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There Are Lots of Three-Row SUVs Out There. We Tested 8 Head to Head, and We Chose One Winner
From the July/August 2026 issue of Car and Driver.
At some point, hopefully not too recently, you were probably eating a lot of dirt and regularly filling a diaper. But look at you now: a responsible adult with a grown-up job, only incidental earth in your diet, and mostly clean underwear, shepherding the next generation of soil gobblers into the vibrant and fragrant tapestry of life.
If you're shopping for a three-row SUV, odds are it's because you have a passel of children. All the SUVs gathered for this comparison have base prices in the neighborhood of $40,000 to $45,000, but the examples tested here all represent the pinnacle of their kind—exactly what parents hope their children will be. Priced from the mid-$50,000s to the high $60,000s, every one is an awful lot of car for around 20 percent more than the average purchase price of a new vehicle. This is likely the greatest number of heated and ventilated seats, the most sunroof square footage, and the largest cumulative area of touchscreen we've ever gathered in one comparison test.
The winner here is going to be the vehicle that keeps the kids happy and Mom and Dad sane. Maybe it'll even give them something new to love. (Meaning the vehicle, not another kid. Our HR policy forbade us from testing these vehicles' suitability for the creation of new humans.)
8th Place: Nissan Pathfinder
The oldest nameplate in this group, the Pathfinder was once a rudimentary body-on-frame off-roader with a much more appropriate appellation. Now that Nissan's ProPilot Assist hands-free driving tech is standard, maybe they ought to start calling it the Pathfound.
The Pathfound sticks with what works, packing one of just two naturally aspirated V-6s in this test. Generating 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet, Nissan's 3.5-liter is a single horsepower and three pound-feet behind Honda's. It has the highest tow rating here, but the word "gutless" appears twice in the Pathfinder's logbook and zero times in the slower Pilot's. The pleasant soundtrack of the latter distracts drivers from its sloth, while the Nissan's slow-witted transmission grants extra time to focus on the engine as it reaches its most coarse.
Otherwise, numbness is the overriding impression from the driver's seat of the Pathfinder: numb steering, numb brakes, and a gas pedal that feels like stepping into lake-bottom muck. Things happen in reaction to these inputs, but to what degree, how rapidly, or how much resistance there is to them is anyone's guess.
And actually, maybe Pathfinder is still an apt descriptor. The Nissan meanders so much on the freeway that we first assumed we were battling extreme crosswinds. But the grass and trees alongside the highway were dead still, and nobody in the other vehicles noticed any meaningful wandering. Every subsequent driver climbed out of the Pathfinder equally stunned to see no livestock soaring by on the wings of a spring tornado. A comfort-oriented, family-friendly three-row SUV is a weird place to encounter tramlining this bad. "Head toss" is another recurring phrase in the Pathfinder's logbook, scribbled by three of our eight drivers. One mentioned a "little bit of whiplash," and another likened driving the Nissan on winding roads to being in a mosh pit.
The Pathfinder's cabin—a mix of chestnut leather, black plastic, and unconvincing fake wood—does boast the airiest front seat, and the consensus was that it had one of the most comfortable third rows with adults packed three across. But no seats were actually comfortable, and in their likelier second-row habitat, grown-ups will find headroom rather limited.
HIGHS: Space and comfort from first to third rows, highest towing capacity by half a ton. LOWS: Oh, boy. Where to begin?
VERDICT: If you absolutely need to tow 6000 pounds, used Chevy Tahoes are readily available.
Director of vehicle testing Dave VanderWerp summed up the Nissan, writing that it "is missing the last 5 percent of polishing that the best vehicles have." Many of the right pieces are here, but few are fully integrated or polished, leaving the Pathfinder feeling like a collection of parts rather than a cohesive whole.
7th Place: Mazda CX-90
Mazda debuted the CX-90 for 2024 to replace a perennial Car and Driver favorite, the CX-9, and did a lot more than just multiply the name by 10. A longitudinally mounted turbocharged inline-six sends torque through an eight-speed automatic to all four wheels. In Turbo S tune and burning premium fuel, the 3.3-liter puts out 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet, making it an early favorite based on specs alone, and the Mazda's sultry shape is heavily preferred by the eyes. There's even real wood trim inside. The low driving position also engenders ready affection, with an intimate relationship between driver and controls. The steering follows directions but is a bit slow. The C/D reader should know that the CX-90 will rotate under trail braking—but what the hell are you doing thinking about that with kids aboard?
Get your priorities straight. Ride quality is what matters here, and the Mazda's is the worst in this group. On bumpy roads, the wheels chop like Gordon Ramsay's knife slicing carrots. Even on smooth pavement, the second-row headrests shake so violently that we aimed the rearview mirror at the seatback to minimize the distraction.
The upside to this stiffness is nonexistent: Compared with the Hyundai Palisade, which we judged to have the smoothest ride here, the Mazda stops from 70 mph a single foot farther and hangs on for 0.01 g less on the skidpad. That's not what we'd call a good ride and handling compromise.
While Porsche has conditioned us over the last 34 years to expect seemingly impossible performance from anything with a Turbo S badge, this is not that. The CX-90 is quicker than most of the competitors here but loses the drag race to a freakin' hybrid Toyota—not to mention the hot-rod Ford. Nor does the CX-90 deliver on the auditory promise of its engine layout. It is the noisiest powerplant here under wide-open throttle, but it warbles unsexily, it shifts well before its 6500-rpm redline, and a whine had one editor clarifying with his colleagues that it is not, in fact, supercharged. The inline-six and eight-speed automatic did deliver the best fuel economy in our 75-mph test, 29 mpg.
HIGHS: Risky but attractive interior design, simple and straightforward instrumentation and controls.
LOWS: Too much focus on the driver for a family hauler, skimps on features.
VERDICT: We love the idea of the CX-90 so much more than we love the CX-90 itself.
On the right roads, the CX-90 is fun to drive. But with the smallest third-row seat and a second row that ties for least comfortable in the test, it's not fun for anyone else. Parenting means sacrificing for your kids. Or maybe spending less on the SUV and finding somewhere to park a beater Miata. You can do that for them too. They'll need to learn to drive a manual someday.
6th Place: Volkswagen Atlas
The Volkswagen Atlas is all-new for 2027: longer, fancier, more powerful, and not available until later this year. This is the old one, a 2026 model. Volkswagen did treat the Atlas to an exterior and interior refresh and a revised standard turbocharged inline-four for 2024, but the basic structure is unchanged since VW's three-row arrived for 2018. It's here because our policy forbids age discrimination. Voter ballots judge, but they do not discriminate.
The Atlas's broad-shouldered styling gives it a big presence that is borne out inside the cabin. A simple one-touch mechanical release scoots the middle seats forward for the easiest access to the third row, where the back-seat jury raved. They reported way more room for heads, legs, and toes than in the other vehicles here, the bountiful headroom made more impressive by the natural chair height of the seat bottoms. Less padding in the third row was all that kept the Atlas from tying the Hyundai in wayback-seat comfort.
From the driver's seat, however, the Atlas also feels huge. A relatively high cowl amplifies the impression that the wide, flat hood reaches to the horizon. And the wheels feel large. Our subjects here are split evenly between 20- and 21- inchers. The VW falls into the latter camp and does not manage them well, with more impact harshness than its confederates. Buyer's Guide managing editor Drew Dorian noted that the Atlas "handles like a boat but rides like a covered wagon."
The Atlas's augmented engine noise channels an entirely different kind of vehicle. It takes on a novel upper-register howl under full throttle and in Sport mode, making the turbo four sound at 4000 rpm like a V-12 at 8000. We're eager to find out what the engine will mimic in the '27 Atlas—Audi Sport Quattro S1, perhaps?
The new model will have an easy time besting this infotainment system. Its touchscreen manages to both look dated and suffer from that most modern of annoyances: distracting capacitive-touch HVAC and audio controls. Well, we say it will have an easy time, but a change seems unlikely to solve the problem altogether. We've seen the new Atlas's interior and know it gets updated graphics, but the touchscreen sliders for climate control remain.
The '27 model's cabin will also be an upgrade, as the interior of this SUV illustrates the difference between design and decision making. Someone decided where to put broad planks of simulated wood in the 2026 Atlas and determined where to put necessary features such as door handles and armrests, but very little effort appears to have gone toward integrating any interior elements with the others. Things are in places, and that's that.
HIGHS: Cavernous interior, comfy seats, enthusiasm for make-believe.
LOWS: Rough ride, bland interior, the next generation is imminent so this doesn't really matter.
VERDICT: Is it too late to make suggestions for the all-new Atlas?
An all-new Atlas is nearer than the leading edge of this one's hood seems to be from the driver's seat, so all of this matters very little. It's not the usual application of the phrase, but the higher-placing finishers in this comparison are beating a dead horse.
4th Place (tie): Toyota Grand Highlander
The Toyota Highlander has flirted with a third row throughout most of its quarter-century history, but it wasn't until the Grand Highlander arrived for 2024 that any Highlander could comfortably seat older kids in the wayback.
Unlike the Camry and the RAV4, the Grand Highlander isn't exclusively hybrid. Our Platinum-trim tester, though, had the turbocharged Hybrid Max powertrain, with 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet—the second-most powerful vehicle here and the second quickest. (In terms of performance, the Explorer ST is kind of participating in its own separate test.) Potent electrified powertrains are no longer surprising, but how engaging the Grand Highlander's is delighted us. Its gruff soundtrack and slick-shifting six-speed automatic suggest the GR team, or at least a rogue engineer conducting an unauthorized audition for the GR team, might have been involved.
The Grand Highlander is unexpectedly satisfying in other dynamic arenas as well. Its body control toes a nice balance between the top-heaviness of the Korean entries and the staunch flatness of the Mazda. And even blending regenerative and mechanical deceleration, the brake pedal is firm and easy to modulate. The Toyota was the backmarker in the skidpad and braking tests, but its stability and predictability during emergency maneuvers mean it is easy to make the most of its available grip. Our major complaint about the Toyota is tire and wind noise. As a hybrid, it's already at a weight disadvantage to its purely gas-fired competition, but it could use a few more pounds of sound insulation.
More important, the Toyota enjoys an easy, natural seating position. Set the seat for ideal sightlines, and the controls are well placed. On paper, the second-row seat is midpack, but the third tied for the second roomiest. In reality, snug headroom exacerbated by the raised, theater-style seating in the back lands the Toyota in the bottom half of the comfort rankings. Along with the Atlas, however, the Grand Highlander boasts a meaningfully larger cargo hold than the other vehicles gathered here. Kids tend to come with baggage—the literal kind. How much of the figurative they're burdened with is largely on you.
HIGHS: Powerful and efficient hybrid powertrain, comfortable natural driving position. LOWS: Big second- and third-row space isn't quite enough, tire and wind noise.
VERDICT: Does the typical Toyota stuff well, including blending in.
Final words on the Grand Highlander come from two of the dads on staff. VanderWerp wrote that it offers "not a lot of fun but a lot of competence," while executive editor K.C. Colwell noted that the Toyota is "no frills, just good reliable transportation for seven."
4th Place (tie): Honda Pilot
The Pilot may have inspired this whole class—it has six C/D 5Best Trucks awards from its early years—but the current iteration is as inspiring as the third consecutive rainy day in a weeklong drizzle. Also, it could trigger a major depressive episode. One logbook entry calls the Pilot "forgettable." Another juror wrote, "It's not too or very anything." A third noted, "Blah to drive, blah to look at," and a fourth singled out the engine as "meh."
But indifference is not enmity, and nobody had anything meaningfully negative to say about the Pilot. As with the Toyota, there's a comfortable familiarity to the Honda from the moment you open the door. Between the upright Korean SUVs with their high seating position and the low-slung Mazda's sporty cockpit, the Pilot's straight-forward, natural driving position is refreshingly honest. It's not trying to be anything it isn't; it's simply a comfortable place to sit while you steer and the children assiduously dull cognitive function with their phones or tablets.
Despite the Honda having the most spacious third-row seat in the test and a middle row that is just one cubic foot smaller than the voluminous Hyundai's, the Pilot landed in the middle for comfort per our test butts. Low bottom cushions force adult knees up in the second and third rows. In the third, the ceiling-mounted shoulder harness for the middle seat looms just behind the right-side passenger's head, threatening a painful bonk should the driver hit a nasty pothole.
HIGHS: With proper family planning, you won't need one forever.
LOWS: Engine works very hard to deliver tepid acceleration.
VERDICT: Neutrons are essential, but beyond that, it's hard to say anything positive about them.
In the Pilot, at least, you have a decent chance of avoiding that pothole. Its controls inspire no revelry, but it is stable and confident, even as we visited our favorite local roads on what felt like that third consecutive rainy day in a week. Hey now, don't go jumping to conclusions—we drove all of these vehicles during that depressive episode. The Pilot won't pull you out of a funk, but neither will it drive you deeper into it. However dull, there is a flicker of enthusiasm in the Honda Pilot.
3rd Place: Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is not new since finishing one spot out of last place in a five-SUV comparison test in 2019. But it did get an overhauled exterior and interior for 2025. And this Explorer is the ST, which features a 400-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and offers Ford's hands-free BlueCruise driving technology. So, if you can't outrun the regret over your numerous progeny, at least you can use both palms to massage it from your temples while driving on the highway.
Speaking of massaging, the only luxuries the ST gives up to the posh Explorer Platinum are massaging front seats and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, both of which were added to the example tested here as part of the $3340 Sun and Sound package. If you wanted the poshest possible Explorer but didn't want to spring for the ST's performance, you could re-create our tester as a Platinum for $6K less. Or you could save a bunch of cash by avoiding the ridiculously priced $4895 black roof our ST wore.
But in doing so, you'd be giving up the best thing about the Explorer. The ST owes its finishing position to its dual nature as a genuinely engaging derivative of an otherwise lackluster family SUV. The CX-90 and the ST were the only entrants that made the less-boring part of our drive actually fun. It's little surprise that, with 38 more horsepower and 15 pound-feet more torque than the closest competitor, the ST was the quickest SUV in the test—the only one to sprint to 60 mph in less than five seconds and a full second ahead of the best of the rest in the quarter-mile—but the Explorer surprised us in other ways. Despite its cylinders being splayed across two planes versus the Mazda's more balanced inline arrangement, the Ford's EcoBoost six is far smoother under load and trumpets a more engaging soundtrack.
Satisfyingly weighty steering pulls you deeper into the experience, as does the road feel broadcast from the front tires to the thick-rimmed steering wheel. The ride is firm but not harsh. Associate news editor Jack Fitzgerald fast-tracked himself for promotion when he wrote in the Explorer's logbook, "Drive it like a C/D employee, and it's loud and brash and aggressive. Putz around like a normal, housebroken person, and it settles down."
HIGHS: Powerful and silly.
LOWS: The most expensive vehicle here and one of the least comfortable no matter where you sit.
VERDICT: A 400-hp breath of fresh air that is exactly as impractical as you think it is.
But housebroken folks are less likely to overlook the ST's shortcomings just because it can outrun the neighbor's old Taurus SHO. Various reviewers judged the driver's seat too hard, too narrow, and too flat. Its utter lack of lateral support is particularly shameful when the Hyundai and Kia—with perhaps 13 percent of the Ford's sporting intent between them—have bolsters that cinch in Sport mode. The Ford also tied for last in second-row comfort and disappeared into the morass of mediocrity in the third row. It's an exciting option for speed-freak parents. But those who would spend less can coddle their offspring and themselves much more.
2nd Place: Hyundai Palisade
After changing from a daring art deco blob in its first generation to its more refined art deco current form, the redesigned Palisade collected its first 10Best trophy this year. But only the hybrid powertrain won our award. The updated naturally aspirated V-6 just isn't the Palisade's best foot forward. Hyundai didn't supply the hybrid for this comparison, so we conscripted our long-term Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy.
Hyundai asks more for the Calligraphy than any other vehicle here except the Toyota and the Ford but also delivers more, including nappa leather, heated and ventilated seats in the first and second rows, a heated third row, a driver's seat with a rudimentary massage function, Hyundai's hands-on Highway Driving Assist 2 tech, and automated parking. Hyundai and its sibling brand Kia pack so much into their entries for this test that there is a three-point gap (out of a possible 10) between them and the next-highest scorer, the Honda, in our features and amenities category.
The duo also walked away with the win in interior styling. Upon opening the Palisade's door, Dorian remarked, "Hyundai and Kia have mastered the art of the first impression." The Hyundai's navy blue and gray leather interior looks easily a class above that of any other SUV here, with the sole exception of the Kia. We appreciated the power controls for the second-row seats, as well as the first, and awarded the Palisade the test's only perfect score for second- and third-row comfort, dinging the similar Kia for its slightly less plush cushions.
That second-row seat powers forward for access to the wayback, an agonizingly slow process that would only be more painful with impatient children awaiting ingress or egress. Be sure you have an umbrella at the ready. What's worse, the seat returns to its rearward position when the Palisade is locked, meaning you'll be waiting for the seat to motor forward and back at the start and finish of every trip. Little ones will likely scoot up the aisle and avoid the wait. We're not so little.
HIGHS: Comfort, luxury, tech; the powertrain, the ride and handling; pretty much everything.
LOWS: High as-tested price, the Kia Telluride does things just a little bit better.
VERDICT: A luxurious three-row that comes up two points short of a tie for first.
The Palisade's ride is so serene that it's the rare vehicle to make us appreciate a rear-seat reminder—few family trucksters have the capability to lull the driver into such a meditative state. You might hear a big pothole pass beneath your tires, but the wheel and body motions are so well isolated that a slight shudder works its way into the structure only over the most hellacious impacts. The Hyundai's silky comportment is even more remarkable when you look at the test data. Its ride is vastly superior to that of the Explorer ST, but the Palisade barely trails the Ford's skidpad and braking performances. Hyundai is mastering arts other than the first impression. And yet, it seems the Palisade may only be borrowing its 10Best crown.
1st Place: Kia Telluride
The previous-generation Kia Telluride held a spot on our 10Best list for the entirety of its six-year run. All-new for 2027, the Kia fell off for '26 not because anything outclassed it but because Kia didn't build a 2026 Telluride. But the forecast for Kia is favorable. This author got real-world experience of Dorian's first-impression observation heading home after our drive. I saw my wife and a friend out for a walk and, being a man-child, called out to them at a red light. They turned to look, disgust gave way to recognition, and they hopped in.
Her friend swooned over the dusky-purple and beige synthetic leather. "Is this an Audi?"
I laid my hand over the Kia logo on the steering wheel. "No."
She then ran her fingers along the stitched dash. "BMW?"
"Only seven more guesses."
She switched to process of elimination. "Well, it's not a Kia."
It is a Kia, but the 2027 Telluride is also a sci-fi fantasy spaceship, untethered from expectations and convention. The Blackberry and Sand Beige interior is only slightly more daring than the Deep Navy and Tuscan Umber option. Even the window switches match the interior color, meaning there are different part numbers for the same pieces depending on your cabin specification—an investment few automakers make at any price.
If Kia can make this commitment to differentiation within a single model line, then perhaps it is less surprising how distinct the Telluride and its corporate cousin feel. The interior door handles are in different locations, suggesting unique layouts of components within the doors. The relative positions of the touchscreens are roughly the same, but each brand uses its own pieces in those places. After expressing disbelief over the judges' differing scores in back-seat comfort, two senior staffers climbed into the Hyundai and the Kia back to back. "Can you imagine GM putting different seats in the Tahoe and the Yukon?" Colwell marveled. VanderWerp replied with a laugh, "Never." It is noteworthy that all the vehicles gathered here have heated and ventilated front seats and heated outboard middle chairs. But the Kia and the Hyundai, besides having a basic massage function for the driver and a heated and ventilated second row, are the only vehicles here with heated outboard third-row seats.
Primary-control feel is distinct from the rest as well. Both the Palisade and the Telluride soothe with light and relaxed helms. The Telluride's 20-inch Kumhos couldn't match the Palisade's 21-inch Pirellis in the skidpad and braking tests, but the Kia enjoys slightly more weight in the steering and feel through the wheel. Its brake pedal, too, asks an ideal mix of pressure and travel to modulate. You're unlikely to be chasing numbers in these SUVs, making more feel and feedback versus max grip a palatable trade-off.
Both the Hyundai and the Kia use the brands' hybrid turbocharged 2.5-liter four. It generates the same 329 horsepower and 339 pound-feet and bolts to the same six-speed automatic in the Palisade as in the Telluride, but the Kia leads its platform-mate by 2 mpg in both the EPA combined rating and the observed fuel economy from our 600-mile trip. The four-cylinder is silky smooth and so unobtrusive that some voters were momentarily confused when it came to score noise, vibration, and harshness on their ballots, because they wanted to put zero—which does not mean zero points.
HIGHS: Everything that is great about the Hyundai, plus more driver engagement and better fuel economy.
LOWS: Seats are slightly less plush than the Hyundai's.
VERDICT: You could pay double and still not get a better SUV.
This pair briefly had us wondering what Genesis could do with this platform. But then we realized how frivolous that would be. Both the Hyundai Palisade and the Kia Telluride are already excellent luxury SUVs.
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Specifications
Specifications
2026 Ford Explorer ST AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $58,700/$69,425
Options: black painted roof, $4895; Sun and Sound package (panoramic glass roof, remote-control front windows, active multicontour front seats, 14-speaker B&O premium audio system), $3340; 7-year Connectivity package for Ford Digital Experience, $745; BlueCruise equipment + 1 year + 90-day plan, $495; Marsh Gray paint, $495; keyless entry keypad, $455; 3-year SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, $300
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, iron-and aluminum block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 180 in3, 2956 cm3
Power: 400 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 415 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.3-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season
275/45R-21 110W M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 119.1 in
Length: 198.7 in
Width: 78.9 in
Height: 69.8 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 63/56/36 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 85/46/16 ft3
Curb Weight: 4723 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.9 sec
100 mph: 12.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.5 sec @ 102 mph
130 mph: 25.0 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.1 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.6 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 147 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 166 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 336 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 37 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 78 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 68 dBA/24 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 20 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 22 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 440 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/18/25 mpg
--
2026 Honda Pilot Elite AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 8-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $55,190/$57,889
Options: running boards, $612; Platinum White Pearl paint, $455; illuminated door sills, $434; cargo cover, $306; roof rack crossbars, $261; grille trim, $220; side mirror logo-pattern projector lamps, $204; cargo tray, $135; cargo net, $72
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 212 in3, 3471 cm3
Power: 285 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
10-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.0-in disc
Tires: Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S
255/50R-20 105H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 113.8 in
Length: 200.1 in
Width: 78.5 in
Height: 71.0 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 57/57/40 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 87/49/19 ft3
Curb Weight: 4753 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 89 mph
100 mph: 20.6 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.9 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.4 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.9 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 112 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.84 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 38 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 76 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/22 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 27 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 490 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 21/19/25 mpg
--
2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $60,380/$60,625
Options: carpeted floor mats, $245
POWERTRAIN
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter inline-4, 258 hp, 260 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 17 and 72 hp (combined output: 329 hp, 339 lb-ft; lithium-ion battery pack)
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.6-in vented disc/12.8-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion MS
265/45R-21 108V M+S PNCS
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.9 in
Length: 199.4 in
Width: 78.0 in
Height: 69.5 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 63/58/37 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 87/46/19 ft3
Curb Weight: 5029 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.0 sec @ 94 mph
100 mph: 16.8 sec
130 mph: 36.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.0 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.6 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.4 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 135 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 170 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.84 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 31 dBA/1 sone
Full Throttle: 71 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/22 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 25 mpg
Unscheduled Oil Additions: 0 qt
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 29/29/30 mpg
--
2027 Kia Telluride SX Prestige Hybrid AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $58,135/$60,210
Options: Executive package (front-seat power leg rests with Relaxation mode, second-row 6-way power captain's chairs with Relaxation mode, heated outboard third-row seats), $1200; Towing package, $625; carpeted floor mats, $250
POWERTRAIN
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.5-liter inline-4, 258 hp, 260 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 17 and 72 hp, 75 and 199 lb-ft (combined output: 329 hp, 339 lb-ft; lithium-ion battery pack)
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.6-in vented disc/12.8-in vented disc
Tires: Kumho Majesty X Solus
255/50R-20 109V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.9 in
Length: 199.2 in
Width: 78.3 in
Height: 69.9 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 59/56/36 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 88/48/21 ft3
Curb Weight: 5047 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.9 sec @ 95 mph
100 mph: 16.3 sec
130 mph: 37.5 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.5 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.3 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 135 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 28 dBA/1 sone
Full Throttle: 71 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 68 dBA/23 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 25 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 28 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 500 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 31/30/32 mpg
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2026 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $59,100/$59,100
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 200 in3, 3283 cm3
Power: 340 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 369 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.7-in vented disc/13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Toyo Open Country A50
275/45R-21 107W M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 122.8 in
Length: 200.8 in
Width: 78.5 in
Height: 68.3 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 57/51/33 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 74/40/15 ft3
Curb Weight: 4914 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.6 sec @ 99 mph
100 mph: 14.8 sec
120 mph: 22.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.6 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.6 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.2 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.83 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 43 dBA/4 sone
Full Throttle: 81 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/23 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 22 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 29 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 560 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 25/23/28 mpg
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2026 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $52,945/$56,285
Options: Lighting package (welcome lighting, illuminated kick plates), $1025; Accent package (panoramic headliner illumination, illuminated cargo area scuff plates), $910; Platinum Captain's Chairs package (heated second-row captain's chairs, removable second-row center console), $550; Baltic Teal Pearl premium paint, $450; carpeted floor mats, $405
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 213 in3, 3498 cm3
Power: 284 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 259 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.0-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S
255/50R-20 105H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.2 in
Length: 197.7 in
Width: 77.9 in
Height: 70.9 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 64/47/34 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 81/45/17 ft3
Curb Weight: 4664 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.3 sec @ 92 mph
100 mph: 18.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.2 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.7 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.0 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 119 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 167 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 36 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 75 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 66 dBA/21 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 21 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 25 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 460 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/20/25 mpg
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2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid Max
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $61,370/$64,272
Options: running boards, $799; illuminated door sills, $395; all-weather floor liners and cargo tray, $378; illuminated cargo sill, $345; cross bars, $325; connected services trial offering, $325; logo side-puddle lamps, $175; mudguards, $160
POWERTRAIN
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 265 hp, 332 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 86 and 102 hp, 215 and 124 lb-ft (combined output: 362 hp, 400 lb-ft; nickel-metal hydride battery pack)
Transmissions: 6-speed automatic/direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.4-in vented disc/13.3-in vented disc
Tires: Yokohama Geolander X-CV
255/55R-20 107V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.1 in
Length: 201.4 in
Width: 78.3 in
Height: 70.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 58/52/39 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 98/58/21 ft3
Curb Weight: 4979 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.8 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.5 sec @ 96 mph
100 mph: 15.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.4 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 118 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 187 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.78 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 26 dBA/1 sone
Full Throttle: 75 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA/21 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 23 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 27 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 460 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 27/26/27 mpg
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2026 Volkswagen Atlas SEL Premium R-Line
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $56,105/$56,800
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 121 in3, 1984 cm3
Power: 269 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 273 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.2-in vented disc/12.2-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S
265/45R-21 104T M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 117.3 in
Length: 200.7 in
Width: 78.3 in
Height: 70.4 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 60/52/39 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 97/56/21 ft3
Curb Weight: 4631 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.5 sec @ 93 mph
100 mph: 18.1 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.6 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 117 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 172 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82g
Interior Sound
Idle: 40 dBA/2 sone
Full Throttle: 73 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 69 dBA/24 sone
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 22 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 25 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 460 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 21/19/25 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Jared Gall started his career with Car and Driver as an unpaid intern, but has now worked here more than half of his life. He has held numerous positions within C/D's digital and print teams and has driven some 2500 cars. Employee records indicate that he is the only staffer ever to T-bone a school bus with another school bus.