Since the 1990s, SUVs have become more and more popular in the US. Now, the SUV is decidedly the most popular vehicle segment in the United States, making up roughly 42% of all cars on the road. In addition, it’s reported that 63% of all new car sales are SUVs. This surge in popularity is largely due to the modern SUV’s practicality, and many come standard with three rows of seats, allowing some to seat up to nine passengers.
However, some of these three-row SUVs are more family-friendly than others. Models like the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, and Toyota Grand Highlander all boast usable third rows. On the other hand, the Mazda CX-90 and the Genesis GV80 take third-row motoring in a different, less familial direction. In essence, for those who legitimately need an SUV that can seat more than six passengers total, those two may not be the best choice. Here’s why…
The Three-Row SUV Boom Is About Space, But Not Every SUV Delivers
2025 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus Burgundy Front Angled ViewMazda
In this new age, the three-row, mid-size SUV is a hot-button item. Modern, family-oriented buyers are gravitating towards models that boast the smaller footprint of a mid-size SUV, but have the same sort of seating capacity as most full-size SUVs. Not to mention, midsize SUVs typically ride and behave more like a car, which makes them easier to live with. On the contrary, many full-size SUVs like the Ford Expedition are based on pickup trucks, making them large, heavy, and cumbersome.
Because of this, the mid-size three-row SUV occupies the Goldilocks zone in terms of market demand. Compact SUVs are too small for many families with more than one child, but full-size SUVs can be daunting for some to drive and park every day. For proof, all you need to do is take a look at some sales figures, such as the Hyundai Palisade seeing an uptick, rising 13% year-over-year from 2024 to 2025.
2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Dynamic Front QuarterToyota
Alongside the Palisade’s increase in sales, its sister model, the Kia Telluride, saw a 7% increase in sales, as well. The Toyota Grand Highlander boasts a 91% increase in sales YOY between 2024 and 2025, but these figures are skewed by Toyota ramping up the model to full production, as it was only introduced near the end of 2023 for the 2024 model year.
This shows us the magic of the free market. Consumers reward producers who make goods that they actually want. So, buyers want a mid-size SUV with a usable third-row of seats, and automakers that make such a model are rewarded with sales and increased production numbers. On the flip side, those who make models without a usable third row in the sub-segment can be subject to chastisement.
2027 Kia Telluride front 3/4Kia
So, with all that being said, is the mid-sized, three-row SUV basically just a kid-mobile, or is there something else behind its popularity?
The Grand Highlander, Palisade, And Telluride Actually Build Around The Third Row
2026 Toyota Grand Highlander seats cargo spaceToyota
It’s easy to see that the Grand Highlander, Palisade, and Telluride got things right. Consistently high sales that increase year-over-year mean more and more people are discovering that they’re thoughtfully built SUVs with a well-sorted, three-row interior space. In Toyota’s case specifically, the revered Japanese automaker built the Grand Highlander specifically because there was a call for an SUV that slots in between the Highlander and the full-size, Tundra-based Sequoia. The lesson here is clear: responding properly to the market’s desire typically nets you a positive outcome.
Toyota Grand Highlander
2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Nightshade Edition Toyota
In order to take the regular Highlander and make it grand, Toyota took its GA-K Platform and stretched it out. The Grand Highlander ended up being 6.5 inches longer, 2.3 inches wider, and two inches taller, which helps it gain a good amount of interior space and cargo area. This also means folks can actually use the cargo area found behind the third row of seats without either being forced to fold away the seats, or have whoever is sitting back there sit in an uncomfortable position.
Hyundai Palisade/Kia Telluride
2026 Hyundai Palisade Limited front 3/4 angle in blue while drivingHyundai
As for the sisters, the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, they’ve got quite a lot of kudos for their interior space, too. Car and Driver recently ranked them first and second respectively, due to their family-friendly interiors.
2025 Hyundai Palisade interior view of third-row seatsHyundai
The considerations for the rankings were things like interior packaging, build quality, and overall usability. Helping the Palisade finish up the list was its fuel economy and ride comfort, which was likely due to what sort of tires it comes with from the factory.
2027 Kia TellurideKia
All three of these models share many aspects in common, but one particular attribute stands out. They’re actually built for families, and take into account that sometimes, that third row will actually need to be used. Heck, Toyota built an entirely new model because of that principle, as the standard Highlander has three rows of seats already, there’s just not a lot of room for them.
That last bit sums up our central theme here: three-row SUVs can’t just offer a third row and call it a day, you actually need to be able to use them. And, sometimes, even adults need to sit back there.
The Mazda CX-90 Technically Has Three Rows, Too
2025 Mazda CX-90 front 3/4Mazda
We say “technically” because there’s a third row of seats behind the second in the CX-90, but apart from looking like a set of chairs, that’s about where their usability stops. While this doesn’t make it a bad SUV as a whole, you could call the CX-90 a “pretender” in the third-row SUV market.
Now, the Mazda CX-90 has a good amount going for it. For example, its interior is extremely upscale for its price point, employing things like traditional Japanese stitch work and real leather in loads of places. It also boasts a 340-horsepower, 3.3-liter turbocharged straight-six engine under its hood. Even with the powerful mill, it still manages to achieve a combined fuel economy rating of 25 MPG.
2026 Mazda CX-90 rear 3/4 angle in red with trunk open and a person at the driver’s doorMazda
However, nice interiors and powerful engines aren’t what make a good family SUV, as space is the ultimate deciding factor in that department. According to Car and Driver, the CX-90’s third row was ranked as the smallest they tested. A pair of full-sized adults would be extremely uncomfortable sitting back there, especially if they’re over six feet tall. These days, some 12-year-olds are that tall, so a third row with that little room does not bode well for family usability.
Not to mention, the publication went on to heavily criticize its ride quality, calling it slightly too jarring for everyday family use, but well-sorted for spirited driving. Its longitudinally mounted engine also takes up interior space, forcing Mazda to compromise. In the end, the brand seems to have invested heavily in creating an SUV that caters to the driver, but a three-row SUV’s purpose is to cater to the family as a whole, namely the little people you haul around in the back.
The Genesis GV80’s Third Row Is Even Worse
2021 Genesis GV80 Front 3/4 ViewGenesis
The GV80 isn’t exactly a family vehicle through and through. It’s more expensive than the other models we’ve discussed, and it wears a luxury marque badge on its hood. However, it is still marketed as a three-row SUV, meaning it needs to stand up to other models in the mid-size three-row segment, regardless of its financial status. In that regard, the GV80’s third-row prognosis is not good.
Getting straight to the point, the GV80’s third row is tiny. Consumer Reports states that it’s nearly unusable in any fashion, and actually recommends against buying one if you’ll ever be tasked with actually using the seats back there. Car and Driver mirrors the sentiment, stating that the third row is too tight and only leaves a measly 11.6 cubic feet of storage space in the cargo area when the seats are deployed.
2025 Genesis GV80 SUV ExteriorGenesis
The Genesis GV80 as a whole is well-liked by numerous owners and publications alike, it’s just that its third row of seats seems to be a complete joke. Although, after all, the GV80 is a luxury vehicle first and foremost, and due to its nature, places family hauling in a very distant second.
In the end, if you have a big family or need to carry actual people around in the third row, your best bet is to go with the Grand Highlander, Palisade or Telluride. If you have small children and only occasionally need to deploy the third row of seats, the Mazda CX-90 could do in a pinch. As for the Genesis, it may be best to avoid it altogether if you need to have actual people in the back.
As we’ve discovered, while all these models carry “third row” in their descriptions, they’re not created equally.
Sources: Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Consumer Reports, Car and Driver.
