The $38,000 Midsize SUV Challenge: State of the Midsize SUV

A lot has changed in the midsize SUV segment in the last 10 years. What once was a class dominated by truck-based models has given way almost entirely to car-based versions with a high seating position and styling that helped make SUVs popular, but offer improved ride and handling, fuel economy and interior space.

The class took a hit to its popularity around the first time gas prices reached $4 a gallon, but lately sales have been roaring back. Jeep’s Grand Cherokee is Chrysler’s second-best-selling vehicle this year after the Ram 1500 pickup truck, and it’s a reason the joint venture with Fiat is booming. Ford’s Edge, while not as successful as sister SUVs Explorer and Escape, still outsells Ford’s largest and smallest cars, the Taurus and Fiesta.

The shift in thinking about what makes an SUV has resonated with car shoppers, and it has led to even more midsize SUVs for families to consider. Of the six in our test, two — the Edge and Toyota Venza — weren’t even around 10 years ago while another, the Kia Sorento, made the transition from a truck- to a car-based platform.

Here’s the full list of competitors:

• 2013 Ford Edge
• 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
• 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
• 2014 Kia Sorento
• 2013 Nissan Murano
• 2013 Toyota Venza

We set a price cap of $38,000, including destination charges, after taking into account the sales leaders in this space, consulting with J.D. Power and Associates and looking at listing prices on Cars.com. We also told the manufacturers that the cars had to have automatic transmissions and either turbocharged four-cylinder or naturally aspirated V-6 engines.

Our $38,000 price ceiling resulted in a group of SUVs with a range of features and equipment. All but one had V-6 power, though the Santa Fe Sport’s turbocharged four-cylinder produced V-6-like power numbers. Three had two-wheel drive and three had all-wheel drive. Our price limit also allowed some models to have features such as a panoramic sunroof and heated and ventilated seats that in a prior time would have been reserved for luxury models.

See a complete rundown of what you get for $38,000

How did we sort it all out and arrive at a winner? Testing, testing, testing:

• We spent a day driving these midsize SUVs on a carefully planned route to observe real-world gas mileage.
• We spent a day where our experts drove all the SUVs back-to-back on the same route to gather additional impressions.
• Finally, our real-world family, Brian and Melissa Brown and their two children, joined us for a day of driving and to rate the models with an eye toward which features would be most important in their next car.

Our experts for this challenge were:

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Aaron Bragman
Detroit bureau chief for Cars.com

Joe Bruzek
Reviewer and editor for Cars.com

Mike Hanley
Reviewer and editor for Cars.com

James R. Healey
USA Today auto writer

Ben Davis
Producer for PBS’ “MotorWeek”

It was a close contest, but over time and testing, a clear winner emerged. Check out our complete coverage:

Meet the Family

Mileage Results

Cargo

Results

Cars.com’s Managing Editor David Thomas and Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen contributed to this report.