These Are the Best Luxury SUVs of 2025 and 2026
SPEAKER: Luxury SUVs–
the best of them are comfortable, packed with the
latest tech and best materials, and offer a great
driving experience. They’re supposed to
make you feel good, like a first-class
seat on an airplane. But just because you’re
dropping big money on one of these
luxo-barges, it doesn’t mean they’re all great or even good. And that is where we come in. We’ve done all the
test driving for you, so here’s our list of
the absolute best luxury SUVs for 2025 and 2026. And you might want to
get your lederhosen out because Germany is going to
be very, very well represented on this list. We’re Edmunds. And we test hundreds of
cars each year on the road and at our private track, so you
get the most trusted reviews. If you want to know which car,
truck, or SUV is the best, then stick with us. [ENGINE REVVING] [MUSIC PLAYING] We’re going to kick things off
in the extra small category. And the good news is that our
picks aren’t just easier to park and more affordable. They also don’t make
compromises on the luxury part of the equation. Our top pick in this
class is the BMW X1. We were surprised by how
roomy the X1 feels inside, despite its smaller dimensions,
and how much practical storage space it offers. It comes standard with heated
seats, a power liftgate, dual-zone climate control, and
a big touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. And if that’s not
enough for you, BMW offers a ton
of upgrades that really do get you a
more luxurious feeling car, like a more powerful engine
and a trick-adaptive suspension and numerous tech
and safety upgrades. That being said, we don’t love
how pricey some of the options packages are. And we don’t love that
some basic features, like adaptive cruise
control, are optional. We’re also not fans of the
automatic engine stop-start feature that’s meant to
save you gas at stoplights. The engine starts
are just too rough. And they take a hair
too long, so you end up hitting the go pedal. But there’s a delay while
the engine fires up. And that gets annoying. By the way, if you’re
shopping for an X1 or any of the other vehicles
mentioned in this list, check out the links
in the description. They’ll take you
to Edmunds, where you can find our full
reviews and will even help you find the best
deal on a model near you. If you don’t like the X1, we
recommend the Mercedes-Benz GLB. The boxy styling makes the
GLB stand out from the crowd. It reminds me of a luxury
take on the old Scion XB. And I mean that in a good
way because its height makes more space for
passengers and cargo alike. With a tall roof, this might
be the easiest tiny SUV to get in and out of, full stop. You also get a great view of the
road thanks to the big windows. But oddly enough, we
wish the sun visors were a little bit larger to match. Like the X1, the GLB offers
a ton of optional upgrades. And just like the X1, they can
get a bit pricey for our taste. We also found that
the GLB isn’t quite as nice to drive as the BMW, as
long as you remember to shut off that auto stop-start system. Compact SUVs are some of
the most popular vehicles on the road, bar none, thanks
to their mix of practicality and approachable dimensions. And in the luxury
class, our picks definitely don’t skimp
on the premium features. There are so many strong
contenders that we actually have a bit of a situation
here because depending on what you want,
there are two vehicles we put at the top of our
list, so listen closely. If style, design, comfort,
and a heaping scoop of high-end features
are your top priority, check out the Genesis GV70. We love the GV70’s interior. It got top marks from
all of our testers. It looks amazing. Just about everything
you touch feels premium. And it’s really,
really comfortable. If you stick with the GV70
2.5T, that’s the less powerful 4-cylinder engine. It’s also a really good value. You can get
massaging front seats and a fully-leatherette-trimmed
cabin for a reasonable price. And the Genesis comes with a
100,000-mile powertrain warranty that no other luxury
brand dares to match. The GV70’s biggest
problem is that it’s not all that inspiring to drive. The more powerful V6 engine
in the 3.5T models is a very expensive upgrade that
just isn’t worth the money. The GV70 3.5T isn’t as fast or
sporty as our next contender. And on top of that, it
gets worse gas mileage without being any
cheaper to buy. Now, if you want a fun and
engaging compact luxury SUV, the BMW X3 is the way
to go, in particular, the 6-cylinder M50 xDrive model. Our testing team gets in and
out of everything, from Toyotas to Lamborghinis. So it says something when
they describe an SUV as pretty awesome. At our test track,
the X3 M50 was quicker than a lot of the
sports cars we test. And it also showed
great handling chops, even if the suspension is
a little on the firm side to get those excellent dynamics. The rest of the
X3 is great, too. You can pretty much take
everything nicely said about the X1 and apply it here. But you just get
more of everything– more room, a much bigger trunk,
a stronger engine, and even more available features. Where the X3 falls a bit
short is cabin quality. A lot of the touch
points are plasticky and don’t live up to the cabin
standards set by the Genesis. If you still need help picking
between the two of these, I have good news for you. My buddy Nick just did a full
comparison of the X3 and GV70, so be sure to check that
out for all the details. Now it’s time for the midsizers. And to me, this is where
these things really start to feel like
luxury vehicles with their copious
passenger room and bigger feature lists with
larger price tags to match. We put the Mercedes-Benz
GLE at the top of the heap. The attention to detail
here is immaculate. From the design
to the materials, every square inch of the GLE
looks and feels luxurious. The seats are exceptional,
cushy, and perfectly shaped for support. The tech is top notch too,
with a beautiful touchscreen and a properly amazing
Burmester stereo. The interior is dead quiet,
too, so you can fully enjoy the audio experience. We’d skip the optional
air suspension, though. It makes the GLE feel floaty. And the standard suspension is
plenty comfortable on its own. You might be getting tired
of hearing us say this. But you’ll need to watch out
with the options packages. They add good stuff. But the price of the
GLE climbs quickly as you start pulling
things off the shelf. But we do have to say, at
least in this Mercedes, you’ll never wonder
where your money went because its interior and
technology will match the price. If you’re liking
any of the vehicles that we’ve mentioned so
far, so much that you’re looking to replace your
current set of wheels, we are here to help. Head over to Edmunds, where
you can get an instant cash offer on your car without
even giving us your email. And now for something
completely different. We present the Lexus GX. This really isn’t like anything
else on our list today. It’s boxy and aggressive. And if you go for the over-trail
trim, it’s a capable off-roader. We actually bought a
GX with our own money to add to our one-year
road test fleet. And in the short
time we’ve had it, it’s proven itself off road
against the toughest competition and done the everyday work of
school drop-offs and weekend getaways. Even geared up for trail duty,
the GX is comfortable and quiet on the highway. This is a pleasant and
serene place to spend time. [CHUCKLES] So as a
staff, we’re always fighting over who gets to
take it home every day. But the GX, it does
have a few quirks. And one of the more notable
ones is the tight confines for back seat passengers. Something this big just
feels like it should have way more room back there. And the way the second
row flips forward when you fold it
is also awkward. It doesn’t provide a flat load
floor for moving larger items or to lay down a mattress
when you’re camping. Both the GLE and the
GX have the option of adding a third row that can
seat two additional passengers. But that third row is
very, very cramped in both. It’s really only good for
kids in booster seats. We wouldn’t recommend
putting an adult back there unless you
don’t have any other choice or you don’t like
them very much. I’m talking to you, Clint. If you want a third row that
will keep even your tall friends happy or you just want the
luxury dial cranked all the way up to 11, there’s really
only one large luxury SUV that ticks all the boxes. We think if you’re
going big, you should go with the
Mercedes-Benz GLS. It’s like driving around a
luxury condo with enough space even in the third row
for 6-foot adults. And even though it’s big, this
still doesn’t feel like a barge from behind the wheel. Even the standard
motor in the GLS 450 is powerful enough to match the
acceleration from some smaller and lighter performance SUVs. And it can also tow
up to 7,700 pounds. It’s a leather wrapped,
tech-packed luxury vault that also happens to be
a serious powerhouse. The GLS also tops our list
for the best super luxury SUV and the best
large performance SUV with the Maybach
GLS, which is one of the most comfortable,
well-appointed ways to travel on four wheels. And it ditches the
third row to make more room for reclining luxury
thrones for your passengers. And that makes it a joy to
both drive or be driven in. And the AMG GLS 63 packs 600
horsepower under the hood, enough to accelerate
this behemoth from 0 to 60 miles an hour in under
four seconds at our test track. That makes it faster
in a straight line than our supercharged
Mustang Dark Horse. Now, just because
you want a luxury SUV doesn’t mean you don’t
care about efficiency. And right now, if you
want a hybrid luxury SUV, you’re probably better off
going for a plug-in hybrid or PHEV for short. There aren’t a lot of normal
hybrid options and none that we’d recommend over the
best luxury PHEVs out there. Plug-in hybrids can function
just like a regular hybrid but with the added bonus of
offering some upfront electric range if you can park it in
a garage with a plug nearby, even a regular 120-volt outlet,
to keep the battery juiced up. Our top pick is
going to be familiar. It’s the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450E,
which has an estimated 50 miles of all-electric driving range. That’s enough to get most people
through their daily commute gas-free. The PHEV GLE’s
biggest weakness is that once you run
out of electricity, your fuel economy won’t be
any better than the standard and cheaper GLE 350, so just
make sure to keep it juiced up. That 50 miles of range is better
than most of the plug-in hybrids out there at the moment. And unlike most other PHEVs,
you can also charge the Mercedes at a fast-charging station. The runner up is the Volvo
XC60, a proper masterclass in restrained luxury design. The plug-in version gives
you much better fuel economy than the GLE but less
all-electric range. The Volvo only manages an
estimated 35 miles without gas. That’s nothing to sneeze at. And the overall
boost to efficiency actually makes it a
more flexible choice if you’re looking at a PHEV
but can’t charge at home. But if you want to ditch the
pump entirely and go fully electric, the good
news is that there are some awesome electric
luxury SUVs out there. Our absolute favorite
is the BMW iX. Is Germany paying us? Seriously, because if
they are, I’d like my cut. And I’ll take it in bratwurst. The iX is both a great luxury
vehicle and a great EV. The outside is– well, it’s
what I’d call unfortunate. But the inside is amazing
with an eye-catching design in the right way this time and
a mix of high quality materials blanketing the cabin. It’s also a wonderful
car to drive and to ride in with acceleration
that puts most gas SUVs to shame and a
comfortable, quiet ride that everyone will enjoy. The iX has also
consistently overperformed in the Edmunds EV
range test, where we put EPA estimates to the test
in a real-world driving loop. One iX we tested managed to go
377 miles on a single charge, further than any Tesla
by a good margin. And the iX is bigger
than you might think. It’s actually a midsize SUV. And that means it has a
really spacious interior and plenty of cargo space. But what if you want something
a little bit smaller? Our number two pick then is
the Genesis Electrified GV70. Remember all the nice stuff we
said about the GV70 earlier? The electric version is
just as nice on the inside and just as comfortable
on the road. But it improves on the weakest
part of the GV70 experience– those oddly thirsty gas engines. Here at Edmunds,
we test everything. And that means we
also get our hands on ultra high-performance luxury
SUVs like the Lamborghini Urus and the Aston Martin
DBX, which deliver near super-car performance
in a family-friendly package. And the best of
these vehicles to us is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT. It actually shares a
platform and an engine with the Lamborghini
Urus and the Audi RS Q8. But Porsche tunes the engine,
the suspension, the handling all on its own. And their SUV is better to drive
than pretty much anything else, even the Lamborghini. It’s got better handling. It pulled well over
a G on our skidpad. And it goes from 0 to 60 miles
an hour in just 3.2 seconds. So if you want to drive your
family around but you still want ungodly acceleration
and fantastic handling, the Porsche is for you. Just know that you’re
going to get horrendous gas mileage in the process. But it costs about half
of what the Urus does, so I guess you’re saving there. Thousands of hours of work
go into a list like this because we haven’t just tested
and reviewed the vehicles we mentioned today. We’ve tested and reviewed every
single one of their competitors, too. That’s why we can say
with confidence that these are the best luxury SUVs. And if you appreciate
all the work we do, make sure you like
and subscribe. That’s how we know you’d
like us to keep going. So in 2025 and 2026, it looks
like BMW and Mercedes are really at the top of their game. But there are always
new competitors and always new cars
and SUVs to test, so stick with us to see if this
list changes at all next year. Thanks for watching.
Despite some models’ high price tags, not all luxury SUVs are created equal — so we compiled a list of the best ones we’ve tested here at Edmunds thus far in 2025. From subcompact crossovers to high-powered three-row behemoths, in this video, Edmunds’ Brian Wong tells you all about the best luxury SUVs currently on sale.
00:00 Intro
00:55 BMW X1
02:20 Mercedes GLB
03:07 Genesis GV70
04:34 BMW X3
05:39 Mercedes GLE
07:00 Lexus GX
08:22 Mercedes GLS
09:45 Mercedes GLE 450E
10:53 Volvo XC60 PHEV
11:16 BMW iX
12:28 Genesis EV GV70
12:49 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
13:55 Edmunds’ Take
Subscribe to Edmunds https://www.youtube.com/user/edmundsvideo?sub_confirmation=1 for the latest car news, car reviews, car comparisons, car shopping and advice.
Visit us! https://www.edmunds.com
