Skip to main content

If you’re a car shopper with a large family, you already know you need more space than the average vehicle permits. Even if you don’t have a large family, you may like the flexibility that a three-row SUV offers. With plenty of passenger and cargo space, some of the best 7-seat 2021 SUVs have it all: safety, style, and space. Let’s take a look at some of the best options for 7+ seater SUVS out there.

A silver 2021 Kia Telluride splashing through a river with a mountain in the background.
2021 Kia Telluride | Kia

The 2021 Kia Telluride is one of the best 7-seat 2021 SUVs

The 2021 Kia Telluride is one of the best three-row SUVs on the market right now. It’s large enough to seat 7 passengers and still haul home a boatload of groceries.

The Kia Telluride is also safe. Consumer Reports recommends a slew of advanced safety features that car shoppers should consider. These include forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking at city and highway speeds, lane-keeping assistance, and lane departure warning. Consumer Reports also says that pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are important to have. Rearview cameras are standard in all new cars. You should also look for anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights.

The 2021 Kia Telluride comes standard with everything that Consumer Reports recommends – except for automatic emergency braking for the highway, which isn’t available at all. 

Both the IIHS and NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Kia Telluride. The IIHS gives it all good ratings. The NHTSA gives it five stars for everything except for the overall frontal-crash, overall frontal-crash on the driver side as well as passenger side, and the rollover rating. Each of these gets four stars. 

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is a top rival of the Telluride

Or perhaps they’re besties. Built on the same platform, if you like the Telluride, you’ll probably also like the Palisade. The Palisade offers slightly less cargo space than the Telluride, but ample front row space. 

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade comes standard with most of what Consumer Reports recommends. Automatic emergency braking for the highway isn’t available. Blindspot warning and rear cross-traffic warning are optional.  

Both the IIHS and NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The IIHS gives it all good ratings. The NHTSA gives it five stars for everything except for rollover. Both the 2WD and 4WD get four stars. 

The 2021 Toyota Highlander also comes with a hybrid option

The 2021 Toyota Highlander isn’t just a great 7-seat SUV, it’s also green. Customers can choose to purchase a hybrid version of the Highlander. The Highlander does have slightly less space than the Palisade or the Telluride, so if you’re going to regularly cart three or more kids around, you may not find this appealing. 

The 2021 Toyota Highlander comes standard with everything that Consumer Reports recommends – except for blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning, which are optional. 

Both the IIHS and NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Toyota Highlander. The IIHS gives it all good ratings. The NHTSA gives it five stars for everything except for the overall frontal-crash, overall frontal-crash on the driver side as well as passenger side, and the rollover rating for both 2WD and 4WD. Each of these gets four stars. 

The 2021 Ford Explorer is also an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award winner

The 2021 Ford Explorer has lots of space and headspace. Even the second row has plenty of room, which is great for kids who may want to stretch their legs. The third row isn’t quite as spacious, but the Explorer does come with a host of safety features. It includes everything that Consumer Reports recommends.

The IIHS also gives the 2021 Ford Explorer its highest honor: a Top Safety Pick+ award. Additionally, the NHTSA gives it five stars for everything except for rollover. Both the 2WD and 4WD rollover ratings are four stars. 

If you want one of the best 7-seat 2021 SUVs, you can’t go wrong with any of these options. Each of them are stylish and offer enough space for a larger family. They also include lots of safety features. You’ll be able to cart your kids from sports practice to sports practice, and carry all their gear, too. 

Related

Ford’s Best-Selling SUV Is Going Electric