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, VW 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 | 3rd Row Rating | Special Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Volkswagen Atlas | 51.8 | 3 | — | |
| 24 | Mazda CX-90 PHEV | 52.2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 23 | Kia Telluride SX-P | 53.6 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Kia Telluride EX | 54.4 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid MAX | 55 | 4 | 4 | Hawaii |
| 24 | Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy | 55.1 | 3 | 5 | |
| 24 | Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid | 55.2 | 2 | 4 | Hawaii |
| 24 | Nissan Pathfinder Platinum | 55.2 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Honda Pilot Elite | 55.4 | 3 | 4 | |
| 23 | Hyundai Palisade | 55.6 | 3 | — | |
| 21 | Dodge Durango GT | 55.9 | 3 | ||
| 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 | Rough Road | |
| 23 | Nissan Pathfinder Platinum | 56.8 | 3 | 3 | |
| 24 | Subaru Ascent | 57.5 | 2 | 3 | |
| 24 | Mazda CX-90 Turbo S | 57.6 | 4 | 3 | Rough Road |
| 23 | Honda Pilot LX | 58.3 | 3 | 4 | |
| 24 | Honda Pilot Touring | 58.9 | 3 | 4 | |
| 23 | Honda Pilot Elite | 59.6 | 3 | 4 | Rough Road |
| 23 | Jeep Grand Cherokee L | 60.8 | 3 | 3 | Very Windy |
| 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.