10 Top SUVs with 300 horsepower

The Sixties were the stage for the Muscle Car Wars. We’re currently living through the Muscle SUV Wars, as manufacturers use new engine technologies to push the boundaries of power in sport utility vehicles. Twenty years ago, when SUVs began their rise in the marketplace, 150 horsepower represented the norm. Then, horsepower creeped up gradually as engines began to grow under bigger hoods.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards raised their ugly heads, and the big-engined SUV seemed to be on the way out. But advances in engine technology, including direct gasoline injection, turbocharging and supercharging, granted a reprieve, as greater power and efficiency rose together, spawning new Muscle SUV Wars.

Here are 10 top suvs with 300 horsepower.

When you see photos of the British royal family arriving at an event, chances are they’re stepping out of a 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged. When Elizabeth and Philip want to get away from it all, a stomp on the throttle unleashes 510 horsepower from the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 concealed beneath a shapely hood. Supreme comfort and luxury pamper the royal couple for the 5.1 seconds that it takes to scoot from a stately pause to 60 mph, and all the way up to a top speed of 155 mph. The royal bank account will take a hit when it’s time to buy a new Range Rover Supercharged, which carries a base price of $103,195 (royal seal not included).

We could have selected any one of four Grand Cherokee 4x4 models with 300 horsepower or more. Limited, Overland and Summit can all be fitted with an available 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine rated to produce 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. But the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT comes standard with a 6.4-liter V8 tuned to put out 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque – monster numbers for a fast, powerful 4x4 SUV that can conquer rough terrain, long stretches of highway and even a drag strip when the Muscle SUV Wars heat up to critical temperature. You could even tow your backup Grand Cherokee to the track thanks to 7,200 lbs of towing capacity.

Most manufacturers are content to concentrate on efficiency alone when they build a hybrid gasoline-electric SUV. Not Porsche. The 2017 Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid comes with a 333-horsepower V6 gasoline engine and a 95-horsepower electric motor. Working together, they produce 416 net system horsepower – an impressive figure, even before you look at the 47 MPGe rating that the Cayenne S E-Hybrid earns while running in EV mode. Rather than succumbing to the continuously variable automatic transmission like most hybrids, the Cayenne still gets an 8-speed Tiptronic S automatic, preserving the Porsche character as it goes down the road. This is one opportunity to feel like you’re doing good while still having fun behind the wheel.

Both the new Levante and Levante S qualify, but in the spirit of the Muscle SUV Wars, the 2017 Maserati Levante S makes our list with 424 horsepower (compared to 345 horsepower for the “base” model). Both models share the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo 60-degree V6 engine, each in a unique state of tune. When it comes to horsepower, more is more and more is better. Levante S can move from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds with a top speed of 164 mph, which leads Maserati to claim that Levante S is the fastest SUV in its segment. It is the only one with an engine sourced from Ferrari, and the only one with an Italian nameplate, that’s for sure.

The first-ever SUV from the British performance-oriented luxury brand, the 2017 Jaguar F-PACE can be found with a 180-horsepower 4-cylinder diesel engine, or, more to the point of this article, a 340-horsepower supercharged V6 gasoline engine. As attractive as diesel’s torque and efficiency can be, our money’s on the direct-injected gas unit which can propel the F-Pace from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds up to top speed of 155 mph. All that, seating for seven, 33.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, and a tow rating of 5,290 lbs. Utility, style and performance, all in one distinctive Jaguar package. You may dream of an F-Type, but an F-Pace will come in handy every day.

Durango often gets lost in the shadows behind its corporate cousin and platform-mate Jeep Grand Cherokee. But the Durango R/T stands out in a crowded field with its 360-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine. While a big honking V8 may be old-fashioned, the HEMI has a great sound to go along with its fury. We might be seeing the last gasp of the normally-aspirated internal combustion engine, but in the Durango, it sounds more like a roar than a strangled wail. It’s good to know Durango is also a comfortable, capable people mover with the ability to tow and haul when needed, and look very good while doing it.

Go big or go home. That could be Escalade’s mantra. The king of bling, the 2017 Cadillac Escalade comes with a 6.2-liter V8 engine that pumps out 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Escalade and long-wheelbase Escalade ESV can dominate the road with their presence, elegance and luxury. In this era of alphanumeric car names, “Escalade” is the sole Cadillac with a real name. And that’s because its reputation is well-earned. Escalade is powerful, roomy, luxurious and striking. You don’t have to be a superstar to drive an Escalade. Just mashing down on that gas pedal and feeling the thrust from that big engine will make you feel like one.

There are SUVs and there are legends; the 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser is both. Go anywhere in the world where the roads are rough and you’ll find a host of Toyota Land Cruisers of various vintages soldiering away and conquering the terrain. In the United States, we only get one version, fitted with a 381-horsepower version of Toyota’s venerable 5.7-liter V8 powerplant, hooked up to an 8-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4-wheel drive. Some complain that Land Cruiser has lost its edge, but they haven’t challenged the SUV and its indestructible engine to drive hard when the pavement ends. Today’s Land Cruiser is the most capable version ever built, carrying the lessons of decades of off-roading from around the globe.

Infiniti prides itself on its technology, and they’ve applied a healthy dose to the 2017 Infiniti QX80’s 400-horsepower engine. Displacing 5.7 liters, the V8 achieves its rating with the help of direct gasoline injection, double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder with variable valve event and lift and continuously variable valve timing control. A 7-speed automatic transmission with direct shift mode and rev-matching help get the most out of the power, and deliver exceptionally smooth performance. Add in a standard hydraulic body control system, 4-wheel independent suspension (double-wishbone type in both front and rear) and available 4-wheel drive, and you’ve got a serene entry into the Muscle SUV Wars.

Ford arguably launched the SUV craze in the 1990s with the original body-on-frame 1991 Explorer, which came with a normally-aspirated (non-turbo) 4.0-liter V6 engine rated for 150 horsepower and 220 lb-ft of torque. The latest version of Explorer Sport now rides on a unibody platform (no frame), and uses a 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 that puts out 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, besting the vaunted 100 horsepower-per-liter mark. Nearly a decade ago, when Ford announced that smaller turbocharged engines were the future, everyone took notice. The future is now, and Explorer Sport delivers spirited performance with impressive fuel economy – just as Ford predicted.