Consumer Reports' Most Satisfying Midsize SUVs to Own

People love to ask, usually rhetorically, “If you’re going to buy a Porsche, why would you buy an SUV?” The better question is, “If you’re going to buy an SUV, why wouldn’t you buy a Porsche?” If money or off-road capability are an issue, sure, skip the Cayenne. But it’s still an awesome luxury crossover.

The Ford Bronco isn’t going to be for everybody, but if you like the boxy styling and want to get off the beaten path, the Bronco is a great way to go. Even better than the Wrangler, apparently, which didn’t make this list. That alone is a serious achievement for Ford.

Not everyone can afford an X5 M, but even if you go with a less-powerful X5, you probably won’t regret it. The X5 is comfortable, luxurious, spacious and gets BMW’s smooth 3.0-liter inline-six, which Consumer Reports also praised. It may not be a Porsche, but its base price is a good bit cheaper than the Cayenne’s.

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned recently, it’s that Consumer Reports members love them some Genesis. And we’re happy to hear the ownership experience has been enjoyable so far because, well, just look at it. The GV80 is gorgeous, and it would be a shame if its looks were writing checks that Genesis just couldn’t cash.

The Kia Telluride got another accolade. Are you surprised? Shocked? It may be getting a little old, but the Telluride still continues to be one of the best stand-ins for a minivan that you can buy. It’s a shame Kia got rid of the original Telluride’s daylight running lights, though.

With all the competition in the midsize luxury crossover segment, the Audi Q7 can be easy to forget about. But that doesn’t mean you actually should. Survey respondents who own Q7s have apparently enjoyed their ownership experiences a lot. Plus, it’s got that enviable third row.

Once again, there’s another Hyundai/Kia product getting awarded for being a great vehicle. We’re big fans of the refreshed front end and would happily take one if we were looking for three-row crossovers and couldn’t find a deal on a Telluride. Hopefully, it lives on to see another generation.

You could argue that there are plenty of better SUVs to buy, and if you’re mainly focused on using it as a daily driver, you’d be correct. But the 4Runner’s reliability and off-road capability keep people coming back to it even though it’s outdated and gets bad gas mileage. After all, not everybody cares about the same things.

Much like the 4Runner, the Lexus GX 460 is long overdue for a redesign. But a lot of the 4Runner’s qualities also show up in the GX, only in a more comfortable, luxurious package. So it’s not a surprise that the people who skip more road-focused SUVs in favor of the Lexus like their purchase a lot.

We’re not the biggest fans of the Toyota Highlander’s current styling, but there’s no denying that it’s a popular minivan substitute that hundreds of thousands of people happily buy every year. And even though the Ford Explorer is outselling it this year, based on Consumer Reports’ survey results, apparently, they enjoy the Highlander more than Explorer owners do.

Based on the hate that Acura products get from enthusiasts, you wouldn’t think the MDX would be on this list. And yet, nonetheless, here it is. Even the Acura touchpad-based infotainment system wasn’t enough to make survey respondents regret their decision. Although we’d bet that the people who don’t like it probably never made it past the test drive before deciding to buy something else.

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