5 Best Full-Size SUVs For All-Round Use (With Pictures)

Full-size SUVs are the largest kinds of SUVs, which explains why they are also called “large SUVs”.

These SUVs are larger than every other SUV in the market including mid-size SUVs and are known for their space(cabin/cargo) and off-road abilities. 

They also often have truck-like towing capacities and a massive weight which is partly responsible for the egregious gas mileage.

Check out this article for our list of the best full-size SUVs for all-round use. Shall we get started?

1. Jeep Wagoneer

The Jeep Wagoneer is a line of SUVs that debuted on the auto scene back in 1963. It went on a 30+-year hiatus in 1991 and made a comeback in 2021 for the 2022 model year, marking the advent of its fourth generation. 

Within a few years of returning, the Jeep Wagoneer has quickly warmed its way into the hearts of critics who have mostly good things to say. Its most praised features include its roomy/ritzy interior, spry ride, and potent engines. 

Prices for the latest edition start at $60,995 for the base model and $73,220 for the priciest variant. 

The Jeep Wagoneer seats up to eight people if you opt for a bench on the second row instead of the captain chair. Otherwise, you have seven.

There are three rows all of which have enough head/leg room for adults. It also comes with up to four full sets of LATCH connectors for child car seats. 

As one would expect, the Jeep Wagoneer sports brawny engine options. The base trim comes with a V8 engine which churns out 392 horsepower and 404 pound-feet of torque. All the other trims are blessed with a twin-turbo inline-six engine producing 420 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque. 

These engines both combine with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission to give them much-needed promptness in shifts. Variants with the inline-six engine can go from 0 to 60 mph in just about six seconds. 

The Wagoneer also has impressive off-road capabilities as expected of a true Jeep model. There is an all-wheel/four-wheel drive system, all-terrain tires, a two-speed transfer case, and diverse drive modes. All of this means it can handle its business just fine in off-road conditions. 

It also has a massive towing capacity, towing up to 10,000 pounds at full capacity. That’s more than we can say for any other vehicle in the full-size SUV segment. 

As expected, fuel economy isn’t great on any Jeep Wagoneer variant with V8 engines getting 16 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on the highway. 

The Jeep Wagoneer comes equipped with a slew of standard safety features including blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, rear-view camera, etc. There are tons of available sophisticated safety technologies too. 

From all of these details, it’s not hard to see why the Jeep Wagoneer has earned a place on this list. How can it not? 

2. Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition debuted in 1996 as a full-size three-row SUV. Poised to succeed the Ford Bronco, the Ford Expedition has made name for itself with millions of units sold and multiple awards over the years. 

Its latest “2023” edition starts at $56,920 for the base model and $82,360 for the priciest “Platinum” trim. 

Most variants of the Ford Expedition provide comfortable seating for eight people except the base model which has two rows and seats five. The rear seats are particularly comfortable for tall occupants. 

Children are also taken into account with up to five complete LATCH connector sets in the second and third rows. The connectors are easy to use and work well with any kind of child car seat especially ones in the second row. 

Every variant comes standard with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine that generates up to 440 horsepower at the highest level. This makes for incredible speed even when there is a ton of people and cargo in the vehicle. Not to mention the standard 10-speed automatic transmission. 

With up to 10 inches of ride height, the Ford Expedition can take on dirt/gravel-ridden roads just fine. For more serious conditions, a four-wheel drive model will work fine thanks to the available hill descent control and selectable drive modes. 

The Ford Expedition also gets some of the best gas mileage in its class with about 16 to 17 MPG in the city and 19 to 23 MPG on the highway. While these are still pretty bleak numbers, they are class-leading. 

Fully equipped Ford Expedition models can tow up to 9,300 pounds of weight which is pretty excellent. As a matter of fact, the least equipped model can still tow 6,000 pounds of weight. 

It boasts a perfect five-star NHTSA rating and standard safety technologies include automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, etc. Not to mention tons of other available upscale safety features. 

The Ford Expedition is an all-round excellent car with undeniable excellence in many departments. We just don’t see how it could have escaped this list. Check out this critic review:

its revised looks, extra power, additional trim packages, and available hands-free driving tech certainly enhance its appeal, even if its trucklike driving characteristics and middling interior materials remain. In a highly competitive segment, Ford’s full-size SUV remains solidly capable and has even learned a few new tricks.” – Car and Driver 

If you’re in the market for a full-size SUV, make sure to read our article about the different types and models of full-size SUVs.

3. Chevrolet Tahoe

The Chevrolet Tahoe is one of Chevrolet’s full-size SUV offerings. It debuted in 1994 and continues to be considered one of the very best in its class even after five generations. The Tahoe has earned millions of units in sales and mostly positive reviews from critics. 

Prices for the Tahoe start at $56,095 for the base trim and $76,295 for the priciest trim. While it’s not the cheapest on the market, it certainly isn’t the costliest either.

The Chevrolet Tahoe can seat up to nine people depending on the configuration. The base LS comes with a bench seat at the front row which makes for a comfortable seating for nine. Other models either seat seven or eight people, depending on whether or not they have a second-row bench seat. 

Each second-row seat comes equipped with full sets of LATCH connectors and each third-row seat comes with a tether anchor. Attaching child car seats poses a next-to-zero challenge on the Tahoe. 

The Chevrolet Tahoe also boasts three engine options. The base engine is a V8 engine with 355 horsepower. Other available engines include a more potent V8 engine with 420 horsepower and a 277-horsepower turbo-diesel engine. 

Both V8 engines offer much-needed gusto and speed on the road and the base engine can propel the Tahoe from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The optional V8 engine does even better, going from 0-60 in 5.78 seconds. 

The Chevrolet Tahoe is not the go-to vehicle for rock–crawling adventures but it can hold its own in light off-roading conditions. Some too models come with four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case, recovery hooks, hill descent control, and a front skid plate. 

Its towing capacity maxes out at 8,400 pounds when fully equipped which slots it below some competitors in that department. 

Gas mileage is pretty average for both V8 engines with 14/15 MPG in the city and 18/20 on the highway. The turbodiesel engine does even better with 21 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway. 

It got a four out of five rating from NHTSA and there are tons of standard safety features including rain-sensing wipers, automatic high-beam headlights, etc. 

The Chevy Tahoe demonstrates excellence in different categories and its place on this list is solid and fair. Here’s what a renowned publication, CNET, had to say about the Tahoe:

There’s not much the 2022 Chevy Tahoe can’t do. This galoot of an SUV will comfortably haul an entire family, tow a garage full of outdoor toys, and it even looks good valet parked in front of your favorite fancy restaurant. If you don’t mind footing the fuel bill or piloting something that feels larger than a dump truck, you could do far worse than this Chevy.”

Please also read our article about the cheapest full-size SUVs in the U.S.

4. Chevrolet Suburban

The Chevrolet Suburban is one of the oldest vehicles ever. It has been around since 1935 and is now in its twelfth generation. It has sold millions of units and is still considered one of the best full-size SUVs on the market. 

Pricing for the Chevy Suburban starts at $58,795 for the base trim and $78,995 for the highest trim. 

It is known for its massive seating space featuring three rows and eight seats. A nine-seat layout can be worked out as well. There are three full sets of LATCH connectors in the second row for child car seats. Then, you have tether anchors for all third-row seats. 

The Chevy Suburban sports three engine options namely a 355 horsepower- V8, 420 horsepower- V8, and 277 HP turbo-diesel inline-six. The vehicle can go from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds for the 420 hp V8 while it takes 7.2 seconds for the base 355 hp V8 engine. 

Not to mention, there is a standard ten-speed automatic transmission to go along with it. These features make it one of the very best in its class in terms of pure excellence in the engine department. 

As expected, gas mileage is pretty lackluster on the Chevrolet Suburban with 15 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway for the base engine. The 420 horsepower V8 sinks to 14 MPG in the city and 20 MPG on the highway. The turbodiesel engine however gets the numbers up to 21/27 MPG. 

The Chevrolet Suburban offers pretty decent off-roading performance, especially with the Z71 trim. The Z71 has a front skid plate, a two-speed transfer case, all-terrain tires, low-range gearing, and a limited-slip differential. 

With 8 inches of ground clearance and a 4WD system to go along with that, you can expect good performance on rocky terrains. It can also tow between 7,800 to 8,300 pounds of weight depending on the trim level. 

The Chevrolet Suburban notched a 4-star rating from NHTSA. It boasts a slew of standard safety technologies including automatic high beam headlights, rear seat alerts, and lane departure warning amongst others. Plenty more safety tech features are also available. 

It doesn’t take much to see that the Chevrolet Suburban remains one of the very best full-size SUVs for all-round use. While it doesn’t measure up to its competitors in some departments, it is a pretty excellent vehicle overall.

You may also be interested in the cheapest full-size SUVs with the best gas mileage.

5. GMC Yukon

The GMC Yukon is a full-size SUV introduced in 1991 after which its Chevrolet twin, Tahoe, was introduced in 1994. It has gotten a fair share of its own success with millions of units sold in the United States since it debuted. 

Its latest edition is currently priced at $59,925 for the base trim and $96,450 for the highest trim. 

The GMC Yukon can seat up to nine people depending on the configuration. The base LS comes with a bench seat at the front row which makes for comfortable seating for nine. Other models either seat seven or eight people depending on whether or not they have a second-row bench seat. 

Each second-row seat comes equipped with full sets of LATCH connectors and each third-row seat comes with a tether anchor. Attaching child car seats poses no challenge on the Tahoe. 

The GMC Yukon also boasts three engine options. The base engine is a V8 engine with 355 horsepower. Other available engines include a more potent V8 engine with 420 horsepower and a 277-horsepower turbo-diesel engine. 

Both V8 engines offer much-needed gusto and speed on the road and the base engine can propel the Yukon from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The optional V8 engine does even better, going from 0-60 in 5.78 seconds. 

The GMC Yukon is not the go-to vehicle for rock–crawling adventures but it can hold its own in light off-roading conditions. Some models come with four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case, recovery hooks, hill descent control, and a front skid plate. 

Its towing capacity maxes out at 8,400 pounds when fully equipped which also slots it below some competitors in that department. 

Overall, the GMC Yukon is certainly one of the best full-size SUVs around in terms of all-round excellence which is why it closes out our list.

For more on this topic, we have a comprehensive article that discusses the complete list of full-size SUV brands.

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