SUVs With the Roomiest and Most Comfortable Interiors Per Consumer Reports Testing

For SUV Shoppers Wanting Space and Comfort

One of the great things about SUVs (aside from that they do not look like the stereotypical soccer mom vans from the 90’s) is that they come in a wide variety of sizes and styles that fit into a range of differing tastes and needs of what a car owner desires in their vehicle.

Today, the good people of Consumer Reports released their latest recommended listing of midsized SUVs that they found do not give up in fuel economy, the gains SUV shoppers want in space and comfort.

However, according to CR analysts, determining which SUVs truly differ in storage space is not something car shoppers can easily or accurately eyeball.

The good news, however, is that CR has done the work for you by personally measuring the interiors of vehicles and having test subjects enter and exit both front and rear seats to physically determine how easy or difficult the process is for a variety of body builds.

The result of the measuring and testing is their recommended list of SUVs that are roomy, comfortable and easy to go in and out of. All the selected vehicles are those without reliability issues and are noted as to whether currently popular safety features come standard or are optional.

That said, here is a summary of the list that includes price range, fuel economy, the maximum cargo space possible, and safety features.

Please note the following safety feature abbreviations used:

• FCW---forward collision warning
• BSW---blind spot warning
• AEB---automatic emergency braking
• LKA---lane Keeping Assistance
• LDW---lane departure warning

Related article: Consumer Reports Best SUVs Under $35,000 That Come Standard with Active Safety Systems

Midsized SUVs With the Roomiest and Most Comfortable Interiors

1. 2022 Toyota Highlander
Price Range: $35,405 - $50,960
CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 14 / Hwy 32 mpg
Rating: #2 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Interior: 41 cubic feet of usable cargo space
Safety Features: Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite includes standard FCW and AEB with pedestrian detection, but BSW is optional.

2. 2022 Lexus RX
Price Range: $45,570 - $57,660
CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 14 / Hwy 31 mpg
Rating: #4 of 29 Luxury midsized sport-utility vehicles
Interior: The two-row RX has 30 cubic feet of cargo room, while the RX L has 31 cubic feet.
Safety Features: A suite of active driver assistance features comes standard, including FCW, AEB with pedestrian detection, LKA, and LDW; BSW is optional.

3. 2022 Kia Telluride
Price Range: $33,090 - $44,890
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 14 / Hwy 30 mpg
Rating: #1 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Interior: More than 47 cubic feet of cargo room with the second and third rows folded
Safety Features: Standard active safety features include FCW, city-speed AEB with pedestrian detection, and BSW.

4. 2022 Hyundai Palisade
Price Range: $33,600 - $48,990
CR MPG: Overall 21 / City 15 / Hwy 29 mpg
Rating: #3 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Interior: Cargo room is 47.5 cubic feet with both rear rows folded, the same as the Telluride.
Safety Features: FCW, AEB with pedestrian detection, and BSW are all standard.

5. 2022 Subaru Outback
Price Range: $27,145 - $40,145
CR MPG: Overall 24 / City 16 / Hwy 32 mpg
Rating: #1 of 11 Midsized sport-utility vehicles
Interior: 37 cubic feet of cargo room with the second-row seat folded flat.
Safety Features: Standard active safety features include FCW and AEB, but BSW is optional.

6. 2022 Mazda CX-9
Price Range: $35,280 - $47,210
CR MPG: Overall 22 / City 15 / Hwy 32 mpg
Rating: #4 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Interior: Folding the second- and third-row seats opens 34 cubic feet of cargo room.
Safety Features: FCW, city-speed AEB, and BSW are standard.

7. 2022 Volkswagen Atlas
Price Range: $34,335 - $51,505
CR MPG: Overall 20 / City 13 / Hwy 28 mpg
Rating: #7 of 14 Midsized sport-utility vehicles 3-row
Interior: Folding both the second- and third-row seats flat opens just over 50 cubic feet of cargo room.
Safety Features: FCW, AEB, BSW, and RCTW are standard.

For a more detailed breakdown of the data, please visit the CR website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

And finally…

For additional articles about Consumer Reports recommended vehicles, here are two pieces related to midsized SUVs to consider:

• Consumer Reports Most Reliable 3-Year-Old Midsized SUVs With Modern Safety Features

• Consumer Reports Lists Their Choice of the Top 6 Most Reliable Reduced Price Used Midsized SUVs

COMING UP NEXT: Fatal Flaw of This Ford Truck Engine Rescued from a Dealership Fail

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

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