So, you need a new car that seats anywhere from six to eight people and, for whatever reason, are allergic to minivans. The three-row SUV is the way to go.
Despite transaction prices being higher than they’ve ever been before, you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot of room, and the 10 vehicles on this list are proof. They all have three rows of seats, and they all still start at around $40,000 or less.
We should note that the third row in many of these vehicles isn’t physically huge, especially as the price tag shrinks. They’re ideally sized for small children and not much else. But hey, they’re there if you need ‘em.
With that in mind, here are the 10 cheapest new three-row SUVs of 2025.
10. Hyundai Palisade: $41,035
Kicking off this list with a starting price of $41,035, including destination, is the 2026 Hyundai Palisade. Entering its second generation, Hyundai’s ball-on-a-budget three-row SUV is all-new, rocking a whole new look, even more tech than before, and, finally, a hybrid variant. That 41 grand base price gets you into the V-6 gas SE model, though, as the hybrid carries an $8,085 premium. The Palisade may be the most expensive option here, but the value proposition is still strong—I happened to drive one recently, and this nameplate continues to offer a cabin, a driving experience, and a vibe that challenges those of SUVs costing tens of thousands more.
9. Volkswagen Atlas: $40,785
Just a few hundred dollars less than the Palisade, and earning a ninth-place spot on our list, is the 2026 Volkswagen Atlas. VW’s three-row SUV starts at $40,785 for the base SE, and it’s the oldest car here. It’s received two facelifts since its debut, but at its core, this car has been around since 2017. When we drove it back in 2021, the nicest thing we could say about it was that "there’s nothing glaringly wrong with it." And maybe this is my own bias showing, but buying a big family car from VW (a brand historically known for plucky, small cars like the Golf and Beetle) always felt like ordering pizza at a steakhouse. You could, and they’ll make one for you, but… why?
8. Mazda CX-90: $40,330
Splash $40,330 on a 2026 Mazda CX-90, and you’ll likely have a much better time. First introduced a couple of years ago as a CX-9 replacement, Mazda’s three-row SUV comes standard with a mild-hybrid, turbocharged 3.3-liter straight-six powertrain, and that’s what you get with the base 3.3 Turbo Select model. There’s a more expensive plug-in hybrid version that’ll save you fuel, but if you care at all about how your SUV drives, the six is the one you want anyway. The recipient of a $755 price hike for 2026, the CX-90 is proof that driver’s cars can come in any form, and it’s likely the most fun-to-drive vehicle on this list.
7. Ford Explorer: $40,160
The last car here to start in the $40,000s, the 2026 Ford Explorer is the seventh cheapest three-row SUV you can get right now. A base Active 100A model can be had for $40,160 after freight. This generation of Explorer debuted in 2019 and was refreshed for 2025 with a new front end and bigger screens inside. The standard engine is a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo-four, but a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 can still be had in the $55K ST model. Whichever engine you choose, the very police-coded Explorer remains the SUV to buy if you get your kicks from watching other motorists instinctively slow down at your presence.
6. Jeep Grand Cherokee L: $38,830
Available for under $40,000 is the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, which starts at $38,830 for a base Laredo 4x2. We should note that Jeep gave this SUV a refresh for 2026 but hasn’t announced pricing as of this writing, so this is the outgoing model. Power comes from a 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, and the engine carries over to next year’s base Laredo, but the big update is the available Hurricane turbo-four making 324 horsepower. The 2025 Grand Cherokee L may already be the sixth cheapest three-row out there, but walk into a dealership today and I bet you can convince them to sell it to you for even less, considering that shiny new one is around the corner.
5. Kia Telluride: $37,885
Coincidentally, the 2025 Kia Telluride is about to find itself in a similar position to the Jeep. Ringing in at $37,885 for a base LX, it’s the fifth-cheapest three-row SUV on the market. However, a redesigned next-gen version recently debuted. Just like its Hyundai Palisade platform twin, the 2027 Telluride is available with a new four-cylinder hybrid, while it also offers big luxury SUV energy for a decidedly normie SUV price. If you can talk yourself into a deal on the outgoing 2025 model, you could be looking at one of the best swank-per-dollar ratios on the new car market today.
4. Nissan Pathfinder: $37,790
For precisely $95 less than the Telluride, you can get a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder, which starts at $37,790 for a base front-drive S. The Pathfinder was all-new for 2021 but dates itself by continuing to be powered exclusively by a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6. This VQ engine technically shares lineage with the same motors that powered various Z cars and performance-leaning Infinitis in the past, if that helps. Speaking of the past, the current Pathfinder isn’t quite the body-on-frame, accessibly rugged hero it once was, but an available Rock Creek variant aims to turn that tide.
3. Hyundai Santa Fe: $36,400
The first SUV dipping into mid-$30Ks territory is also the third-cheapest three-row SUV on sale: the 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe. Going for $36,400 for a base SE, it’s the three-row Hyundai you get when you don’t need the luxury, size, or payments of the Palisade. That’s not to say it isn’t a nice vehicle in its own right. Radically reworked back in 2024, the current Santa Fe rocks a very boxy, very Land Rover-lite design. A 1.6-liter hybrid is available, but the standard engine is a 2.5-liter turbo-four. A solid item if a little anemic to drive, the Santa Fe’s value proposition mostly comes from its three rows of seats for a two-row price.
2. Kia Sorento: $33,635
It’s a similar story with its Kia platform mate—a 2026 Kia Sorento starts at just $33,635 for a base LX, making it the second cheapest three-row SUV you can get new. Like the Santa Fe, the Sorento is available as a hybrid or gas-only model, but unlike the Hyundai, there’s also a plug-in hybrid model here in the US that starts at $50K. This generation of Sorento has been around since 2020, but a 2024 facelift gave it a new, modernized look inside and out. It’ll be far from the most exciting thing to drive, but if all you’re looking for is lots of seats and lots of tech for not a whole lot of money, the Sorento deserves your attention.
1. Mitsubishi Outlander: $31,140
The undisputed king of three-row affordability, however, is the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander with a scarcely believable starting price of $31,140 for a base, front-drive ES including destination. Mitsu's seven-seater got a subtle update this year with more refinement and Yamaha audio. Don’t let the often-forgotten badge and bargain basement price fool you—this is a certifiably well-conceived crossover. The general user interface and driving experience both feel as though real thought has been put into them, and the available S-AWC all-wheel-drive system packs a serious rally pedigree. The cheapest three-row SUV on the market is a massively underrated car and, even rarer these days, a genuine value play.
Cheapest Three-Row SUVs 2025
- Mitsubishi Outlander: $31,140
- Kia Sorento: $33,635
- Hyundai Santa Fe: $36,400
- Nissan Pathfinder: $37,790
- Kia Telluride: $37,885
- Jeep Grand Cherokee L: $38,830
- Ford Explorer: $40,160
- Mazda CX-90: $40,330
- Volkswagen Atlas: $40,785
- Hyundai Palisade: $41,035
