10 of the Best 8-Passenger Vehicles

Whether you’ve got a passel of kids, carpool assignments, or a team to shuttle, or you just prefer to be the designated driver among your friends, you sometimes need a vehicle that holds as many people as possible. Short of getting a full-size passenger van like a Chevrolet Express, Ford Transit, or Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, this means you’re shopping for a set of wheels equipped with three rows of seats, with second- and third-row benches that seat three apiece.

Aside from the big vans, there are three kinds of vehicles that serve this purpose: mid-size SUVs, full-size SUVs, and minivans. Typically, but not always, second-row bench seats are available only with lower trim levels; the apparent thinking is that people buying the best-equipped examples prefer to have second-row captain’s chairs, lowering passenger capacity to seven. For this list, we stuck with mainstream brands to keep the choices (relatively) affordable. These 10 of the best 8-passenger vehicles are listed on the pages that follow in alphabetical order.

When it comes to the biggest SUVs, it would be hard to find one more iconic than the Chevy Suburban. In fact, at 86 years and counting, it’s the oldest continuously running nameplate in the history of automobiles.

The Chevrolet Suburban (and its short-wheelbase twin, the Tahoe) is all-new for 2021, boasting even more passenger space than ever, including a more comfortable third-row seat with more legroom than the previous model. Credit Chevy’s use of a new independent rear suspension for improving comfort and cargo space. For eight-passenger seating, you’ll want the second-row bench seat that is standard with LT and Z71 trim, and optional with Premier and High Country versions. Meanwhile, the Tahoe — America’s most popular full-size SUV — has similar passenger space to the Suburban, just less cargo room. Because they are brand new, crash-test ratings are unavailable for the Suburban and Tahoe as of this writing. 

Ford’s brute of a full-size sport-ute, the Expedition, doesn’t get nearly the amount of consumer love that the Chevy SUVs do. But the twin-turbocharged Fords keep chugging away, providing spacious accommodations for even third-row passengers.

The Expedition offers a second-row bench seat on every trim level except for the flashy King Ranch. Given that the luxurious Expedition Limited sits one rung above the King Ranch, this means you can combine 8-passenger seating with all of the extras. And if you’d like a little more room for cargo with all three seats in use, Ford offers the extended-length Expedition Max, which competes head-to-head with Chevy’s Suburban. In crash testing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2020 Expedition a top five-star overall rating. The SUV is not rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

If you like everything about the new Chevrolet full-size SUVs except for the styling, you will want to check out the GMC versions.

The Yukon and Yukon XL are also redesigned for 2021 and are positioned as premium models between the Chevys and the luxurious Cadillac Escalade. Prices are a few thousand higher than the Tahoe and Suburban, and in exchange for paying extra, GMC also tacks on a surcharge for metallic paint. Ouch. Both the SLT and Denali trim levels can be equipped with a second-row bench seat. Neither of the crash test agencies had put the 2021 Yukon through the wringer as this article was published.

When it comes to offering lots of room for people and cargo at an affordable price and with a semblance of fuel efficiency, there is no better choice than a minivan. And among minivans, the 2021 Honda Odyssey is one of the top-ranked family haulers in America.

All versions of the Odyssey except for the base LX trim level come with a removable second-row center jump seat, giving them an eight-passenger seating capacity. Easy to remove and store, the jump seat allows Odyssey owners to create separate captain’s chairs with a pass-through to the third-row seat, or to slide the captain’s chairs together to create a two-person second-row bench seat. This design allows parents to place children toward the middle of the minivan, where they are safest. For 2021, the Odyssey gets a subtle update in terms of its styling and interior, as well as improved safety features. According to the NHTSA, the 2021 Odyssey earns a five-star overall crash-test rating. The IIHS has not rated the 2021 model, but the structurally identical 2020 received the highest possible marks except for headlight performance.

Do you like the idea of the Honda Odyssey but want the option of all-wheel drive? Do you love the cabin layout of the minivan but don’t need all that space? Finally, do you see yourself as an SUV person and not a minivan person? Honda has the perfect vehicle for you: the Pilot mid-size SUV.  

Based on the same platform and using the same powertrain as the Odyssey, the Pilot drives more like a car than a typical SUV, while offering modest off-roading capability thanks to its optional AWD system. Importantly, it offers seating for eight people except with the two highest trim levels. In crash-testing, the Pilot earns a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a mix of Good and Acceptable ratings from the IIHS.

For those seeking distinctive design and near-luxury accommodations, Hyundai presents the all-new Palisade. It’s an eight-passenger crossover suv, just like the Honda Pilot, but with finely-detailed styling, impressive infotainment and driving assistance technologies, unbeatable value, and rock-star crash-test ratings.

Unfortunately, the top-of-the-line Palisade Limited, which is a luxury suv in all but brand name and price tag, comes only with second-row captain’s chairs. But you can get a proper second-row bench seat in the standard SE or mid-grade SEL versions. A robust 3.8-liter V6 supplies plenty of power, and the Palisade is enjoyable to drive on pavement and in light-duty off-roading situations. As far as safety is concerned, the Palisade earned a “Top Safety Pick” designation from the IIHS in 2020 and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The Hyundai Palisade’s corporate cousin is the Kia Telluride. The two SUVs share a platform, powertrains, and underlying engineering, but differ in terms of styling and equipment. As is true with the Palisade, the Telluride’s desirable top trim level, the SX, comes only with second-row captain’s chairs. But you can get a bench seat in the LX, S, and EX trim levels.

Another common thread between the two is exceptionally good value. It is also worth noting that the 2020 Telluride has won multiple awards from automotive journalists in markets all around the world. And the Kia Telluride is another valedictorian when it comes to crash-test ratings, with the NHTSA giving it a five-star overall rating and the IIHS assigning a “Top Safety Pick” designation to the SUV.

Subaru’s biggest vehicle ever, the Ascent, is a mid-size crossover suv. It is one of the smallest vehicles on this list in terms of overall interior space, but the automaker makes the best of it while offering good variety in terms of eight-passenger seating. You can get a second-row bench seat in every single trim level.

Furthermore, the Ascent is the only vehicle on this list that comes with standard AWD. And like most other Subarus, the Ascent is capable of adventuring over some pretty rough terrain thanks to 8.7 inches of ground clearance and its X-Mode traction control technology. Subaru knows all about building vehicles that give you the best chances of surviving an accident, too. Not only does the Ascent get a “Top Safety Pick” designation from the IIHS, but the NHTSA also gives it a five-star overall crash-test rating. The standard EyeSight driving assistance and collision avoidance system is known as an industry standard.

Toyota’s Highlander is one of the best-selling vehicles in the popular mid-size crossover suv category, and there’s no mystery as to why. Redesigned for 2020, the latest Highlander offers improvements across the board, from design and driving dynamics to safety and technology.

Offered in up to five trim levels with a choice between a V6 engine and a gas-electric hybrid powertrain that returns about 35 mpg in combined driving, there is no shortage of variety when it comes to the Highlander. And they all come with standard or optional eight-passenger seating unless you want the top Platinum trim level. Better yet, the 2020 Highlander gets a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the IIHS. As this article was published, the NHTSA had yet to perform crash testing.

Completely redesigned, the 2021 Toyota Sienna marks a big change in the minivan segment. It comes standard with a hybrid powertrain that delivers an estimated 33 mpg in combined driving. The only other hybrid minivan is the Chrysler Pacifica, and while it's arguably more useful because it offers plug-in capability for more than 30 miles of all-electric driving, the gas-electric Pacifica versions come only with seven-passenger seating capacity.

Getting back to the new Sienna, only the base LE and mid-grade XLE offer eight-passenger seating thanks to a removable second-row center jump seat similar to the Honda Odyssey’s. With this new version of its minivan, Toyota is focused on touting its new long-slide second-row captain’s chairs with available ottoman-style leg rests. Toyota makes up for this limitation by offering AWD in the Sienna, a previously exclusive feature that Chrysler is now offering in the Pacifica. Because the 2021 Sienna is so new, it hasn’t been assessed by the NHTSA or the IIHS for its crashworthiness. Compared to the previous version of the minivan, it can only improve on this front.