2008 Mercedes Benz G55 Amg G Class Not 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2007, 2006, 2005 on 2040-cars

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Best 3rd Row SUVs of 2024

If you plan on using a vehicle's third row a lot, let us at least make the suggestion that a minivan would be a smarter bet than anything you're going to see on this list of best three-row SUVs. Their third rows are bigger, more comfortable and easier to get to. The kids will definitely be happier. Here are our two top choices.  OK, now that that's out of the way, we totally get why minivans are totally depressing and that if the kids want to be happier, they can buy their own darn vehicle. You're buying, you're driving, you're being seen in it and you'd rather have a three-row SUV. Fair enough. Luckily, there are more choices than ever and they're really good. The best do a particularly good job of being family friendly without looking like a drab transportation appliance, although really, you can't go wrong with any of the mainstream three-row SUVs. Now, some of the luxury choices are a bit suspect, including those that are otherwise very appealing but have cramped third-row seats (the Genesis GV80 comes to mind). We're focusing on three-row SUVs here, so having a usable third row is a must.   In this list, we have broken things down into four sub-categories: Best Three-Row Crossover |  Best Full-size Three-Row SUV Best Luxury Three-Row SUV |  Best Flagship Luxury Three-Row SUV Note that we define crossovers as SUVs since most buyers use the terms interchangeably, but acknowledge that "crossover" is literally a vehicle with a car-like unibody structure as opposed to the truck-like, body-on-frame construction that traditionally has defined "SUV." In other words, we consider all crossovers SUVs, but not all SUVs are crossovers (specifically those in the full-size segment and some in the flagship luxury segment). Best Three-Row Crossover SUVs of 2024 2024 Honda Pilot Why it stands out: Exceptional storage and cargo space; unique second-row functionality; refined ride; versatile and capable TrailSport; advanced AWDCould be better: Subpar acceleration with lackadaisical transmission and engine response; so-so driver assistance tech Read our full 2024 Honda Pilot Review The Honda Pilot was completely redesigned for 2023. It maintains its predecessor's family friendly packaging and overall focus, but it has injected a welcome sense of style (especially in the TrailSport pictured above) that makes it stand out much better from the big crossover crowd.

6 luxury car brands to watch in 2024

2023 was a healthy year for the auto industry, and even with incentives returning and dealer lots filling up, there's plenty to like about the market if you build luxury automobiles, and we expect 2024 to be more of the same, which makes luxury-segment rivalries all the more interesting. Top luxury car brand rivalries? Well, that sounds downright uncivilized. But we know better, don't we? And when every quarterly sales update is an opportunity to remind somebody else that they bought the wrong status symbol, well, who can resist? Certainly not the diehard customers who fly their favorite brands' banners high.  Read more: Auto sales: Industry records best year since 2019 Read more: 2023 auto sales and 2024 preview: Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler This is a tricky segment to define, but essentially, we're looking at luxury car brands with depth to their portfolios and dealerships that exist to attract real-world customers. The Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and McLarens of the world are luxury cars, certainly, but we're more concerned with brands that have a bit more mass appeal — manufacturers who treat supply constraints as fiascos rather than features. If you disagree with our selections, feel free to let us know in the comments.  And since we're mostly concerned with finishing order, the luxury brands and totals featured here may change as new data come in throughout 2024. Due to the wild swings of the past several years, we're treating 2023 as the baseline by which we'll measure sales performance. And rather than rank brands vs. their finishing order in 2022, when supply-chain and inflationary issues still played havoc with sales figures, we're starting 2024 off with a clean slate.  The mainstream luxury segment is always a dogfight, but with their varied approaches to electrification all of the major luxury brands are in the midst of reshaping the premium landscape. Who is doing it right? Well, according to U.S. shoppers, the usual suspects are up to their old tricks.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC live from Germany

The introduction of the Mercedes-Benz GLC at Hugo Boss headquarters outside of Stuttgart was another step in the evolution of brand cohesion at the Three-Pointed Star. The twin philosophies reshaping the company's products are "Sensual Purity," the brand's design language, and "Modern Luxury," the umbrella term for its wood-and-technology approach to interior splendor and driver assistance systems. That meant the GLK, already a contrarian in the segment thanks to its "interesting" look and cozy cabin, was an outcast in Mercedes' own SUV lineup. The GLC fixes that, for those of you who thought it needed fixing. Gone are the sharp creases and angles inspired by the G-Class, replaced by a the curves dictated by brand purity. To this writer, it looks like a smaller version of the new GLE. Which makes this corporate exercise another in a line of good-looking-yet-less-distinctive successes. Less confrontational outside, the GLC is downright inviting inside. The cabin that impressed us in the C-Class is equally impressive here, particularly when optioned with the Designo leather and open-pore wood. The rear quarters feel roomier than the additional 1.3 inches in legroom would make you think, and it's the same with the three extra feet of cargo space – there's a lot of room behind the rear seats. One thing to note: the hybrid (which we won't get initially) loses a fraction of that extra room with a slightly higher load floor over the batteries. Although it makes less visual impression outside, the G-Class hasn't been forgotten here. The godfather of the lineup is the reason for stressing the GLC's off-road capability. We don't really believe the GLC will need to pass any off-road exams – at least, not on purpose – but that's not the point. By including such capability, Mercedes establishes a concrete connection with its war-tested and thoroughly badass SUV halo, a connection that none of its competitors can make save for Land Rover. On that subject, due to different regulations, the US-market GLC will have slightly different bumpers; instead of the 31-degree approach angle and 25-degree departure angle other markets get, our model will allow a maximum of 28 degrees front and back. Those numbers put in the same off-road playground as the Range Rover Evoque.