In the 3-row midsize luxury SUV segment, seating for seven meets massaging seats for two. Flipping, folding, sliding second-row seats meet driver-assist and safety technologies so advanced that some of these cars can stop, go and turn all by themselves (in small doses). Your needs meet your wants, and they instantly hit it off.
But deciding that a 3-row midsize luxury SUV is the right choice for you and your family is a lot easier than deciding which of them is your very best choice. We've reviewed all of them for 2017, but we recently gathered five of them for a two-day, long-haul shakedown to discern the key differences that differentiate these comfortable, practical, aspirational family haulers.
As has become tradition, our first comparison test of the year took us from our home base in Southern California to the greater Phoenix area for an evening of spring training baseball. Our familiar 700-mile round trip includes plenty of arrow-straight highway, giving us ample time to evaluate long-term comfort and the wide range of technologies that continue to permeate these vehicles.
The objective of our comparison tests is not to name overall winners and losers, but to help shoppers like you determine which of these vehicles best meets your needs and wants. Most impressive infotainment system? Audi. Most accommodating third row? Infiniti. Best midsize luxury SUV for you? You’ll have to decide for yourself, but this comparison test will make it much easier.
In alphabetical order:
Shoppers flock to the MDX for its world-class reliabilty, resale strength and overall value, but new refinements for 2017 deliver a slight increase in emotional appeal. Read more
Completely redesigned for 2017, Audi's tech-savvy style maven looks and feels like the future. Read more
Thanks to meaningful enhancements in 2016 and 2017, buyers who may have passed on the QX60 last time would be wise to look again. Read more
The BMW X5 couldn't make it this time, and the new Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery aren't even on the road yet, so we brought along an $80,000 friend. Read more
Totally reinvented just last year, Volvo's 3-row SUV is about as appealing and competitive as anything the automaker has ever produced. Read more
More Midsize Luxury SUVs
Is one of these five SUVs the best choice for you? When choosing a vehicle, looking at all of your options is key. Once you've finished poring over this comparison test, head over to our Midsize Luxury SUV Buyer's Guide.
This comparison was originally published at KBB.com, a Cox Automotive company.
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