Best Large Luxury SUVs For 2023 (2023)

Deputy Editor

Despite the onslaught of competition, the Range Rover remains the SUV status symbol of choice. Born of agricultural roots, the Ranger Rover transcended its past to arrive at a station representing not just the well-to-do but the well-to-do with a specific interest in horses, fox hunting, bird hunting and, apparently, picnicking elegantly after completing said activities.

While it still maintains those pretensions, the last few generations have evolved into remarkably well-rounded luxury SUVs with all the luxury trappings—leather, wood and metal interior bits—you’d expect from the brand.

It was redesigned for 2022 and takes design, poshness and performance to lofty new heights. The body is streamlined and sumptuous, and the first-ever long-wheelbase versions seat up to seven passengers. The real treat is inside, where upper-crust versions especially deliver luxury and features on virtual par with Bentley or Rolls-Royce SUVs, but for vastly less money.

Two engine options are on tap, a 3.0-liter inline six (with a turbocharger, supercharger and mild-hybrid assist) that produces 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque and a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8. The big V8 belts out 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. An adaptive, height-adjustable air suspension affords off-road adventure and helps keep things on an even keel on the pavement.

The X7 is a spring chicken compared to some of the nameplates on the list that go back decades. Introduced stateside for the 2018 model year, the X7 delivered right out of the gate with typical BMW trappings and style. Refreshed for 2023, the big BMW SUV adopts the front-end styling of the brand-new 7 Series and a useable third row. (It’s based on a stretched version of the X5 whose rear seat is tiny.) It also brings a prettier interior, new technology and updated mild-hybrid engines.

Though Europe still gets diesels, the U.S. gets two basic powertrains: the X7 xDrive40i and the X7 M60i fettled by its M Sport division. The xDrive40i uses an inline six-cylinder with 375hp and 398 pound-feet of torque, whereas the M60i’s twin-turbo V8 cranks out 523hp and 553 lb-ft. (Call us old-fashioned, but we’ll take out BMWs with one of their trademark silky inline six-cylinders as long as they make them.) BMW says details on the tuned-up Alpina XB7 will be out later this year, but we do know that it will use a tuned version of the 4.4-liter V8 making 630 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.

The updated visuals may be controversial, but they can’t detract from the X7’s cutting edge and the impeccable driving dynamics.

The Cadillac Escalade is in some ways archetype for the domestic luxury-laden beast. Though the Ranger Rover beat it to market, it remained a vehicular apparition in the U.S. until the 90s. The Escalade, on the other hand, came out of the gate loud and proud in 1998 alongside its now longtime nemesis, the Lincoln Navigator. Though the two sold in equal measure at the start, the Escalade pulled a lead around 2009 and hasn’t relinquished it yet.

Now in its fifth generation, the Escalade is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 or a turbodiesel inline-six that delivers an impressive for a land-yacht 23 combined mpg (27 highway!). The good news is, however, is currently tempered by the high cost of diesel. The 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine is no slouch, cranking out 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque. There’s also a new 682 hp Escalade V variant for the truly power-hungry.

Regardless of the powertrain, the Escalade’s interior impresses with a trio of screens that combine to form 38 inches of screen area; An available Augmented Reality-enabled navigation uses live street views with directional indicators to create a truly surreal feeling, and an AKG audio system builds resonant sound with 19 speakers to start and ramps up to a notable 36 speakers at the top of the range.

The Escalade is plush, but the segment thrives on one-upmanship, and its competitors are quickly striving to outshine Cadillac’s largest SUV, so even in this rarified segment you’ll want to shop around.

The new Jeep Grand Wagoneer was inevitable. While nearly every other domestic manufacturer had been playing in the full-size luxury SUV segment for decades, Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler), Jeep’s parent company, had not a single worthy contender in its portfolio. The previous Grand Wagoneer departed in 1919, and although there were hi-lux versions of the Gran Cherokee, they were in a different league size-wise. That’s where the 2023 Grand Wagoneer comes in.

The Grand Wagoneer, like the Navigator and Escalade, comes in two lengths. (Wheelbase is 123 inches for the regular version and 130 for the L; overall length is 214.7 inches and 226.7 inches for the L). But the real news is the new twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder “Hurricane” 510 engine. Standard on the Grand Wagoneer Series II and up, it’s rated for 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 rpm. We get that some owners will always take a V8 (the base Series I GW uses the aging 471-horsepower 6.4-liter V8), but the Hurricane’s torque peak arrives 1,000 rpm lower in the rev range, and it just feels more attuned to the job.

Inside, the Grand Wagoneer offers the usual array of leather and real wood finishes and manages to blaze its own path in terms of layout and design. If you’ve already come to terms with the bulk and inefficiencies typical of the segment, the Grand Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer L bring a fresh take—and oodles of storage, comfort and tech—to a sometimes staid formula.

Redesigned for the 2022 model year, the Lexus LX 600 continues to offer the look, feel and formidable off-road capability that buyers love. It’s a not-very-well-kept secret that it’s based on the venerable Toyota Land Cruiser, and it’s been that way since the LX made its 1996 model year debut. As a starting point for a high-luxe SUV, one could do a lot worse.

The 2022 LX 600 redesign arrived concurrently with the new J300-series Land Cruiser, but, for the first time in history, the LX will longer compete with its less-opulent sibling as Toyota pulled the Land Cruiser from the U.S. marketplace at the end of the 2021 model year. To help broaden its appeal in the absence of the Land Cruiser, Lexus offers an F-Sport package to replace the former Sport package. There’s also a VIP package that swaps the rear bench for pair of deluxe captain’s chairs, among other amenities.

Also new to the LX is the twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6. Rated for 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, it replaces the again but reliable V8 with 383 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque. The styling is borderline bizarre, the enormous trademark Lexus grille flowing back to beefy front fender flares and a square box of a body accented by geometrically crafted windows. The LX 600 will take you anywhere you want to go, on-road or off, in posh comfort, but it’s best suited to affluent adults with active lifestyles than families who really need the third row.

Now in its current third generation, the first-gen Mercedes-Benz GLS hit the streets in 2006. Officially named the GL-Class at the time, Mercedes instituted the “GLS” naming scheme with the current generation’s 2020 model year introduction. Based on the same body-on-frame architecture of the smaller GLE, the new GLS sports a wheelbase approximately 2.3 inches longer than its predecessor.

The GLS offers two core models, the six-cylinder GLS450 and the eight-cylinder GLS580. GLS450 sports a 362-horsepower turbocharged inline six while the GLS580 gets a 483-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. Both feature mild hybridization and nine-speed automatic transmission.

While the styling lacks the extroverted bravado of some competitors, the GLS lineup offers enough variety to satisfy most full-size SUV shoppers; there’s an AMG variant for those looking for supercar levels of performance and an uber-luxury $160k-plus Mercedes-Maybach GLS for the chauffeur-driven elite. Additionally, the big Benz SUV benefits from price creep affecting competing brands—including models that don’t carry the same prestige—making the GLS 450 (dare we say) something of a bargain when extra-cost options are kept to a minimum.

The Navigator debuted back in 1998 almost concurrently with the Escalade and the domestic full size Luxury SUV class race to win the hearts and wallets of America’s leisure class was off and running. Sure, those early models looked like an Expedition with the Lincoln grille grafted on; that’s because they were, and to an extent, still are. As the Escalade borrows from the Chevy Suburban, the Navigator does from the Ford Expedition. There’s no shame in that corporate inbreeding, however, as constant improvements have kept those bones fresh on both counts.

The current Navigator debuted for the 2017 model year leaps and bounds improved over its successor in all metrics. 2022 brings some mild design tweaks and some upgraded technology, but the characteristics that have made it a strong competitor remain largely unchanged. The twin-turbocharged V6 produces 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque; it’s the sole available engine, though we would like to see a version of the trick hybrid available in the current F-150 under its hood.

Notably, the Navigator is the first Lincoln to be offered with ActiveGlide, the rebranded version of the BlueCruise hands-free driver assist system offered on several Ford models. It’s good, but at this point, it’s just not as well-rounded as the GM’s Super Cruise system.

Redesigned in 2021 the GMC Yukon offers an alternative take on the full-size luxury approach, landing somewhere between the Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. It’s a stylish, high-quality and capable large SUV that can tow up to 8,400 pounds. Like the Escalade, it can be fitted with GM’s excellent new inline-six-cylinder turbo diesel. Unfortunately, the diesel isn’t available on all models, and some of the Yukon’s highest-end trims feel a little less special than the price suggests. But opt for a lower trim or the off-road-themed AT4, and you get a very satisfying and hugely roomy SUV for much less outlay than the top-drawer Denali.

As the Audi Q7 turns eight years old, it continues to deliver an expertly balanced package of reserved style, performance and technology. The U.S. version launched in 2006 as a 2007 model with rather androgynous styling, thought the trademark Audi grille ensure its rather rotund shape didn’t entirely disappear into the woodwork.

The current model has a choice of two powertrains. The standard 261-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder utilizes a mild 12-volt hybrid system; the optional 335-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 uses a 48-volt hybrid system. Both are well-suited to the job of motivating this aging beast, and the V6 only extracts 1 mpg across the board for its added grunt. Still, most typical drivers will be well-served by the four-cylinder.

Though the segment is crowded with proven rivals, the aging Q7 remains competitive and delivers a satisfying ownership experience.

Like the Lexus LX, the Infiniti QX80 is a luxury SUV crafted on the bones of a humbler vehicle with legendary off-road credentials. In the case of the QX80, that vehicle is the current Nissan Armada, which in turn is based on the overseas-market-only Nissan Patrol model that’s been bashing dunes and navigating jungles since its 1950s introduction. Though separated by decades of engineering changes, refinements and market-study alterations, a hint of that capability is still evident in the current Infiniti QX80.

The sole available powertrain is a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 good for 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed transmission funnels torque to either the rear wheels or the available four-wheel drive. A dozen years old, everything about the QX80 feels ancient, and it kind of is. But it displays that old-school solidness that is hard to fake with unibody construction and small turbocharged engines. And its price undercuts alternatives from Cadillac, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. There could stand to be more visual distance between it and the less-expensive Nissan Armada, but recent updates and a new 12.3-inch touchscreen help it pull its weight as a large luxury SUV that can provide a cosseting space for seven passengers.