Every Mid-Size Crossover and SUV Ranked
The spiritual heart of the SUV market, in order of greatness.
Think of these crossovers and SUVs as the just-right ones. They fall right in the middle of the size and price spectrum that sees subcompacts on one side and full-size rigs on the other. Once made up almost entirely of truck-based entries with rugged frames, four-wheel-drive systems, and meaty tires, this segment is now practically overflowing with crossovers, vehicles based on car platforms using relatively efficient engines, including two- and three-row offerings. Beefy styling and body cladding intended to evoke 4x4s of yore make up the personality gap, though a few truly hardcore off-roaders are still offered. So, click on for a peek at how the crowded mid-size SUV class shakes out, as ranked from worst to best.
We've also setup a ranking for three-row mid-size crossovers and SUVs if lifes too big for two rows.
Mid-Size 3-Row Crossovers and SUVs: Ranked from Best to Worst
If you need a three-row SUV in your driveway, pick a good one. You deserve it with everything else going on.
Three-row crossovers certainly aren’t the type of vehicle that will save the planet or encourage spirited mountain driving. They're the answer for buyers who have a lot of kids and subsequently an ever-expanding amount of stuff, but don’t want to live with the power-sliding doors of a minivan. The charming aspect of a three-row SUV is that it can hold up to eight passengers, carry all the hockey or football equipment high schoolers can throw at it, and still offer better fuel economy than full-size SUV counterparts such as the Chevrolet Suburban or Ford Expedition.
After multiple tests and countless hours of driving we’ve ranked the current available options of mid-size crossovers and SUVs. If three-rows is too overwhelming, we recommend checking out our overall mid-size SUV rankings, which will also include two-row options as well.
Every Full-Size SUV Ranked from Worst to Best
Ferry lots of people, haul tons of cargo, and tow toys? You probably need one of these.
2020 Toyota Land Cruiser
Review, Pricing, and Specs
STARTING AT
$86,740
3/5
HIGHS Excellent off-roading companion, relatively quick acceleration, extensive range of standard equipment.
LOWS Poor fuel economy, lacks the brand cachet of competing luxury SUVs, three-row models have less cargo space than some rivals.
VERDICT The large and luxurious Land Cruiser is a worthy choice if you regularly venture off-road. If you plan on sticking to paved streets, however, rival models may be a more comfortable fit.
Overview
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a full-size SUV that's iconic in some circles, largely because of its ability to strike a balance between plush luxury and go-anywhere ruggedness. Its imposing sheetmetal conveys heft and solidity, and this large Toyota comes with a mile-long list of standard amenities. The 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser provides forgiving ride quality on paved streets; however, it's at its best off-road, easily taking steep fire roads and rocky ravines in stride. Its most significant shortcoming is its dismal fuel economy. Although Toyota isn't a traditional luxury brand, the Land Cruiser is priced and equipped to compete with SUVs from marques such as Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz. Overall, the Toyota Land Cruiser provides appealing transportation for those who need a big SUV that's a luxury hauler on the highway and a mountain goat on the trail.
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MORE MODEL YEARS
Where This Vehicle Ranks
What's New for 2020?
Toyota adds a new limited-edition model to the 2020 Land Cruiser's lineup. It's known as the Heritage Edition, and it's meant to celebrate the model's 60-plus years as part of the Toyota family. It's available solely as a two-row, five-seat model. (The standard Land Cruiser comes with three rows and seating for eight.) The Land Cruiser Heritage Edition is offered in two exterior colors: Midnight Black Metallic and Blizzard Pearl.
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Pricing and Which One to Buy
Base: $86,640
Heritage Edition: $88,970
The base-model Land Cruiser has more than enough bells and whistles to keep you coddled and entertained, and we think it will be an agreeable choice for most shoppers who are interested in this Toyota SUV. Exterior features such as LED headlights, a power sunroof, LED fog lights and rain-sensing windshield wipers are standard. Within the cabin, all models are equipped with four-zone automatic climate control, perforated leather upholstery, and power-adjustable heated and cooled front seats. The Land Cruiser comes standard with convenience features such as keyless entry and ignition, as well as driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control and automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
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Engine, Transmission, and Performance
All 2020 Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs are powered by a 5.7-liter V-8 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup generates 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque. Full-time four-wheel drive is standard. With a ride quality that's smooth and well-planted, the Land Cruiser delivers comfortable driving dynamics. Its steering feel is light, however, and there's a fair amount of body roll. Rival SUVs in this price range offer handling that's more rewarding. In spite of its beefy exterior, the Land Cruiser is relatively quick off the line. In our tests, it sprinted from zero to 60 mph in a respectable 6.7 seconds.
TOYOTA
MORE ON THE TOYOTA LAND CRUISER
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Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
This Toyota's mammoth dimensions take a toll on its fuel economy. According to the EPA, the 2020 Land Cruiser achieves gas mileage of just 13/17 mpg city/highway. You'll do better with rivals such as the Lincoln Navigator (up to 16/22 mpg) and Mercedes-Benz GLS-class (19/23 mpg). In our time with the Land Cruiser, we observed 17 mpg on our highway fuel-economy test route.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
As far as the Land Cruiser's cabin is concerned, it's all about the execution, and there's an impressive attention to detail at play. While the cabin isn't as visually opulent as that of rivals such as the Mercedes GLS-class, it's home to top-rate materials. Build quality is excellent, and knobs and switches move with a weightiness that conveys quality.
The front row provides comfortable accommodations and commanding sightlines. There's lots of room in the second row, but the third row is best suited for kids. With the standard eight-person seating setup, the Land Cruiser provides 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row and 41 cubic feet behind the second. There's more cargo space in competing models like the Lincoln Navigator, which provides about 20 cubic feet of room for your belongings behind its third row.
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TOYOTA
Infotainment and Connectivity
The Land Cruiser comes fully loaded with a bevy of appealing tech features. Standard Bluetooth connectivity facilitates hands-free phone conversations when you're behind the wheel. All models come with wireless device charging and an integrated navigation system with a 9.0-inch touchscreen. Satellite radio is standard, as well as a 14-speaker JBL sound system. On the options list, there's a rear-seat DVD entertainment system with a pair of wireless headphones and two 11.6-inch display screens.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Toyota's Land Cruiser hasn't been crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Key safety features include:
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Standard adaptive cruise control
Standard forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking
Standard lane-departure warning system
Standard blind-spot monitoring
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
While Toyota's warranty coverage is competitive among mainstream models, it's underwhelming when compared with the warranties offered by many of the luxury SUVs against which the Land Cruiser is typically cross-shopped. Models such as the Lincoln Navigator and Infiniti QX80 provide longer warranty coverage.
Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
Complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for 2 years or 25,000 miles
READ NEXT
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CAR AND DRIVER
2021 Chevrolet Suburban
What We Know So Far
STARTING AT
$52,995 EST.
Overview
Chevy totally reinvents its oldest nameplate with the all-new 2021 Suburban—and it's bigger and better than ever. It shares a lot with the redesigned Chevy Tahoe; however, its extra length and newly adopted independent rear suspension bring more cargo and third-row space. Those traits make the 'Burban the biggest SUV to wear a bowtie, and a serious competitor to enormous alternatives such as the Ford Expedition Max. In addition to its familiar V-8 engines, the Chevy now includes a diesel option with loads of torque. Of course, it also offers an abundance of obligatory equipment such as contemporary driver assists and countless infotainment features. The 2021 Chevy Suburban is set to go on sale in the middle of 2020.
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MORE MODEL YEARS
Where This Vehicle Ranks
What's New for 2021?
The 2021 Suburban introduces an all-new generation that features significant improvements. The most notable update is the SUV's first-ever independent rear suspension. This allows much better interior packaging that frees up room in the cargo area and third row. The Suburban is also longer than before and outfitted with more technology than ever. This includes first-time equipment such as an air suspension and a downsized Duramax diesel engine.
What's New for 2021?
The 2021 Suburban introduces an all-new generation that features significant improvements. The most notable update is the SUV's first-ever independent rear suspension. This allows much better interior packaging that frees up room in the cargo area and third row. The Suburban is also longer than before and outfitted with more technology than ever. This includes first-time equipment such as an air suspension and a downsized Duramax diesel engine.
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Pricing and Which One to Buy
LS: $52,995
LT: $57,795
RST: $61,095
Z71: $63,195
Premier: $66,595
High Country: $73,595
We'd recommend the RST model. Unlike before, it's no longer the high-priced, high-performance Suburban. Instead, it's mostly a sporty appearance package that also can be equipped with the diesel engine. We'd choose the latter to replace the standard 355-hp V-8 and add all-wheel drive.
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Engine, Transmission, and Performance
A pair of V-8s and a diesel six-cylinder complete the Suburban's engine lineup. All of them hook up to a 10-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or all-wheel drive. A 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 is the default engine on all but the top-tier High Country model. It gets a standard 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8, but it also can be equipped with the optional diesel 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. While the latter only pumps out 277 horses, its 460 lb-ft of torque ties that of the bigger V-8. The 2021 Suburban also can be fitted with adaptive dampers and an adjustable air suspension. The latter allows the Suburban's ride height to be automatically and manually lowered or raised. This enables improved passenger accessibility, aerodynamics, and ground clearance. Those looking for sporty styling such as blacked-out exterior trim and 22-inch wheels should see the RST model. The more rugged-looking Z71 trim level has 20-inch wheels wrapped with all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, and a two-speed transfer case that provides traditional four-wheel drive.
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CHEVROLET
MORE ON THE CHEVROLET SUBURBAN
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
We know what engines will power the 2021 Suburban, but we don't know what fuel-economy estimates the government will bestow upon them. The optional diesel engine will likely be the thriftiest, and the bigger V-8 should be the least efficient. Both gas-only powertrains employ fuel-saving technology that includes auto stop/start and cylinder deactivation. Once we're able to test the all-new Suburban models on our 200-mile highway route, we can evaluate their real-world mpg.
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Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Compared with its predecessor, the all-new 2021 Suburban's cargo and passenger space is notably larger. Its second and third rows have a couple more inches of legroom, and the second-row seats add adjustments so they can now slide fore and aft. The Suburban's cargo area also expands by 23 cubic feet (145 total); the load floor is flatter and lower, courtesy of the Suburban's new design and independent rear suspension. Most of its popular options such as wireless phone charging as well as heated and ventilated seats were previously available, but its head-up display and digital gauge-cluster display are bigger than before.
CHEVROLET
Infotainment and Connectivity
Transporting modern families also requires entertaining them, and the 2021 Suburban has no shortage of infotainment and connectivity features. Along with an optional rear-seat entertainment system that includes two 12.6-inch screens mounted behind the front seats, every model has copious charging ports throughout the cabin and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Likewise, a standard 10-inch touchscreen is fitted into the center stack and supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability.
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Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The 2021 Suburban hasn't been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Still, it does feature an array of contemporary driver-assistance technologies as well as innovative assists for towing. Key safety features include:
Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Chevy provides a competitive limited and powertrain warranty as well as more complimentary maintenance than all of its rivals except for Toyota.
Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
Complimentary maintenance is covered for the first visit
CAR AND DRIVER
Full-size SUVs, like the proverbial cockroach, just refuse to die. They've survived fuel crises, hybrids, and more. Lately, low fuel prices have only solidified their dogged longevity. Unlike many smaller, lighter three-row crossovers, these behemoths can haul people, cargo, and tow serious trailers. The larger members of the class also do a better job than smaller crossovers swallowing people and their cargo at the same time. Here, we've ranked the SUVs in this carrier class from worst to best.
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