Overview
When you’re transporting numerous people or large quantities of cargo, a tiny five-seat SUV isn’t going to cut it. However, when investing in something as significant as an SUV, most people don’t want to pick a vehicle that meets their minimum requirements. They want something that they and their passengers will actually enjoy their time in.
If you’re looking for an SUV that’s comfortable, safe, and spacious, SUViews has collected the best 7-passenger SUVs for you to explore. Check out the five best 7-seaters on the market.
Table of Contents
1. Lincoln Navigator: Starting price: $77,635 (2023)
Those looking for a cross between large and luxurious should consider the Lincoln Navigator. This full-size SUV seats seven people and offers 103.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second-row seats folded down. In addition, the Navigator’s safety features include blind spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking, preventing crashes before they occur.
What’s Great About It?
While most SUVs offer heated front seats, the Navigator takes it a step further, offering both heated and ventilated front and second-row seats. Additionally, while it’s a larger SUV than many other options on the market, its comfortable interior and storage-friendly center console won’t make it feel like it’s wasting space.
What Could Be Better?
The luxury Navigator is unlikely to be the ideal family car: its high starting price and leather-clad interior, while reminiscent of competing Mercedes-Benz models, make it an impractical choice for parents of young children. Nor is it the optimal SUV for the cash-strapped or environmentally conscious. The all-wheel drive model offers a meager fuel economy of 18 combined MPG, and there’s no hybrid model available.
2. Toyota Highlander: Starting price: $36,420 (2023)
The Toyota Highlander is a versatile all-star of the midsize SUVs on the market. It features seven seats, a total of 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space, and 11 possible trim levels. The fine-tuned 2.4L 4-cylinder turbo engine in the standard gas-powered model produces 265 horsepower. The XSE Sport-Tuned Suspension ensures smooth handling, making the Highlander a versatile option for all terrains.
What’s Great About It?
This SUV’s high-quality driver assistance features, like blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking, make it one of the safest SUVs on the market. When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety curated its Top Safety Picks for 2022, the Highlander made the list: almost all of its safety features measured as “Good” or “Superior,” the highest safety ratings possible.
While the Highlander isn’t yet available as a plug-in hybrid or electric SUV, it is available as a gasoline-powered hybrid with a much better fuel efficiency of 35 MPG combined. The non-hybrid Highlander, by comparison, only achieves 23 combined MPG.
What Could Be Better?
While the Highlander is extremely safe, it’s not perfect. In the IIHS’s safety screenings, only the Platinum and Hybrid Platinum trims received top ratings on their headlights. All other trims were rated as “Acceptable” due to somewhat poorer illumination on curvy roads. While even the IIHS doesn’t view it as a dealbreaker, it’s something to be aware of if you frequently drive in the dark.
3. Mazda CX-9: Starting price: $38,750 (2023)
The Mazda CX-9 is another all-star SUV with seven seats (two of which are captain’s chairs), 71.2 cubic feet of cargo space, and a selection of automated safety features (like lane-keep assist and blind spot monitoring). This ensures that the occupants of the CX-9 will experience a safe, smooth, and comfortable ride.
What’s Great About It?
All five trim levels of this SUV emphasize comfort, with three-zone climate control and motorized hatchbacks allowing quick access to the cargo area. A sunroof is standard across all trims to provide extra sunshine in the vehicle and can be opened with a single touch to let in some fresh air.
The IIHS ranked the CX-9 one of its 2022 Top Safety Picks, and it’s easy to see why. The SUV achieved “Good” and “Superior” ratings across most of its safety tests, except its pedestrian detection systems. This isn’t unusual: many pedestrian detection systems are best described as works in progress.
What Could Be Better?
Though the CX-9 is a comfortable, well-rounded vehicle, it isn’t the most fuel-efficient option available. This SUV only achieves a combined 23 MPG and doesn’t feature a hybrid option like the competing Highlander.
4. Hyundai Palisade: Starting price: $34,950 (2023)
Specifically marketed as a three-row SUV, the Hyundai Palisade provides seven seats and 86.4 cubic feet of cargo space. With built-in driver assistance features like blind spot monitoring and automatic emergency braking, the Palisade offers an enjoyable ride to drivers and passengers alike. Check out our comprehensive review of the Palisade for more details.
What’s Great About It?
Except for the base model SE, all Palisades are standard-built with two captain’s chairs. Every model, including the base model, offers interior amenities like USB charging ports and an infotainment system featuring voice recognition. Some pricier Palisade models provide more comforts and luxuries, like rain-sensing windshield wipers and heated and ventilated second-row seats.
What Could Be Better?
The Palisade’s most obvious weakness is its fuel economy, only managing a combined 21 MPG. Less obviously, the SUV doesn’t provide as much protection to its occupants as some other SUVs on the road. The IIHS noted weak points in the vehicle’s crash tests: in the event of a side crash, drivers were poorly protected against pelvis injuries, while occupants in the rear seats faced a moderate risk of torso injuries.
5. Kia Sorento: Starting price: $29,590 (2022)
With 75.5 cubic feet of cargo space, a pair of captain’s seats, and eight available trims, the Kia Sorento is a midsize SUV with plenty of flexibility. Whether you want to use it as a family car or a road trip companion, chances are good that the Sorento has you covered.
What’s Great About It?
The Sorento is one of the more affordable 7-seaters on the market, making it an excellent option for anyone on a budget. However, it isn’t just for people who want to budget their money. When it comes to fuel economy, the Sorento is one of the more versatile 7-seaters available, as drivers can choose between the regular model (24 combined MPG), hybrid (35 combined MPG), or plug-in hybrid (79 MPGe and 34 MPG).
What Could Be Better?
Safety tests conducted by the IIHS found the vehicle was overall safe. However, they highlighted a glaring hazard on the LX, S, and EX trims: insufficient visibility with the headlights on. This makes driving at night riskier in the Sorento than in other vehicles.
In addition, the Sorento was affected by a safety recall affecting the front- and all-wheel drive models. While the vehicle has a two-ton towing capacity, some Sorentos are equipped with defective tow hitches that pose a fire risk when wet or smothered with debris.
Choose the Best SUV with SUViews
Whether you plan to carpool, camp, or carry cargo, SUViews is ready to help you select the right SUV. Our blog posts provide a wealth of information about the SUV market and prove how many people can benefit from driving an SUV: families with kids, pet parents, and many more people on the road.
Ditch the dinky sedan and let SUViews help you discover the best SUV for your lifestyle.
