Three-Row SUVs With The Best MPG Ratings

Photo Source/Copyright: Edmunds

Three rows, a genuine cargo area, and a fuel bill that doesn’t make your eye twitch used to sound like wishful thinking. It isn’t anymore.

Hybrid technology has finally worked its way up into the family-hauler class. Today, a handful of seven- and eight-seat SUVs pull down EPA efficiency numbers that used to belong to compact sedans. If you’ve been searching for the best MPG SUV with a third row, this short list is worth your time.

Three-Row Fuel Economy at a Glance

Note: Ratings reflect EPA estimates for the most efficient front-wheel-drive (FWD) versions; expect all-wheel-drive (AWD) models to run a few miles per gallon (MPG) lower.

Kia Sorento Hybrid

It’s the smallest SUV on this list, which explains how it sits at the top of the heap for efficiency. The Sorento Hybrid pairs a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor to make 227 horsepower.

On the EX trim with front-wheel drive, it delivers an EPA-estimated 37/36/37 MPG city/highway/combined. The third row is kid-sized by design, but that tighter footprint lets you slide easily into downtown parking spots while bigger rigs keep circling the block.

Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

Need adults in the way-back? This is the one. The Grand Highlander was built around a third row grown-ups can actually live with, and the standard 2.5-liter hybrid manages 37 MPG city, 34 MPG highway, and 36 MPG combined with FWD.

Output lands at 245 horsepower, which won’t pin anybody to a seatback. Instead, it feels unhurried and smooth, a far better deal when you have a full cabin on a busy Saturday morning.

Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

Boxy? Very. That squared-off roofline is also the reason the back of the cabin feels so open. The Santa Fe Hybrid runs a 1.6-liter turbo hybrid good for 231 horsepower and ties the Grand Highlander at 36 MPG combined in FWD form, posting 37 MPG city and 36 MPG highway.

A nice detail here is that the rating holds across every trim, so springing for an elegant interior costs you nothing at the pump.

Kia Telluride Hybrid

The redesigned Telluride finally got the hybrid powertrain people kept asking for. Kia’s turbocharged 2.5-liter setup makes 329 horsepower, giving plenty of shove to a roomy platform.

The EX trim with FWD gets 34/36/35 MPG city/highway/combined, while the SX trim gets 32/34/33 MPG, and AWD trims sit at 30/32/31 MPG. The AWD drop buys year-round traction, and 31 MPG combined is still a figure old V-6 engines never got near.

Hyundai Palisade Hybrid

Packing the same 329-horsepower recipe, the Palisade Hybrid pairs electrification with a noticeably plusher cabin. The SEL and SEL Premium FWD versions hit an EPA-estimated 33 MPG city, 35 MPG highway, and 34 MPG combined.

The Limited and Calligraphy variants settle at 31 MPG combined in FWD, a fair swap for bigger wheels and an upscale interior, while AWD setups drop to 29 MPG across the board.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

A different animal entirely. Plug it in overnight, and a good chunk of weekday driving happens without burning gas at all. It features an electric range of up to 45 miles, a combined 73 MPGe rating, and a total range of 420 miles. Output is 297 horsepower with Super All-Wheel Control standard. The occasional-use third row frees up a genuinely useful cargo area most days.

Dodge Durango

A completely different mission here, and no apologies for it. The Durango isn’t chasing hybrid numbers; it’s the three-row you buy when a camper or bass boat is part of the family.

Equipped with a 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI and the Tow ‘n Go Package, Dodge rates it to pull up to 8,700 pounds; best in its class. Nothing else on this list comes close. The V-8 still turns in 22 MPG on the highway, and its 360 horsepower makes a crowded highway on-ramp a non-event.

Test-Drive a Three-Row SUV

Numbers on a screen only tell you so much. Sitting in that third row, dropping the seats, and hearing a HEMI fire up is where the decision actually gets made.

Stop by to test drive a Durango back-to-back with whatever else is on your list, or browse our current inventory. Tracking down the best MPG SUV with 3rd-row room for your crew shouldn’t eat up your whole weekend.