3-Row midsize SUVs and crossovers are one of the most popular segments in America, especially for families that need extra space! There are tons of options and we have tested them all extensively, including collecting a dB sound level reading! Here at Car Confections, we take a sound-level reading for each midsize 3-row SUV we review so that they can be ranked from quietest to loudest! That includes the most popular models, like the Toyota Grand Highlander, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot and Nissan Pathfinder, as well as other great choices like the Mazda CX-90, Volkswagen Atlas, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Chevy Traverse and Dodge Durango. So which model is the quietest in the segment? Check out the list below to find out!
| Model Year | Make and Model | Reading (in dB) | Smile Rating | Special Notes | 3rd Row Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | GMC Acadia Denali | 51.7 | 3 | South Carolina | 4 |
| 22 | Volkswagen Atlas | 51.8 | 3 | — | |
| 24 | Mazda CX-90 PHEV | 52.2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 25 | Ford Explorer ST | 53.1 | 4 | Ann Arbor | 2 |
| 24 | Toyota Grand Highlander Platinum Hybrid MAX | 53.5 | 4 | 4 | |
| 23 | Kia Telluride SX-P | 53.6 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Kia Telluride EX | 54.4 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Chevy Traverse Z71 | 54.6 | 3 | Georgia | 3 |
| 24 | Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy | 55.1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 24 | Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid | 55.2 | 2 | Hawaii | 4 |
| 24 | Nissan Pathfinder Platinum | 55.2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Honda Pilot Elite | 55.4 | 3 | 4 | |
| 23 | Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy | 55.6 | 3 | — | |
| 21 | Dodge Durango GT | 55.9 | 3 | ||
| 25 | Honda Pilot Black Edition | 55.9 | 3 | 4 | |
| 23 | Buick Enclave | 56 | 3 | 4 | |
| 23 | Chevy Traverse | 56.1 | 3 | — | |
| 24 | Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Night | 56.4 | 3 | 5 | |
| 23 | Toyota Highlander | 56.5 | – | Tennessee | — |
| 24 | Volkswagen Atlas | 56.5 | 3 | New York | |
| 23 | Nissan Pathfinder Platinum | 56.8 | 3 | 3 | |
| 25 | Ford Explorer Platinum | 57 | 4 | Ann Arbor | 2 |
| 25 | Honda Pilot Elite | 57.1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 24 | Subaru Ascent | 57.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 24 | Mazda CX-90 Turbo S | 57.6 | 4 | California | 3 |
| 24 | Chevy Traverse RS | 57.7 | 3 | Georgia | 3 |
| 24 | GMC Acadia AT4 | 58.2 | 3 | South Carolina | 4 |
| 23 | Honda Pilot LX | 58.3 | 3 | 4 | |
| 24 | Honda Pilot Touring | 58.9 | 3 | 4 | |
| 24 | Toyota Highlander | 59.9 | 3 | Roof Rails | 2 |
| 23 | Jeep Grand Cherokee L | 60.8 | 3 | Very Windy | 3 |
| 23 | Ford Explorer ST | 61.4 | 4 | 2 |
It would be fair to report the noise ratings on a given day where weather is typical without crazy winds etc and also on same or similar road (rather than driving on rough road)
If you did want to compare with rough road, that would be another column in your sound level reading table/matrix.
We appreciate your feedback! However, we cannot control the conditions we test 90% of the cars in, as most of them are available to us only one day at a time. Hence, the “Special Notes” column is there to take that into consideration.