Kia Telluride

The Kia Telluride took us by pleasant surprise, and we predicted it would be the sleeper SUV to beat back in 2020 and now its gone beyond.

My jury of six passengers spanning three generations was unanimous in their praise, after spending an entire day tooling around the Catskills. The third row was no afterthought for our full-grown adult passengers, who had plenty of legroom. Telluride wins with a spacious and well-appointed interior. Its chock-full-of standard and affordable creature comfort features, like second-row ventilated seats. All-wheel drive is worth the additional $2000 splurge. Telluride is a confident performer, smooth under the guise of its naturally aspirated V-6 that makes 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque.

Starting $32,785.