Skip to main content

There are a lot of SUVs to choose from these days and good reliability is extremely desirable for an SUV, or any car for that matter. U.S. News recently rated and ranked all the SUVs from 2019 with third-row seating by their reliability. Here are the 5 most reliable SUVs with third-row seats according to that list.

Volkswagen Tiguan

With a great reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5, the Tiguan is a good all-around SUV for drivers to buy. The Tiguan is roomy, handles well, and it’s also a very affordable SUV, as it starts at less than $25,000. Indeed, the Tiguan is proving to be a popular car for Americans to drive, as it’s good or decent at almost anything.

That said, the Tiguan does have some flaws. VW only offers one engine option for the Tiguan, and it’s a lackluster 2.0-liter that gets only 184-hp. The gas mileage of the Tiguan is also only decent, as it gets 25 combined mpg. 

Kia Sorento 

Even though the Sorento is only the 4th most reliable SUV with third-row seats according to U.S. News, the publication did declare that the Sorento was the best SUV with third-row seating for its price. Starting at a price point of $26,000 and with a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5, it’s hard to argue with that.

U.S. News was especially impressed by how spacious the first two rows of seats are, however, it said that the third row was comparatively cramped for adult passengers. Furthermore, its large array of safety features allows it to get a very high safety rating. However, like the Tiguan, the Sorento’s fuel efficiency is just alright, as the starting engine gets about 25 combined mpg.

Ford Expedition

This large SUV not only has some of the best cargo capacity in its class, but it’s also considered by U.S. News to be the best large SUV for families. And with a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5, there aren’t many bad things to say about the Expedition. 

Along with its massive 104.6 cubic feet of max cargo capacity, the Expedition’s powerful V6 is great for towing as well. It can tow up to 9,300 lb, which is great for an SUV.

The only flaws of the Expedition come from its price point and its fuel mileage, which should be expected for an SUV this large. The Expedition gets a poor 20 combined mpg with its starting engine and it starts with a price tag of $52,000. 

Chevrolet Tahoe

Although the Expedition narrowly beat the Tahoe for U.S. News’s best large SUV for families award, the Tahoe is slightly more reliable than the Expedition is. U.S. News gave this Chevy a remarkable 4.5 out of 5 for reliability. Like the Expedition, the Tahoe has a lot of features that are typical for a large SUV, but it has a lot of typical flaws too. 

For example, the Tahoe has an extremely spacious and roomy interior and it also has a powerful V8 engine that allows it tow up to 8,600 lb. However, similar to the Expedition, it’s a pricey SUV and it starts at $47,500. It’s also very fuel inefficient as it only gets 18 combined mpg.

Toyota Highlander

The most reliable SUV of 2019 that has third-row seating is the Highlander. With a 4.5 out of 5 reliability rating, U.S. News raved about this SUV, as it was great in so many areas. One area that the Highlander excels at is fuel mileage, as it has a hybrid version available, and that version allows for three rows of seats too.

The hybrid version of the Highlander gets a combined mpg of 29, which is the best fuel efficiency on this list. The Highlander is also an affordable SUV, as it starts at under $32,000. That said, the most commonly cited flaw of the Highlander is that it isn’t a stylish SUV. However, your opinion may vary on that.