We can thank minivan haters for the rarity of the famed family hauler. Kia is trying to make minivans cool again by making them look more like an SUV with the new Carnival. Still, most moms would choose death or torture before they’re caught at soccer practice in a minivan. Thus, the third-row SUV was born.
Despite their advantage in storage space, versatility, and passenger comfort, more and more buyers are turning to three-row SUVs. However, many share a common problem: dinky, uncomfortable third rows.
The third row is largely designed to be used sometimes, not every day, but there are five SUVs with a third row that could easily be used every day. Especially since the cargo space behind the third row essentially disappears when it’s in use – but not all three-row SUVs are created equal.
Some are crazy expensive, one is all-electric, and some are unexpected. Let’s take a look.
The Jeep Wagoneer is an easy choice
The modern Jeep Wagoneer, just like the one from the past, was designed to haul the whole family in style. With 36.6 inches of third-row legroom, it’s one of the most spacious (and luxurious) third-row seats in its class.
In addition to legroom, the Wagoneer has an impressive amount of space left when the third row is up with 27.4 cubic inches. If you opt for the “L” option, that increases the cargo space to 42.1 cubic feet when the seats are up.
Since it’s a Jeep, it can be configured to be a four-wheel drive, making it as capable as it is spacious. However, it is ginormous. At that size, you might as well have a minivan.
Especially since most minivans are cheaper. The starting price of the base model Wagoneer is a little over $60,000, and can easily cost over $80,000 depending on add-ons and packages. The Grand Wagoneer, the Wagoneer’s unnecessarily bigger and way more luxurious sibling, is even pricier with a base price of $91,945 and a Series III cost of $116,190.
However, Stellantis did recently announce plans to lower the cost of both to make it more accessible to more buyers. Also, it’s worth noting that the Jeep Grand Cherokee “L” edition has almost identical space figures with different styling and much more buyer-friendly prices.
Don’t forget to check out a Toyota Grand Highlander
Toyota’s Grand Highlander is a larger version of the standard Highlander, making it more comfortable in the third row, too. It has 33.5 inches of legroom, making it just slightly less roomy than the Wagoneer.
Behind the third row, the Grand Highlander also has 20.6 inches of cargo space, which is noticeably less than the Wagoneer (and most minivans), but you’d still be able to fit some common everyday items if you used it to bring one of your child’s friends home for dinner after soccer practice.
Toyota offers the Grand Highlander in a hybrid and AWD version, making it a versatile three-row for a much more reasonable cost. The base price of the Grand Highlander starts at $45,080 and goes up to $60,225 for higher trim levels.
If you’re looking for a three-row SUV that can handle multiple seasons, isn’t nearly as big, and can come as a hybrid, you might want to check this one out.
The Chevy Traverse is a strong contender, too
If you’re looking for a smaller three-row SUV that can still comfortably seat adults in the third row, look to the Chevy Traverse. Third-row passengers can enjoy 32 inches of legroom and offer 22.9 cubic feet when the third row is up.
So it’s slightly smaller than the Grand Highlander, at around the same price. It starts at $41,995 and maxes out at $54,995. It can also be configured with all-wheel drive, though front wheel drive is standard.
It doesn’t have a hybrid version, yet, but it does have a surprisingly efficient 2.5-liter turbo four.
This would be a great option for families with two kids that have friends over often.
Kia’s EV9 is great for those looking for a family EV
Kia has been making great strides by making cost-effective family oriented gas-powered, hybrid, and electric cars. One of their more famous cars is the EV9, which was one of the first all-electric three-row SUVs sold in America.
Without a lot of heavy drive components, Kia was able to take advantage of the plethora of floor space. Third-row passengers can enjoy 39.2 inches of legroom. In case you’re bad at math, that’s more room than the Wagoneer by quite a margin – but it does lose a good chunk of cargo space behind it as a result.
The EV9 has 20.2 cubic feet of space, which is just enough for some luggage or other everyday items.
Second-row passengers weren’t forgotten, either. The second-row Captain’s chairs can rotate 180 degrees to face the third row (so siblings could beat each other up easier), and when facing the front, can utilize a reclining function with a footrest for long drives, too.
It’s also not all that expensive for an EV SUV, either. It starts at $56,395 and goes up to $73,000 for the GT-Line. However, it is eligible for the federal tax credit.
Lexus makes a fantastic hybrid three-row SUV
If you’re not ready to commit to an all-electric lifestyle, look to the Lexus TX 550h+. It’s a plug-in hybrid, so it uses the best of both the fossil fuel world and electricity. It gets 33 miles to the gallon combined and has one of the more high-tech third rows.
There’s a button on the back of the second-row captain’s chairs (and they’re only available with captain’s chairs) that makes it a breeze to climb into the spacious third-row. Third-row passengers can use it to get out, too.
Third-row passengers have 33.5 inches of legroom, making it roomy for adults or other children. Even for longer drives.
When the third row is up, Lexus says it has 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space, allowing for a few items to be thrown in the back.
However, pricing is closer to Wagoneer figures, with a starting price of $78,560. Fully loaded the Lexus costs a little over $81,000.
