Top 10 Fastest SUVs

When automakers first started offering sport-utility vehicles, they were mostly focused on utility. Today’s models, however, can also cover the other side of the equation. That’s especially the case with the top 10 fastest SUVs. In fact, some of the choices here not only out-muscle the typical muscle car, but they can also out-run a number of true sports cars. It’s a pretty amazing feat when you consider how big and heavy these SUVs are.

For today’s list, we’re looking mostly at models that meet the original requirements for an SUV: body-on-frame construction with a truck-style ladder frame. Yet because there are so few body-on-frame SUVs left on the market — and so many hot crossovers now available — we’ve covered two of the latter, too.

No. 1 among the top 10 fastest SUVs is the 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG G63. This is the high-performance version of the G550, which is no slouch itself. It’s quicker than your typical Volkswagen Golf GTI and can get from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

But once the AMG team does its magic, that time is shaved down by more than 20 percent. The G63 packs a turbocharged 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 that’s been handcrafted by an AMG engineer to serve up a whopping 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. When you stand on the gas with that engine sitting beneath the hood, you’ll be able to run from 0 to 60 in a mere 4.4 seconds.

The top 10 fastest SUVs actually include a variety of luxury options. That’s because luxury customers can better afford the bigger engines involved. For example, the 2019 Cadillac Escalade relies on a 6.2-liter V8 that delivers 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

Output like that can propel the Escalade from a full stop to 60 mph in under 6 seconds. And you can achieve that benchmark with either the standard rear-wheel drive or the available four-wheel drive. Cadillac also enhances the Escalade’s high-performance driving experience with a standard Magnetic Ride Control suspension. One of the industry’s quickest-reacting suspensions, this setup automatically scans the road ahead up to 1,000 times a second to ensure optimum ride and handling.

Many of the top 10 fastest SUVs don’t have manufacturer-estimated 0-60 times, and that’s the case with the full-size 2019 Lincoln Navigator. On the other hand, the Navigator has sailed from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds in real-world third-party testing. Nor is that a surprise, since the Navigator’s standard engine is a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that’s good for 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. Those are best-in-class marks according to Lincoln.

To put that output into context, it’s 50 more horsepower and 30 extra pound-feet of torque compared to the similar engine in the 2019 Ford Expedition. The Navigator’s adaptive suspension and active noise control then work together for a relaxing ride even in extreme driving conditions.

Because Chevy and Cadillac are both GM brands, the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Cadillac Escalade can have a few things in common under the skin. This includes the massive 6.2-liter V8 that’s standard on both the Escalade and available for the 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe Rally Sport Truck — also known as the Tahoe RST.

Distinguished on the outside by a monochrome paint scheme with Gloss Black accents and 22-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, the Tahoe RST gets the full 420 horsepower and 460 horsepower when ordered with Chevy’s Performance package. A 10-speed automatic transmission complements the setup and was specifically “designed to maximize engine power for responsiveness under acceleration,” the company says. It further pumps up the package with a Magnetic Ride Control suspension.

GM’s 6.2-liter V8 also shows up in the 2019 GMC Yukon, so that model also shows up in our list of the top 10 fastest SUVs. Indeed, GM’s big engine is available in two Yukon models: It’s optional in the Graphite Performance Edition and standard on the Denali trim.

All 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque are ready for action in both SUVs, and they match that motivation with an advanced Magnetic Ride Control suspension and 10-speed automatic transmission. Both boast features like 22-inch wheels, a multi-color head-up display, mobile Wi-Fi, and heated and ventilated front seats. The differences are in the details. The Graphite Performance Edition has a sporty, street-smart style while the Denali is all about sophisticated luxury.

The story with Ford and Lincoln is similar to the one for Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac. With the Blue Oval, this means the 2019 Ford Expedition can share the same tremendous twin-turbo engine you get in the Lincoln Navigator. The thing is, as we mentioned above, the Expedition can’t tap into that motor’s full potential. The 3.5-liter bi-turbo V6 for Ford’s full-size SUV “only” makes 400 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

The good news? Despite being a bit slower to 60 than the Navigator, the Expedition is still quick enough to qualify for our list of the top 10 fastest SUVs. Ford also lets you configure the Expedition with a continuously controlled damping suspension for a smooth and capable ride at almost any speed.

The top 10 fastest SUVs can race from 0 to 60 mph in fewer than 7 seconds, and that includes the 2019 Nissan Armada. Nissan’s full-size SUV is fleet enough to do the job in about 6.5 seconds.

To accomplish that, the Armada brings us back to naturally aspirated power with a standard 5.6-liter V8. Functional front-bumper intakes are standard to ensure that powerplant breathes freely, and as a result, this engine has 390 horses in the barn to go with 394 pound-feet of torque. Additionally, like all the other body-on-frame SUVs we’re discussing today, the Armada can use its high-performance engine to pull more than four tons. This is a key advantage over the faster crossover-style SUVs we’ll get to later on.

Another high-performance package helps our final body-on-frame entry — the 2019 Toyota Sequoia — score a place among our top 10 fastest SUVs. With the Sequoia, it’s a setup created by Toyota Racing Development, which is better known by its initials: TRD.

The Sequoia TRD Sport is anchored by a 5.7-liter V8 engine that can produce 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. Although that’s a bit less output than in the higher-ranked SUVs here, the Sequoia can also lumber from a standstill to a mile-a-minute pace in fewer than 7 seconds. The TRD team additionally bolsters the Sequoia’s performance by installing a performance-focused suspension with specially calibrated Bilstein shock absorbers, sway bars, and springs for what Toyota rightfully calls “our sportiest full-size SUV.”

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee is technically a crossover, but most people would expect to see it on a list of the top 10 fastest SUVs — and who are we to disappoint them? After all, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is a truly track-capable beast with a howling 6.2-liter supercharged V8.

It’s the same engine that was first introduced in the Dodge Challenger Hellcat muscle car, and it can unleash 707 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque for the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. The bottom line: Trackhawk drivers can rocket from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, blow through the quarter mile in 11.6 seconds — with a trap speed of 116 mph — and keep on running until you reach a terminal velocity of 180 mph.

True, the 2019 Tesla Model X is one of the least SUV-like SUVs on the road. But we just couldn’t ignore its amazing speed. If you opt for the Performance upgrade, the Model X can move from 0 to 60 mph in a shocking 2.7 seconds. That’s the quickest time of any of our top 10 fastest SUVs.

Of course, the real difference-maker is that the Model X runs on electricity. The Performance setup features a 100-kWh battery pack and dual electric motors for all-wheel drive. More importantly, the same powertrain can provide an all-electric driving range of 289 miles. So compared to a rival like the new Audi e-tron — a slightly smaller all-electric crossover — the Tesla has a range advantage of more than 40 percent.