Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (2024)

2.8K Views

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (1)

by AutoGuide.com Staff (IC: employee)

Published: August 21st, 2024

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (2)

When it comes to sales, many automotive manufacturers are putting most of their development behind SUVs, and one of the big selling points is the availability of third-row passenger seating. When you look at which three-row SUVs are selling best in the United States, several models lead the pack.

Why Buy a Popular Car?

There are a lot of reasons why it makes sense to buy a popular vehicle model. For one, if the vehicle is popular, the manufacturer spends more time and money on the development, giving you more trim levels, better features, and options, and it is likely more reliable and safe. Another reason to look at popular vehicles is choice. Popular cars equal more availability, which gives you buying options. And of course, while it’s not guaranteed to deliver success, generally cars are popular because buyers vote with their wallets and they pick vehicles that represent excellent value.

You can use shopping tools to help you find your new third-row SUV by clicking here. Our unique tool lets dealerships bid on the ability to sell you a car!

Here are five of the top-selling three-row SUVs available today. They are listed in order from most sold downwards, and while this is not the complete list of best-selling vehicles, it should give you a clear idea of which vehicles are most popular with shoppers like you.

Honda Pilot

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (3)

Honda, as a brand, remains one of the top-selling automotive manufacturers in the United States, and it does so with a huge following due to its reputation for quality. The Pilot is Honda’s flagship SUV and comes with a third row of seating.

These SUVs have an excellent resale value and come loaded with features and options that separate them from the pack. Six trim levels are offered for the Pilot, with one of the newest being the Trailsport – the most rugged version to date. All Pilots are powered by a 285-hp V-6 engine that runs through a 10-speed automatic transmission with shift-by-wire and paddle shifters to give you control of your shifting when you need it.

The Pilot usesHonda’s legendary i-VTM4 all-wheel-drive system to actively switch power to the wheels according to how much traction they are getting, making it very stable in poor road conditions. It also gets a top safety pick for crash ratings, meaning you and your family will have that added peace of mind when driving, knowing that if something were to happen, you’re in one of the safest SUVs on the road.

Hyundai Santa Fe

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (4)

The Hyundai Santa Fe recently received a complete makeover, which includes a more aggressive look along with the return of the third row seating, which helps with its resurgence in popularity.

The Santa Fe is powered by a 2.5-liter inline four cylinder turbo-charged engine that produces 277 horsepower. A hybrid version is also available. The Santa Fe uses an 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and comes in either front-wheel drive or HTRAC all-wheel drive. Five different trim levels are available and the base model features an MSRP of $33,950.

The third row seats are compact and fold flat into the rear cargo area. Safety ratings for the Santa Fe are good, although it wasn’t scored as high as the Honda Pilot. The warranty on the Santa Fe is one of the big selling points for all Hyundai vehicles. It comes with a 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty, with a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the drivetrain. Hyundai also throws in 5 years of 24/7 roadside assistance coverage.

Kia Telluride/Hyundai Palisade

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (5)

The Kia Telluride is very popular, alongside its twin, the Hyundai Palisade. Both are powered by a 291-horsepower 3.8-liter six-cylinder motor with an eight-speed automatic transmission and optional all-wheel drive. Both come with standard third-row seating that is more spacious than other models in the lines.

Although sales are pretty close between the two versions, the Telluride gets the nod as the better-selling option, with most consumers liking the more rugged appearance of the Telluride over the more rounded appearance of the Palisade’s front end. The Telluride also comes in more color options. It is also worth noting that if you took the combined sales of both models, the shared platform easily tops the sales figures for third-row vehicles.

Like other Kia/Hyundai vehicles, these models come with a 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty on the vehicles, with a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the drivetrain, and 5 years of 24/7 roadside assistance coverage. Safety ratings are among the best on the road, too, with both models getting 5 out of 5 stars during crash tests.

Subaru Ascent

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (6)

Subaru likes to position itself as a different kind of car company, and its vehicles have long held a reputation as extremely reliable and very safe, often being at the top of the safety ratings. Subaru’s biggest model, the Ascent, gives you a spacious third-row seating area and a lot of value for your money, while top safety ratings show it to be one of the safest options available.

Every variant of the Ascent uses Subaru’s 2.4-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder Boxer motor that produces 260 horsepower. The engine is mated to a linear CVT transmission for seamless shifting. Each Ascent model boasts independent suspension and an active, symmetrical all-wheel drive system with traction control and hill-descent.

Among the safety features are lane departure warning, eyesight-assisted cruise control, auto-dimming headlights, and much more. Two seating options are available depending upon trim level, with the option being two middle-row captain’s seats or a second-row bench seat. Subaru backs the Ascent with a 3-year, 36,000-mile new-car warranty, a 5-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty and a 5-year rust protection warranty.

Mazda CX-90

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (7)

The Mazda CX-90 will likely shock you with how nice of a vehicle it is, and that is definitely why it sells well for the brand. It is Mazda’s largest SUV model with a very comfortable third-row seating area and a cabin that fits a lot of different people very well.

It is powered by Mazda’s 280-horsepower, e-SKYACTIV-G 3.3L turbo, inline six-cylinder motor that is quite a bit of fun to drive. It uses a rear-biased, i-ACTIV all-wheel drive system with pavement and off-road drive modes. The result is a very sporty feel when on the road while at the same time giving you a secure grip for added safety and traction. The transmission is an 8-speed automatic.

On the safety side, Mazda's i-Activsense safety features, including traction control and a wide range of airbags keep you safe in the event of an accident. This helped get it a 5-star safety rating for crashes. The list of luxury-inspired features is far too long to list here, but rest assured, this is a third-row SUV with a ton of class and safety, all while being quite affordable.

Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (8)

AutoGuide.com Staff

More by AutoGuide.com Staff

Published

August 21st, 2024 2:01 PM

Autoguide Insurance

Comments
Join the conversation
Five of the Most Popular Three-Row SUVs (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 6389

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.