsized options. That’s what makes the larger Grand Highlander the one for families. This model comes in four inches longer than the Highlander which gives passengers more space and even increases cargo room behind the third row by four cubic feet. This extra length creates something not very typical for the midsize segment, a third row big enough for adults to sit in. No more tossing only the small kids in that way back seat, now a parent, grandparent, or teenager can comfortably sit in the rear.
Toyota upholsters the Grand Highlander with either SofTex synthetic material or leather upholstery making cleaning up after the kids easier. Parents’ minds are kept at ease too during the drive as they’re aided by the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of advanced safety tech. Plus, for those parents that are fuel conscious, the Grand Highlander is available as a hybrid too producing a combined 34 mpg.
Rivian R1S
Looking for a three-row electric option for your family that’s more practical than the Tesla Model Y or better looking than the ID.Buzz? Rivian is the answer with their R1S. This electric powered SUV has all the tech features you could want, all the capability of a traditional SUV, all the space a family could need, and it has a front trunk in place of a traditional engine. That “frunk” provides you with 9.9 cubic feet of additional cargo space to keep groceries, the kids’ sports equipment, or some backpacks full of all the kids clothes on a road trip.
Inside is a plush and spacious cabin that features an elevated interior experience and great entertainment options while out on the road. Rivian also made sure to make safety one of the R1S’s biggest pros with over 20 safety features, 11 exterior cameras, and further over the air advancements coming to Autonomy Platform+’s features list so you’re always getting the latest software advancements even after you take this SUV home.
Chevrolet Suburban
When shopping for a family vehicle, you can’t really go wrong with a full-sized SUV – especially one the size of the Chevrolet Suburban. This road faring behemoth is prepared to take a family of up to nine across the country while still having the power to tow your average travel trailer for the big camping trip. The Suburban also boasts 42 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row, so whatever luggage, chairs, or coolers you need to bring are sure to fit.
Chevy also makes sure that road trips are entertaining via the available dual touchscreens mounted behind the front headrests that can play the kids’ favorite shows on platforms like YouTube and Hulu. Meanwhile, mom or dad can capably pilot the massive SUV thanks to the 14 available exterior cameras, advanced trailering tech, and a number advanced safety features. Chevrolet even benefits from Super Cruise driver assistance technology that allows the driver to take their hands off the wheel and let the Suburban pilot itself over 10 million miles of mapped out North American roads. The only thing that’s a bummer with the Suburban lifestyle is the price at the gas pumps, but it’s worth it for making those family commutes a little easier.
