Find Your Ride: Three Family Haulers That Satisfy Any Budget

Carting around a family is a chore – and never mind getting everyone out the door on time. These three vehicles offer plenty of room for people, pets and cargo, but also afford flexibility should your family size increase a bit. When shopping this category, we suggest focusing on safety and comfort. The three picks here all offer active and passive driver-assistance technologies, like radar cruise control, lane keep assist and automotive braking, that help keep you planted on the road and aid in the event of an emergency. All three picks are available with three rows of seating and enough general room for a medium-sized family to spread out without feeling cramped.

Budget Buy: Kia Telluride (MSRP $33,000)

Kia

The Telluride has been around for a few years now and has been a massive hit. It’s technically a crossover, and there aren’t many other non-SUVs found at its intersection of price and size (Hyundai’s Palisade, the Telluride’s sister vehicle, is another). It should be at the top of your list if you’re in need of a big vehicle that handles well and returns relatively good fuel economy–the Telluride achieves up to 26 mpg on the highway.

The base model is equipped with standard front-wheel-drive (all-wheel-drive is available), an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 3.8-liter V6 that makes 391 horsepower. It features a nearly full suite of driver assistance as standard and can tow up to 5,000 pounds with proper equipment. In Gear Patrol’s review of the Kia Telluride, we stated that “the Telluride is sophisticated enough to transition from school bus to office-ready commuter or date night ride.” It affords up to 87 feet of cargo room and two USB ports… in each row… plus many more family-pleasing features.

Also consider: Honda Odyssey, Volkswagen Atlas

Further Reading: 2020 Kia Telluride Review: A 3-Row Family SUV to Pamper You

Sweet Spot: Chevrolet Tahoe (MSRP $52,000)

Chevrolet

Chevrolet’s full-size Tahoe SUV likely needs no introduction, as its many iterations have been a mainstay in the U.S. for decades. The Tahoe is a full-size SUV, not a crossover, and is equipped as such. Unless you explore higher trim levels, base engine choices are a 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V8 and a 277-horse 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. The latter has impressed reviewers, thanks to its considerable 460 lb-ft of torque and combined EPA mileage rating of 23 MPG (the V8 averages only 18 MPG in combined driving).

Higher trim levels also unlock the availability of driver-assist features (Premier trims, starting at $69,000 offer adaptive cruise control, for example). There’s a reason the Tahoe and its ilk – Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition – have been around for so long. It’s hard to beat the presence and capability of a huge SUV when you have to get a group from points A to B.

Also consider: Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon

Further reading: Review: The New 2021 Chevy Tahoe Is a Little Bigger, and Certainly Better

Upgrade Option: Volvo XC90 Recharge (MSRP $65,000)

Volvo

For those who can manage a higher price point, family-hauling options become very refined and pretty cool. Case in point: the Volvo XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid. Volvo’s safety, technology, and high-end styling prowess are well-documented, and the brand’s big XC90 SUV, which can be configured with a third row of seating, is full to the gills with family-friendly features. The XC90 Recharge’s gas and electric motors produce a total of 400 horsepower and work together to power the SUV’s all-wheel-drive system. Building on Volvo’s storied safety record is its full suite of driver assistance features, called Pilot Assist, which combines a range of disparate technologies into one cohesive system that works incredibly well.

While the XC90 Recharge starts at only $65,000, buyers with a higher budget will want to add options, of which there are plenty. It’s very easy to configure a version of this vehicle with an $80,000+ sticker. Folks who don’t want the added benefit of electric motors should still consider the standard XC90 – an equivalent non-hybrid will run about $10,000 or so cheaper.

Also consider: BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Further reading: Volvo Just Made Its Best Sedans, Wagons and SUVs a Whole Lot Better

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