From battleship-sized wagons to podlike minivans to three-row SUVs, Americans have always loved big family trucksters. Automakers constantly invest in their plus-size portfolios, but which one makes the best big three-row SUV? We asked seven manufacturers to send us non-hybrid, all-wheel-drive models in the $50,000–$55,000 price range, which we drove up to tony Thousand Oaks, California, for one of our famous big comparison tests.
In continuous production since 1991, Ford’s Explorer is the oldest nameplate here. Our test SUV came in ST-Line trim, combining equipment from the volume-selling XLT and Limited models with appearance cues inspired by the hot-rod Explorer ST. Powered by a 300-hp 2.3-liter turbocharged I-4, it stickers for $50,395.
The Honda Pilot boasts a ground-up redesign for 2023. Boxier and bolder, the fourth-generation Pilot features a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 285 hp. Honda sent a top-of-the-line AWD Elite model, which fit comfortably into our price bracket at $53,725.
Hyundai’s big Palisade is refreshed for 2023 with updated styling, new driver assistance and safety features, and a carryover 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6 engine. Hyundai, too, sent its highest trim level, called Calligraphy, while remaining well under our price cap with a $53,300 as-tested MSRP.
It’s been two years since Jeep introduced the Grand Cherokee L, and it drives into 2023 with minor infotainment system upgrades. Jeep could only offer us a $62,990 Overland model powered by the 293-hp 3.6-liter V-6. That’s well above our price point, but a functionally equivalent Limited model without the Overland’s air springs would cost $55,890.
We wouldn’t do this comparison test without Kia’s Telluride, our 2020 SUV of the Year and the winner of our three-row Big Test three years ago. Like the closely related Palisade, the Telluride gets styling and interior upgrades for 2023, including the
