10 Best American SUVs with 3 Rows

2018 Buick Enclave interior space ・ Photo by Buick

There is a wide selection of SUVs on the market today, but only some of them offer a third row of seating. This is a must-have for those with larger families or even smaller families with pets or who often end up carpooling other kids around town. Your choices narrow even further if you want to stick with an American company, but there are still good options that fit every budget. We easily narrowed it down to this list of the 10 best American SUVs with three rows of seating.

2018 Buick Enclave

The 2018 Buick Enclave is all-new this year with a fresh look and updated features. The base model starting price is $39,995 while the new upscale Avenir trim starts at $54,495. There’s seating for up to seven passengers with ten percent more interior room and a SmartSlide second-row passenger seat to provide easy access to the third row.

When it comes time to load cargo, there’s 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 58.0 cubic feet behind the second row, and 97.6 cubic feet behind the first row making this a capable cargo hauler. There’s also an additional 3.1 cubic feet of underfloor storage and the Enclave can tow up to 5,000 pounds with the available trailer package.

Photo by Buick

2018 Chevrolet Tahoe

The 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe begins with a starting price of $48,745 and room for up to nine passengers with an available 40/20/40 split bench front seat. For those who don’t need quite so much seating, there’s the usual two front seats and available second-row captain’s chairs.

The Tahoe is a great choice for those who have cargo as a priority with a large interior that boasts 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 51.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 94.7 cubic feet behind the third row. It also has a powerful V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque that can tow up to 8,600 pounds.

Photo by General Motors

2018 Chevrolet Suburban

The 2018 Chevrolet Suburban is another one of the few choices out there for those who want three rows of seating that includes room for up to nine passengers. It comes with a starting price of $51,445 and a cavernous amount of cargo space. There’s 39.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 76.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 121.7 cubic feet behind the first row.

In addition to all that interior room, the Suburban also comes with a 5.3-liter V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque that’s perfect for towing. Its maximum tow rating is 8,000 pounds in the four-wheel drive models or up to 8,300 pounds in two-wheel drive models.

Photo by Chevrolet

2018 Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse is all-new for 2018 with updated amenities and room for eight passengers in three rows of seating. Getting to the third row is easier thanks to a Smart Slide second-row seat on the passenger side. It slides and tilts forward even with an empty child's car seat installed. Those who only need room for seven can opt for second-row captain’s chairs.

There’s ample cargo room with 23 cubic feet behind the third row, 58.1 cubic feet behind the second row, and 98.2 cubic feet behind the first row. An available hands-free liftgate opens with a wave of your foot beneath the bumper to make loading cargo easy. Starting price for the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is $30,875.

Photo by General Motors

2018 Ford Expedition

The 2018 Ford Expedition starts at $51,695 for the base XLT model and tops out at $72,710 for the luxurious Platinum. It’s all-new this year with room for up to eight passengers and a new fuel-efficient 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine that achieves an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway/20 mpg combined. The second row features tip-and-slide seating that gives easy access to the third row even with a child seat installed. Second-row captain’s chairs are also available.

There’s 20.9 cubic feet behind the third row, 63.6 cubic feet behind the second row, and 104.6 cubic feet behind the first row. The Ford Expedition can tow up to 9,300 pounds and there’s a long wheelbase Expedition Max for additional passenger and cargo capacity.

Photo by Ron Sessions

2018 Ford Explorer

The 2018 Ford Explorer offers room for seven passengers with a smaller footprint than the Expedition. It also comes in with a more affordable price tag ranging from $31,880 for the base model up to $53,940 for the Platinum.

The standard 60/40 split-fold second row is also available with captain’s chairs if you only need seating for six. There’s 21.0 cubic feet behind the third row, 43.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and 81.7 cubic feet behind the third row offering ample room. The Explorer can also tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Photo by Ford

2018 GMC Acadia

The 2018 GMC Acadia offers seating for up to seven passengers with pricing from $29,995 for the base model, and up to $46,095 for the upscale Denali trim. The second row is available as a bench seat for three or with captain’s chairs to seat two. Alternately, you can have the Acadia with the second-row bench seat and no third row at all turning it into a five-passenger vehicle.

There are 12.8 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row, 41.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 70 cubic feet behind the first row. It can also tow up to 4,000 pounds when equipped with the more powerful 3.6-liter V6 engine.

Photo by GMC

2018 GMC Yukon

The 2018 GMC Yukon is another three-row SUV that can offer seating for up to nine passengers. If you choose to stick with two passengers up front, then you also get a center console large enough to store hanging file folders or even a laptop. The second row comes standard as a bench seat for three but is available with captain’s chairs for two.

There are 15.3 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row, 51.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 94.7 cubic feet behind the third row. The GMC Yukon can also tow up to 8,500 pounds in select trims. Pricing ranges from $50,395 for the base model up to $67,495 for the Denali trim.

Photo by GMC

2018 Dodge Durango

The 2018 Dodge Durango is priced from $29,995 with seating for up to seven passengers. The second-row is available as a bench seat or with captain’s chairs and the third row can be eliminated entirely to turn your Durango into a five-passenger vehicle. What makes the Durango different from other large suvs is its focus on performance.

There’s a base 3.6-liter V6 with up to 295 horsepower, a 5.7-liter V8 with 360 horsepower, or a show-stopping 6.4-liter V8 with 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. There’s 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, 47.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 84.5 cubic feet behind the first row along with a maximum tow rating of up to 8,700 pounds.

Photo by FCA Media

2018 Cadillac Escalade

The 2018 Cadillac Escalade offers three rows of seating with room for up to seven passengers and there's a true luxury car experience waiting for you. The Escalade has a starting price of $77,695 for the base model with the luxury Platinum coming in at $96,795. In addition to a well-equipped interior with plenty of amenities and high-quality materials at every trim level, the Escalade has plenty of cargo room.

There’s 15.2 cubic feet behind the third row, 51.6 cubic feet behind the second row, and 94.2 cubic feet behind the third row. Adding to the Cadillac Escalade’s utility is its towing capacity of up to 8,300 pounds.

Photo by Cadillac