Video: $40,000 3-Row SUV Challenge

They had to get at least 19 miles per gallon combined. We brought judges from cars.com, from MotorWeek, from USA Today, to help us do the judging, and we brought a real life family that's in market looking for one of these cars. Let's take a look and see who the winners are. <v Narrator>In first place is the Hyundai Santa Fe. Our family dad said it blew him away, and our judges backed him up. What did they like? What didn't they like? There were lots of features for the money, including cooled front seats, a panoramic moon roof, rear sunshades, and a heated steering wheel. It comes with an easy to use multimedia system that paired quickly with phones, and it was a fun driving experience that keeps the zip in the family daily driver. Of course not everything was perfect. Our judges didn't like its small size. One judge gave it an "F" in cargo space behind the third-row. Tough visibility that came with it's sloping roof line. And there wasn't too much in the way of family features in the second-row, one judge noted. In second place was the Dodge Durango, which got a refresh for 2014. Like the Santa Fe, the judges liked the number of features for the money. Dodge's easy to use and easy to like UConnect System with its 8.4 inch screen and customizable gauges. And the Durango's high grade interior materials made it feel like a luxury SUV. On the downside, the eco-mode may save gas, but it doesn't make the Durango a gas to drive. The second-row doesn't slide, which bothered taller judges, and one judge disliked the limited cabin storage. Another all new contender came in third place. Toyota's completely redesigned Highlander was a revelation. The judges were impressed by its very fancy interior completely at odds with the earlier generation. Comfortable seats and a comfortable ride made this a driver favorite. And its handy under the dash tray won over more than a few judges for being clever. Still, there were drawbacks. The third-row is clearly only meant for kids, and adults would be wise to avoid it. While cargo room has grown with this new version, "it's still not plentiful," one judge said. In the Highlander it can get, in one judge's words, "squirrelly," when the gas pedal gets pumped. We suggest the all-wheel version to avoid that, but of course, that's going to cost you a little more. In the middle-child spot comes a Nissan Pathfinder. On the positive side, judges liked the borderline luxury interior quality, calling it both functional and attractive. The navigation system won applause in an industry where many such systems are hard to use. The Pathfinder's quiet ride was a relief to our real world parental testers. Not as positive were, our family didn't find much change in the way the Pathfinder drove compared to earlier versions. Several judges complained of pokey acceleration. And one judge said the buyers don't get a sun roof, blind spot monitoring system, or cooled seats for the price, as some of the competitors did. Coming in fifth was the Mazda CX-9, one of the oldest SUVs in our test. Judges praise the fact that it's definitely a driver's car. It's true to its "zoom zoom marketing," one said. Another liked its precise steering and fantastic handling. Big rear doors make for easy access to the third-row, a must for any kid-friendly SUV. Mazda could improve though. Judges thought those big rear doors could also mean a lot of nicks in the supermarket parking lot. They didn't care for the small NAV and entertainment screen. One judge noted that his cell phone comes with a bigger screen. Finally, the CX-9s unrefined engine and road noise "are not very appealing," one judge noted. In sixth place was the tried and true, but aging, Honda Pilot. Judges voted for the great visibility that comes with the Pilot's boxy exterior design. That shape also meant plenty of headroom. And another judge praised the Pilot's seemingly unlimited front storage for phones, wallets, purses, drinks, and more. But not everyone was won over. Several judges called out the dated interior. "There is an injection molded feel to the interior that's not inviting at all," one judge said. Others found fault because the Pilot has simply too many buttons on the center stack. And that shape that helps with visibility also leads to a lot of noise, several judges found. Bringing up the rear was the Chevy Traverse. Its seventh place finish was largely due to bringing fewer features to the challenge than its competitors did. There were still things to like including lots of room for people and cargo, easy access to the third-row, and a soft, comfortable ride that, according to one judge, made him want to load this thing up and go on vacation. Other judges just wanted a vacation from the Traverse. "There's not a lot for the money," several complained. One noted that there's no keyless entry, no power rear hatch, no navigation, and no blind spot rear view mirrors. The overstuffed cloth chairs were really not comfortable. And one judge was put off by what he called its "entry-level rental quality." For all the details, judges scoring and comments, check with cars.com. (car engine revs)