Compact, two-row SUVs may rule the non-truck sales roost here in America, but something tells me if a lot of those same buyers simply had bigger budgets, they’d be riding around in a three-row SUV instead. Aspirationally practical, the three-row (even a non-luxury one) has become somewhat of a suburban status symbol on premise alone.
It signals to the world that you’re a minivan-level adult with minivan-level needs but are very much above minivan-level dignity. Here’s the thing, though: a lot of the actual third rows in three-row SUVs are positively tiny. Between headliners that touch hair if you’re anywhere taller than five-foot-six and glorified jump seats, many of these spots are very much designed for small children and not much else.
That’s why we thought it’d be useful to run down the three-row SUVs with the biggest actual third rows. Naturally, American full-size SUVs dominate here, but there are still a couple of mid-sizers that happen to have three rows sneaking into the bottom.
Ranked by the sum of manufacturer-listed headroom and legroom figures, here are the 10 SUVs on sale today with the roomiest third row.
10. Hyundai Ioniq 9
- Third-Row Headroom: 39.7 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 32.0 Inches
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 comes in 10th on the list of three-row SUVs with the biggest third row and does so mostly on the back of its prodigious headroom. Believe it or not, the Ioniq 9’s 39.7 inches of last-row headroom is the most out of any SUV we compiled data on; the two closest runners up in this area, the Cadillac Vistiq and Kia EV9, are also EVs, so perhaps there’s a packaging reason behind the vertical real estate.
Speaking of, the electric-only Ioniq 9 is good for up to 335 miles of range with the long-range battery, 800-volt charging, and a driving experience that’s smooth, comfortable, and competent. The electric Hyundai’s slightly below average 32.0 inches of legroom, however, means there are better vehicles out there if your third-row passengers are tall below the waist rather than above it.
9. Honda Pilot
- Third-Row Headroom: 39.3 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 32.5 Inches
The Honda Pilot, which gets a mid-cycle refresh for 2026, has 39.3 inches of headroom and 32.5 inches of legroom in its third row. That gives it the ninth biggest third row of any new three-row SUV. That 2026 revision gives it a tweaked front-end design, a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, improved sound insulation and steering, and more creature comforts standard.
Power still comes from a 3.5-liter V-6 making 285 horsepower sent to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The last time I drove a Pilot, I found the handling a little flabby and the car materially anonymous, but perhaps that’s exactly what you want out of your spacious family SUV.
8. Volkswagen Atlas
- Third-Row Headroom: 38.3 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 33.7 Inches
While we’re on that genre of vehicle, the 2026 Volkswagen Atlas has the eighth-biggest third row of any SUV on the market, mostly thanks to above-average legroom. Power comes from a turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 269 horsepower, and there’s a 12.0-inch touchscreen in the middle of the cockpit. When you’re at the dealership, make sure you ask for the regular Atlas and not the Atlas Cross Sport, which is the swoopier "coupe" version with only two rows of seats.
Among mainstream midsize three-row SUVs like this, rivals like the Toyota Grand Highlander, Mazda CX-90, and Hyundai Palisade are arguably nicer to both drive and look at, but the VW Atlas and Honda Pilot are the kings when it comes to outright back-row space.
7. Land Rover Defender 130 (5+2)
- Third-Row Headroom: 38.9 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 34.0 Inches
Getting into the truly large stuff, the 2026 Land Rover Defender 130—that’s the longest one, specifically in the 5+2 seating configuration—lands in seventh. This SUV’s appearance on this list is hardly a surprise, given the way it looks. Its rear end protrudes awkwardly, almost like it’s an aftermarket-stretched Defender 110.
The spacious luxury off-roader comes with a 296-horsepower, 3.0-liter straight-six standard, but a meaty supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 is also on the table, making 493 horsepower. The LR Defender may not be the sort of SUV one buys with a tape measure, agonizing every inch of legroom, but the longboi 130 more than holds its own at holding a lot of people in the back.
6. Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Yukon / Cadillac Escalade
- Third-Row Headroom: 38.2 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 34.9 Inches
As the unofficial-official airport shuttles for VIPs in America, the General Motors full-size SUV trio comes in with the sixth biggest third row. The Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade all feature 38.2 inches of third-row headroom and 34.9 inches of legroom because they’re structurally the same vehicle.
Ubiquitous but solid, these are workhorses attached to usefully massive carriages, even for those relegated to the rearmost seats.
5. Ford Expedition / Max
- Third-Row Headroom: 37.4 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 36.5 Inches
Ford’s Tahoe-Yukon rival, however, actually edges the normal-length GMs out on third-row size. The 2026 Expedition’s 37.4 inches of headroom and 36.5 inches of legroom put it in fifth place in the third-row space race. This SUV was completely redesigned for 2025 and is exclusively powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, making 400 horsepower base but 440 in high-output guise.
There’s a longer Max model available, but the advantage is apparently all in the cargo room because, per Ford specs, passenger room is identical across all three rows. There’s a 13.2-inch touchscreen and a third row that folds in a 40/20/40 split, but maybe the most ridiculous aspect of the new Expedition is its optional 24-inch wheels that make the tires look like rubber bands. Unless your ego is tied directly to rim size, I’d opt for something smaller, cushier, and with more sidewall.
4. Cadillac Escalade IQL
- Third-Row Headroom: 38.2 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 36.7 Inches
Believe it or not, the 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQL also comes with 24s, but the vehicle is so big that they look almost dinky in comparison. Cadillac’s lengthier electric Escalade gets 38.2 inches of headroom and 36.7 inches of legroom in the third row, making it the fourth biggest in the segment.
IQL’s dominating size also makes way for a huge battery. In long-range form, the EPA rates it for 460 miles from a full charge. The screen is huge too, because of course it is: 55 inches from A-pillar to A-pillar. Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving, standard four-wheel steer, air suspension with magnetic ride control, big range, and a general bank vault-like demeanor make it one of the great road trip cars of its era. Even if you have to sit in the wayback.
3. Chevrolet Suburban / GMC Yukon XL / Cadillac Escalade ESV
- Third-Row Headroom: 38.2 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 36.8 Inches
Beating its electric Caddy stablemate by the absolute thinnest of margins are the Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL/Escalade ESV triplets. These are the longer versions of the gas-powered, full-size GM SUVs, and they get bronze when it comes to having the biggest third rows, providing 38.2 inches of headroom and 36.8 inches of legroom. For reference, that’s 1.9 inches more legroom than the regular-length Tahoe, Yukon, and gas Escalade, but headroom is identical.
Traditionally, at this point, I’d provide some sort of interesting context or live color commentary on these cars, but the only thing on my mind right now is how the big one is called Suburban and the little one is called Tahoe when it should really be the other way around.
2. Jeep Wagoneer / Grand Wagoneer / L
- Third-Row Headroom: 38.5-39 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 36.6 Inches
Jeep and indeed all Stellantis brands have been conspicuously absent up to this point, but coming in to steal second place is the 2026 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. Surprisingly, third row space does not materially change whether you go for the standard length Wagoneers or the longer L models. Legroom measures 36.6 inches throughout the lineup, while the Grand Wagoneers actually offer half an inch less headroom than the non-Grand Wagoneer.
The “Grand” there, then, refers to content, not size. The Jeep GW gets a higher-output 3.0-liter straight-six and an interior made to take on true luxury brands. Whichever Wagoneer you choose, though, expect a huge third row almost big enough to be called the industry’s biggest.
1. Lincoln Navigator / Navigator L
- Third-Row Headroom: 37.4 Inches
- Third-Row Legroom: 43.5 Inches
Taking the cake for the single new SUV with the biggest third row on the market is the 2026 Lincoln Navigator. And it does so almost entirely on account of its legroom; 37.4 inches of headroom is actually bang-on average, but 43.5 inches of legroom is the most in the industry, and it’s not close. Like pretty much every other vehicle in this arena, there’s a longer L model available, but passenger space goes unchanged.
Based on the Ford Expedition, the Navigator was also redesigned for 2025 and now offers a massive 48-inch panoramic display below the windshield in addition to a regular center touchscreen. Lincoln also makes a deal about its Purdue-co-developed “Rejuvenate” programs and cartridge-based digital scent dispensing system. It’s basically the closest thing to a rolling spa—no wonder there’s room to stretch out, even in the third row.
SUVs With Biggest Third Rows 2026
- Lincoln Navigator / L
- Jeep Wagoneer / Grand Wagoneer / L
- Chevrolet Suburban / GMC Yukon XL / Cadillac Escalade ESV
- Cadillac Escalade IQL
- Ford Expedition / Max
- Chevrolet Tahoe / GMC Yukon / Cadillac Escalade
- Land Rover Defender 130 (5+2)
- Volkswagen Atlas
- Honda Pilot
- Hyundai Ioniq 9
