Best Family SUVs You Can Buy Anywhere in 2023

Available in almost all shapes and sizes, SUVs have various types of powertrains and driving characteristics that rival rugged off-roaders or downright sports cars. So, please, put down the torches and pitchforks - there's a place under the sun for everyone.

You might think SUVs offer similar or only marginally better interior space than equivalently sized station wagons, which is true. However, they have a commanding driving position, are relatively better on rougher roads thanks to increased ground clearance, and most (at least the better ones) come with all-wheel-drive as standard. On top of it, larger SUVs come with a third row and seven or more seats, relegating minivans to an option that seems even less compelling than before.

Just like there's no quintessential sports car or convertible, there isn't a 'best SUV' from every perspective, but I did think long and hard about the 'best family SUV' money can buy because those are the most interesting for most people.

If you expect the 'family hauler' designation to fit only a handful SUVs, know that there are in fact many potential candidates, one for every segment (and bank account size).

Therefore, I've decided to divide my list of the best family SUVs for 2023 into three pricing categories, each with two premium choices and a runner-up.

I Can Barely Afford One ($25k-$50k Starting Prices)

This category is dedicated to those who can't or don't want to spend a lot of money on a new 'do-it-all' family SUV, and it's the most contested segment.

In other words, budget-oriented SUV buyers are spoiled for choice, and the following three models could be swapped with similar offerings from other carmakers almost on a whim.

2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

With an engine lineup longer than the menu at your favorite gourmet restaurant, the Tiguan Allspace has a version for everyone.

What's an 'Allspace' you ask? That's just how the long-wheelbase Tiguan is called in countries other than the United States. In North America, the Allspace is the only body version available, so it's just called 'the Tiguan.'

Starting at well under 30k USD in the U.S. and around 40k Euros in, well, Europe, the Tiguan Allspace is probably the oldest model on this list, but that doesn't make it any less desirable for those in the market for a no-fuss family SUV that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

It received a facelift in 2021 and it's getting a little long in the tooth, but it can still keep up with newer crossovers in terms of interior space and creature comforts.

The least expensive versions only come with front-wheel-drive on some markets, and I'd probably steer away from them as AWD is a big plus for anything that sits higher. In fact, alongside the Hyundai Santa Fe, it's the only car on this list that doesn't come standard with AWD.

As its European name suggests, the Tiguan has all the space. You can have either seven people sitting somewhat comfortably inside or, with the third row folded down, no less than 700 liters (24.7 cu.-ft.) of luggage space by window level.

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

Probably the only car that got its platform changed during a facelift instead with the arrival of a new generation, the current Hyundai Santa Fe has seriously outgrown its humble beginnings.

Now looking firmly into the future, the practical South Korean SUV feels, dare I say it, even more premium than its German competitors from the VW Group, like SEAT, Skoda, or Volkswagen themselves. In its seven-seat version, its trunk offers a decent 571 liters (20.1 cu.-ft.) of space at window level if the third row is folded, so there is plenty of room for luggage or your family pet.

Depending on the market, the powertrain choices consist of everything from a diesel to a hybrid and even a plug-in hybrid, which, highly unusual nowadays, also comes with a full spare tire.

It starts at around 40,000 Euros on the Old Continent and $35,000 in the U.S. It doesn't go into the premium segment as far as pricing goes, even if you spec it up. The standard versions don't come with all-wheel-drive, so it would probably be necessary to spec it up nonetheless if you want the truest 'family SUV' versions.

Runner Up: 2024 Toyota Highlander

Our first pick, and a truer competitor for the other two models on this list, would have been the more compact RAV4. Still, the larger Highlander is arguably the better family crossover/SUV at a similar price.

Compared to the RAV4, the extra length gives it up to 7 seats with a reclinable third row and a modular luggage space arrangement. That delivers at least 332 liters (11.7 cu.-ft.) of luggage space by window level or 579 liters (20.4 cu.-ft.) if the third row is folded down.

Speaking of third rows, in the U.S., you can sit three people there instead of two in the rest of the world. They'd need to be good friends, though, because the Highlander is definitely long but not that wide inside.

Choosing an appropriate powertrain in Europe is easy because the only option available is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder hybrid. At the same time, the U.S. also gets a 2.4-liter turbo that stands as the top-of-the-range model, all of them being all-wheel-drive.

By far the biggest selling point of the model, except the ginormous interior room for up to 7 or 8 people is Toyota's Synergy Hybrid Drive system, which is still unique on the market in the way it performs.

The 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder in the standard version is not exactly a performer regarding numbers, but it can function using the much more efficient Atkinson cycle, which, in combination with the hybrid system makes it one of the most efficient cars on this list. And you don't even need to plug it in to offer a generous driving range.

I'm Willing to Pay More to get More ($50k-$100k Starting Prices)

This category includes SUVs in a higher price range but without breaking the bank. The higher starting prices usually come with more quality materials, better tech and safety, and even more interior room.

The air is slightly more rarefied in this higher pricing segment, but there are still plenty of choices to peruse before jumping on an offer.

2024 Volkswagen Touareg

Alongside the bigger, more premium and soon to be discontinued Volvo XC90, the Volkswagen Touareg has been a staple of the large family SUV market in the last 20-odd years.

Unlike the XC90 and most other SUVs in this article, it doesn't feature seven seats, but the space inside is massive for most families, their cousins, their pets, and their luggage. Remember that the average size of European households is 2.3 persons, and unimpeded by a third row, the Touareg's trunk offers a minimum of 810 liters (28.6 cu.-ft.) of luggage space by window level.

Built on the same architecture as more expensive SUVs like the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, and even the Bentley Bentayga, the third generation of the Touareg is the least costly and the second most spacious of the bunch.

It starts at just under 50,000 Euros, but you can quickly pay more than double that amount by speccing a Touareg R PHEV to the brim. Speaking of the "R' version, despite the combined 460+ HP output, you shouldn't look at it as a svelte, sporty SUV worthy of a 'racing' moniker, mainly because of the extra weight of the 14.3 kWh battery, making it the heaviest Touareg in the lineup.

There is no longer a starting USD price for the American version of the Touareg because the model has been pulled from the U.S. market since 2017, having been replaced by the Atlas, which is an even larger SUV built on the much cheaper MQB platform, shared with other compact, transverse engine, Volkswagens .

2024 Land Rover Discovery

Although not as popular as its predecessors, the fifth generation of the Discovery is probably the most family-friendly SUV in the Land Rover lineup. It offers almost all of the features and the comfort of a Range Rover and comes with much more interior space while costing about half as much.

With five or seven passenger seats, the downright cavernous interior can accommodate a minimum of 723 liters (25.5 cu.-ft.) of luggage space behind the second row and up to window level.

It does all that while also carrying a full-size spare tire sized up to 22 inches, so it's probably the most efficient car regarding interior space on this list.

Starting at just under 90,000 euros in Europe and around $71,000 in the U.S., it's not more accessible than a base VW Touareg but comes with many more standard options. On top of it, when specced to the brim, it is cheaper than the most expensive Touareg you can configure.

Speaking of pricing, for a bit more cash only if you choose the high-end 'X' trim level, the Land Rover Defender is an equally competent family SUV that adds a much needed dose of ruggedness. In fact, if you own or rent a cabin in the wilderness, the Defender might even be the better vehicle when the going gets tough regarding the surfaces it must cross to get to your destination.

I've driven both and found the Discovery a bit more spacious, with a more 'user friendly' interior. Still, despite that and the similar off-road characteristics of the two models, it's the Defender that feels like it can truly go anywhere.

Runner Up: 2024 Tesla Model X

Apart from the Model X, we steered away from talking about electric family SUVs - of which there are plenty nowadays - because they are highly dependent on the charging infrastructure in each market.

Fortunately, Tesla's great and ever-increasing Supercharger network and its ability to be charged at non-Tesla stations make the Model X a serious contender to ICE-powered SUVs. Available with 5, 6, or even seven seats, depending on options, the Tesla Model X is arguably the most family-friendly SUV on the planet.

It has all-wheel-drive thanks to an electric motor powering each axle, a pair of weird-looking but highly usable 'Falcon' rear doors that open upwards, and a cavernous interior with a trunk that offers a massive 1,273 liters (45 cu.-ft.) of space in the 5-seat version.

Unlike over 90 percent of German EVs, the Model X also features a rather spacious front trunk, where you can store smaller items that give certain smells, for example, and you wouldn't want to store them inside the main trunk.

Apart from the interior space, it's the 'Falcon' doors that provide the biggest seeling point of the Tesla SUV. Not only do they look supercar-like, but they open together with a huge part of the roof, meaning children and smaller people can enter the car standing up, almost like jumping on a bus. Being double-hinged and packed with impact sensors, you can open them in the smallest of spaces without fear of scraping anything.

A slight hiccup is that its starting price is somewhat variable, and it's usually slightly more than 100,000 EUR or USD.

Money Is no Object ($150k+ Starting Prices)

Some people appreciate the finer things in life, and if they can afford them, they don't like putting prices on items.

This category is where the sky is truly the limit when it comes to performance and luxury features, and the higher you go, the pricing becomes irrelevant.

2024 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Surprised? Probably not, but if we consider that many millionaires have families, too, you wouldn't want them to take their kids to Lacrosse practice in a lowly Toyota, right?

That is where cars like the Bentley Bentayga EWB or the Rolls-Royce Cullinan come in, but the Bentley loses the 'luxury family SUV game' on account of having the same luggage space as a VW Golf.

The Cullinan, on the other hand, offers at least 560 liters (19.8 cu.-ft.) of space for those leather Louis Vuittons in the back. On top of it, the entire luggage area can be sealed off from the interior by an extra window between the rear bench and the trunk.

All that interior space and imposing exterior design comes at the cost of a humongous size SUV, that is as long as Cadillac Escalade yet it only offers a maximum of 5 seating positions.

On that note, even though it offers rear-wheel steering as standard, it's turning circle is still similar to that of a small yacht, which is fitting since driving a Rolls-Royce usually feels like sailing on the open sea most of the time.

Starting at under 400k (EUR or USD), the Rolls-Royce Cullinan can quickly climb to double that if you go berserk with the most expensive options on a Black Badge version.

2024 Porsche Cayenne

Yes, I chose the Porsche Cayenne to the detriment of the Lamborghini Urus, despite costing less and being less potent while built on the same underpinnings. While the Urus is more powerful and shouty, literally and figuratively, which some people may prefer, it fails to live up to the perfection that the Cayenne has achieved among all sporty SUVs.

Especially in its top-of-the-range versions, like the Turbo, Turbo S E-Hybrid, or the Turbo GT, the third generation of the Cayenne has rewired my brain on what to expect from an SUV of its size.

With an enormous 5-seat interior, no less than 772 liters (27.2 cu.-ft.) of luggage space by the window height, and a spare tire on non-PHEV models, the Cayenne is actually the most family-friendly SUV built on the MLB Evo platform.

On top of it, the Turbo GT drives like nothing that weighs well over two tons has any right to. It literally feels like Porsche's GT department hasn't just created the fastest Cayenne - and SUV, in general - on the Nurburgring, but has made it feel like a supercar on stilts.

Sadly, the Cayenne Turbo GT is available only in the Coupe version, which doesn't feature creature comforts like a sunroof (because the actual roof is made of carbon fiber), or a rear windshield wiper, features that are definitely helpful when driving your family around.

Overall, the Porsche Cayenne, almost irrespective of version, is the epitome of a sporty family SUV that can pretty much do it all, everywhere, everytime. Its only downside is that if you want the best versions, you must be prepared to pay well over a quarter of a million, whether Euros or U.S. dollars.

Runner Up: 2024 Range Rover

The only full-size SUV that can almost keep up with a Rolls-Royce Cullinan regarding luxury, though at about half the price, the latest Range Rover has been pushed even more upmarket than its predecessors. While less roomy than you would expect judging by the outside and without a seven-passenger option, the model is probably the best luxurious family SUV in a busy city.

It will outhandle any other ICE-powered SUV, thanks to a rear steering option that drops its turning circle to that of a compact car, despite having a length of well over 5 meters (197 inches).

That length doesn't necessarily translate into an enormous interior, but five people can sit (extremely) comfortably, while the luggage capacity is a decent 575 liters (20.3 cu.-ft.) by the window level. If you truly want interior space that rivals that of a full-size SUV, there is also a long wheelbase version, which gets a three-row 7-seat variant on some markets.

Land Rover has also thought about people who will use it in the wilderness or, gasp, even off-road, and you can even fit the latest Range Rover with a full-size 22-inch spare tire. That said, you can forget about the spare tire, or any kind of nimbleness, for that matter, if you go for the plug-in hybrid version, which weighs over 2.8 tons and is the heaviest car on this list.

As it's based on a brand new platform that was supposed to also underpin an all-electric Jaguar XJ replacement, it's by far the techiest Land Rover ever, while the interior ambiance rivals that of a penthouse on wheels.