Ready for a peek into the automotive crystal ball? The next couple of years are bringing us SUVs that’ll make your current ride look like it belongs in a museum. Experts like Car and Driver, Edmunds, and Consumer Reports love these picks. They are game-changers that’ll transform everything from grocery runs to cross-country adventures. Safety features that actually work, tech that doesn’t require an engineering degree, and designs that’ll turn heads without trying too hard.
9. Range Rover (2025)
The 2025 Range Rover doesn’t just park—it arrives. Those clean lines and that sophisticated silhouette aren’t accidents. From the floating roof to that distinctive clamshell hood, every curve serves a purpose. Picture that friend who somehow looks effortlessly put-together even when they’ve just rolled out of bed—that’s this SUV in sheet metal form.
Available in standard and long wheelbase versions, it’s like the Range Rover folks actually considered that people come in different sizes with different needs. Wild concept, right? At night, the LED lighting signature is so distinctive you’ll know it’s a Range Rover from three blocks away. No squinting required.
Range Rover (Interior)
Step inside and suddenly your living room feels like it needs a serious upgrade. The seating configurations are basically a choose-your-own-adventure book—go with five, seven, or four executive seats depending on whether you’re hauling kids, friends, or business partners. Need cargo space? How about 92.9 cubic feet when properly configured? That’s enough room for approximately one billion grocery bags (I didn’t do the math, but you get the idea).
The materials in here would make interior designers weep with joy. Everything you touch feels expensive because, well, it is. The curved infotainment display delivers what you need to know without bombarding you with unnecessary info—kind of like that friend who gets to the point without a 20-minute preamble about their day.
8. Toyota Century (2025)
The Century is what happens when Toyota decides to flex its luxury muscles without shouting about it. This isn’t an SUV that needs to announce itself with aggressive styling and unnecessary vents. Imagine the automotive equivalent of a perfectly tailored suit—no flashy patterns, just impeccable fit and quality that speaks for itself.
The proportions are so precise they could teach a geometry class. You won’t find random character lines trying desperately to create “visual drama” here. Instead, the Century simply exists, confident in its identity. It’s refreshing in a world where most vehicles seem to be going through an automotive identity crisis.
Century (Interior)
Pop inside the Century and you’re swimming in Japanese craftsmanship. With just four seats, Toyota clearly decided “fewer, better” was the way to go. Each passenger spot gets the VIP treatment. Not quite the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit, but you’ll definitely feel like you’re piloting something special.
Wool cloth upholstery (or optional leather if you insist) crafted by artisans who’ve probably been honing their skills since before you were born surrounds you. The noise insulation is so effective you could probably hear someone thinking too loudly. The tech stays hidden until you need it—no screens screaming for attention when all you want is a peaceful drive.
7. Porsche Cayenne GTS (2025)
The Cayenne GTS wears its performance credentials like your fitness friend wears their marathon shirt—you’re gonna know about it, but somehow it doesn’t come off as bragging. Those aggressive front air intakes aren’t just for show; they’re feeding a hungry 4.0L twin-turbo V8 that demands plenty of cooling.
The wider wheel arches and lower stance aren’t just styling flourishes—they’re visual promises about what this thing can do in the corners. It sits lower than standard Cayenne models because Porsche knows the laws of physics aren’t just suggestions. The wheel designs are so good you’ll find yourself walking backward from your parking spot just to get one more look.
Cayenne GTS (Interior)
Inside, Porsche proves you don’t have to choose between “sporty” and “luxurious”—you can have your performance cake and eat it in comfort too. The sport seats hold you in place during enthusiastic driving without making you feel like you’re trapped in a vise. This interior makes you wonder why other manufacturers think “sporty” means “uncomfortable.”
Everything wraps around you like it was built specifically for your dimensions. The materials—Alcantara, leather, brushed aluminum—feel substantial under your fingertips. This cabin manages to feel both spacious and intimate, which is trickier to pull off than landing a perfect soufflé.
6. Toyota Corolla Cross (2025)
Let’s just say the Corolla Cross won’t be that embarrassing photo you hide from your Instagram memories five years from now. Its clean styling ages like your friend who still looks 25 at your 20-year reunion. Not trying too hard—that’s the secret sauce here.
Compact enough to parallel park without breaking a sweat, but with enough presence that other drivers won’t mistake you for a shopping cart. The elevated ground clearance gives you that commanding SUV view of the road without requiring a stepladder to get in. The front end wears Toyota’s family face without looking like an awkward copy-paste job.
Toyota Corolla Cross (Interior)
The dashboard won’t overwhelm you with buttons that seem designed by someone who gets paid by the switch. Everything’s where you’d expect it to be—imagine that! You know when you go to a friend’s organized kitchen and instinctively know where the glasses are? That’s the vibe in here.
There’s actual room for actual humans in here, even in the back seats. The materials won’t make you gasp with delight, but they’re honest—like they’re saying, “Yeah, we’ll look this good after your kids have treated this place like a mobile cafeteria for three years.” The tech focuses on what you’ll actually use instead of features you’ll forget exist after the first week.
5. Hyundai Palisade (2026)
The 2026 Palisade has decided that subtlety is overrated. That massive grille and those vertical lighting elements aren’t asking for attention—they’re demanding it. If most SUVs are background extras, the Palisade is auditioning for the lead role.
The more sculpted body sides add some drama without going full telenovela. Its boxy shape isn’t just a style choice—it translates to actual usable space inside, which is kind of the point of an SUV. You’ll spot premium details that make you double-check the Hyundai badge because your brain will be telling you this should cost $20K more.
Hyundai Palisade (Interior)
Nine passengers. NINE. That’s a baseball team. The cabin doesn’t just accommodate people; it welcomes them with materials that feel like they were borrowed from luxury brands when they weren’t looking. The curved digital display makes other screens look like they’re trying too hard—this one just flows naturally across the dash like it grew there.
Storage compartments pop up everywhere you need them, as if the designers actually lived with children and their endless collection of stuff. You’ll discover clever features that solve problems you didn’t even know were annoying you—like trying on shoes that suddenly make you realize your old ones were secretly torturing you for years.
4. Honda CRV (2025)
The 2025 CR-V isn’t trying to convince you it can ford rivers or climb mountains—it’s honest about what it is: the most competent everyday companion since sliced bread got together with peanut butter. So you won’t have to worry about car gadgets to make sure you won’t get stranded. The front end looks more confident now, like it finally got that promotion it deserved.
The body sides have just enough character to keep things interesting without going overboard. It’s like Honda’s designers understood the difference between “timeless” and “boring.” The greenhouse offers excellent visibility—revolutionary concept, right? Actually being able to see out of your vehicle? The overall design feels refreshingly straightforward in a world of try-hard styling.
Honda CR-V (Interior)
Honda’s interior designers are the Marie Kondos of the automotive world—everything has a place, and every cubic inch sparks joy through sheer usefulness. The cabin organization makes so much sense you’ll wonder why other manufacturers make things so complicated.
The tech interface won’t have you paging through the manual while parked in your driveway or angrily jabbing at screens. Physical controls handle the functions you use most because Honda apparently employs designers who actually drive cars. There’s generous space in both rows—not “generous if you’re a hobbit” but actually comfortable for real humans. The thoughtful details will have you discovering new favorites weeks after purchase.
3. Mazda CX-5 (2026)
The 2026 CX-5 makes other compact SUVs look like they didn’t even try. Those flowing lines and organic shapes aren’t just pretty—they’re aerodynamic poetry. The panel gaps are so tight you’d think the body was carved from a single piece of metal rather than assembled.
The front end, with its distinctive grille and slim headlights, has more character than most entire vehicles. Mazda somehow managed to create a stance that suggests movement even when parked. Watch how light plays across the surfaces—it’s not an accident. Those reflections were planned with the precision of a heist movie.
Mazda CX-5 (Interior)
Slide behind the wheel and you’ll wonder if Mazda’s been secretly spying on drivers to figure out exactly what we want. The cabin has nothing you don’t need and everything you do, arranged just so. This interior makes you question why you’ve been settling for less all these years.
Controls fall to hand with ergonomic precision that suggests someone actually tested this with human beings rather than crash test dummies. The seating position strikes that perfect balance between “connected to the road” and “comfortable on a four-hour drive.” The whole experience creates a sense of occasion that most vehicles in this price range couldn’t achieve if they tried twice as hard.
2. Toyota Land Cruiser (2025)
The 2025 Land Cruiser doesn’t follow trends—it sets them, and then drives over them with 33-inch all-terrain tires. The upright greenhouse and iconic grille are like comfort food for your eyes—familiar in all the right ways, but with enough modern touches to keep things interesting.
Form follows function so faithfully here it’s practically a marriage. Those approach and departure angles aren’t styling exercises—they’re promises about what this vehicle can do when the pavement ends. Nothing feels superfluous or tacked on. Every bulge, curve, and cut line serves a purpose, like a well-designed tool rather than a fashion accessory.
Toyota Land Cruiser (Interior)
The Land Cruiser’s cabin nails that sweet spot between “capable of fording rivers” and “wouldn’t feel out of place at a nice restaurant.” The controls have a deliberate heft to them that inspires confidence—you won’t accidentally activate the differential lock while reaching for your coffee.
The seating provides genuine all-day comfort rather than the “comfortable for the first 30 minutes” experience some SUVs offer. Everything’s laid out with an intuitive logic that works even when you’re bouncing down a trail or navigating a snowstorm. It maintains civilized manners without forgetting its expedition-ready DNA.
1. Volvo XC90 (2025)
The 2025 XC90 proves Scandinavians understand something fundamental about design that others miss—restraint is a virtue. Those distinctive “Thor’s Hammer” headlights and vertical taillights serve as the vehicle’s signature without shouting for attention. It’s confident enough not to need flashy gimmicks.
The proportions just work, striking that perfect balance between the greenhouse and body. Chrome appears exactly where it should, in just the right amount—not plastered everywhere like some automotive jewelry store. This design will still look good when other trendy SUVs start appearing dated. It’s the automotive equivalent of a well-tailored navy suit—never in fashion, never out of fashion, just right.
Volvo XC90 (Interior)
Climb inside and you’ll discover that luxury doesn’t have to mean excess. The Swedes have created a cabin centered around sustainable materials and thoughtful details that make you wonder why other manufacturers think “more” always equals “better.” Everything you touch feels substantial and purposeful.
The three-row layout accommodates seven actual humans, not just five humans and two contortionists. Physical controls and digital interfaces coexist in perfect harmony—a rare achievement in today’s screens-over-everything approach. The seats aren’t just comfortable; they’re designed with your actual wellness in mind. Air filtration systems and noise reduction work quietly in the background like good personal assistants—effective without drawing attention to themselves.
