ACCELERATION TO MPH Chevrolet Traverse Ford Explorer Honda Pilot Hyundai Palisade
0-30 2.4 sec 2.2 sec 2.1 sec 2.5 sec
0-40 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.8
0-50 4.7 5.0 4.6 5.1
0-60 6.4 6.8 6.2 7.1
0-70 8.1 9.1 8.1 9.1
0-80 10.4 11.8 10.6 11.3
0-90 13.0 15.5 13.4 14.5
0-100 16.7 — 17.3 —
PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.7
QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 94.9 mph 15.3 sec @ 89.6 mph 14.7 sec @ 93.9 mph 15.3 sec @ 89.1 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 116 ft 121 ft 116 ft 129 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.81 g (avg) 0.81 g (avg) 0.79 g (avg) 0.74 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.2 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) 27.7 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) 27.6 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) 28.3 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,750 rpm 1,600 rpm 1,500 rpm 1,700 rpmTEST DATA I The big test
manners of yesteryear’s SUVs; they now
have the same carlike driving feel of mini-
vans without losing their towing and light
off-roading capabilities.
With so many options, it’s difficult to
know which of today’s three-row SUVs is
best, especially as most of the options are
all-new or have been significantly updated
in the past couple years. We tested nine
three-row SUVs and looked at their
driving dynamics, comfort for families
and roominess for their gear, intuitiveness
of infotainment technology, and of course
value and safety, all so we could answer
one question: What’s the best three-row
SUV on the market?This contest pits the 2020 MotorTrend
SUV of the Year against several newer
entrants and some segment stalwarts. Can
it handle the burden?
If you prefer an SUV that stands out
from a crowd, the Kia Telluride, crowned
SUV of the Year for 2020, gets a lot of
attention. Kia’s new three-row SUV brings
fresh style to the SUV’s traditional boxy
design. It also delivers a ton of value—at
$47,585, our Telluride SX arrived with
heated and ventilated seats in the first andsecond rows, a panoramic sunroof, and
USB ports for all three rows.
The 2020 Toyota Highlander is both
the newest SUV of the pack and also the
segment sales leader. Entering its fourth
generation, the Highlander comes with
sleeker lines and a bolder design inside
and out. Our mid-trim XLE tester was
priced at $42,320—the least expensive
SUV in the test ( by thousands of dollars)
but, when you look around its interior,
clearly not the cheapest. With its leather
seats, 18-inch wheels, power liftgate, and
an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen
with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and30 MOTORTREND.COM MAY 2020
Amazon Alexa, the Highlander brings
tremendous value.
The Hyundai Palisade shares the same
platform, engine, and suspension as the
Telluride. But the two Korean SUVs are
different, inside and out. The Hyundai is a
bit more expensive as equipped, with our
Limited model carrying a sticker price of
$48,205. Like the Kia, the Palisade adds a
lot of features and materials that the rest of
the field can’t match.
Subaru got tired of its loyal customers
leaving for other brands when their fami-
lies got bigger, so the Ascent was conceived
with the American market in mind. The