10 Three-Row Crossover Vehicles That Won't Crush Your Budget

If you can't bear the thought of being seen in a minivan, a three-row crossover is your best bet. However, even the least expensive models can get costly.
By Jason Notte ,

The three-row crossover basically is the new minivan: just way more expensive.

We've attempted to espouse the virtues of the old, reliable minivan before, and it's overwhelmingly clear that the average U.S. car-buyer would sooner staple a diaper to his or her forehead than actually drive a minivan and look like the parents they are. There have been only 367,000 minivans sold this year, down 12.2% from the same time last year.

By comparison, General Motors sells twice that many cars in the U.S. in a month, while Toyota sells nearly three times as many. However, all automakers have sold more than 3.3 million crossovers through September -- or nearly ten times the number of minivans sold during the same period. However, the price of just about every minivan on the road starts at under $30,000, with the Dodge Grand Caravan and its whopping 144 cubic feet of total cargo space starting at below $22,000. A three-row crossover, meanwhile, is a bit costlier.

"With an average starting price hovering around $30,000, the three-row crossover segment is not a cheap one to enter," said David Thomas, Cars.com managing editor. "With car shoppers flocking to these family-friendly minivan alternatives, we sought to help shoppers understand where they'll be able to get the most bang for their buck over the life of their purchase."

Cars.com picked through its three-row offerings and attempted to find the most reasonably priced options, but it needed a little help. Only one model came in with a starting price below $30,000. But, by factoring in the five-year residual value and subtracting it from the five-year cost of fuel, it was able to determine the final cost of ownership for a family taking their vehicle for the long haul.

While that didn't produce a whole lot more vehicles below $30,000, it did make the three-row crossover seem at least reasonable to families determining just how much mom and dad can bear to be seen in a minivan. If the minivan stigma is just too much, here are the ten most cost-effective options on the road:

10. 2015 Ford Flex SEL

Tested price: $33,995

Five-year fuel cost: $10,250

Five-year residual value: $9,858.55

Final cost: $34,386.45

All of the little cube-shaped party boxes that were released a few years ago to entice young people into the road trips of yesteryear all failed spectacularly for one big reason: they didn't have enough room to appeal to families, older buyers and other folks who actually spend money on new cars.

The Flex has no such issue. Basically a minivan in a crossover's body, the Flex has room for seven, 44 inches of legroom in the second row and a power folding mechanism for getting into the third row. A surprising amount of headroom make easy to transport a large crew or throw some gear in the back and take a long trip all while giving them enough room to maneuver regardless of height.

Options such as sliding second-row captain's seats, Microsoft Sync phone, entertainment and navigation systems in its MyFord Touch screen, DVD entertainment center for the back, a multipanel sunroof, a third-row seat that flips into a rear-facing tailgate bench and second-row fridge console for road sodas compensate somewhat for its roughly 20 combined miles per gallon. It used to look like a giant Mini Cooper, but standout frame, spacious 80 cubic feet of cargo room make it as close as you'll get to a locker room on wheels.

9. 2015 Dodge Durango SXT Plus

Tested price: $34,585

Five-year fuel cost: $10,250

Five-year residual value: $10,721.35

Final cost: $34,113.65

Yeah, this brawny 6,200-pound beast looks a lot more intimidating than the Grand Caravan, but it has a lot of the same features. The UConnect audio, leather-wrapped steering wheel, the modular seating, the 3.6-liter V6 engine... it's all exactly what you're going to find in the minivan. Know what's missing, though? About 60 extra cubic feet of cargo space. You're paying about $13,000 more for less space just to avoid looking like a parent. Good job.

8. 2015 Chevrolet Traverse 1LT

Tested price: $34,670

Five-year fuel cost: $10,750

Five-year residual value:$11,441.10

Final cost: $33,978.90

Built on the same platform as the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, this is the entry-level version of General Motors' Lambda crossover platform. Aside from window dressing, there really isn't much separating the three.

They all have roughly the same electronics package featuring the MyLink radio and apps-based entertainment system. They all seat eight passengers comfortably. They all have 116 cubic feet of combined cargo space the best in their class.

So why pick the Traverse? Because a family on a budget doesn't need to blow $8,000 extra on the Buick's luxury appointments. $34,000 isn't cheap by any means, but it also isn't more than $40,000. Besides, the 1LT will get you a remote starter, rear parking assist, an 8-way power adjustable driver's seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.


7. 2015 Nissan Pathfinder SV

Tested price: $33,875

Five-year fuel cost: $9,000

Five-year residual value: $9,823.75

Final cost: $33,051.25

Just becoming a crossover was a tough task for the Pathfinder, which was far more used to life as an iconic '90s SUV.

As recently as a year ago, the Pathfinder was still being built to compete with the Chevy Blazer and Ford Bronco. It was hopped up on trucks, still getting a paltry 18 miles per gallon and it still firmly believed a 4.0-liter V6 is something anyone wants in a family vehicle. Recently, it joined the rest of the modern automotive world by switching to a car-platform crossover, trimming to a 3.5-liter V6 and cutting fuel economy to a combined 23 miles per gallon. It still has seven seats, nearly 80 cubic feet of storage room with the two rows of rear seats down. The second row moves up five inches for easy rear-seat access and there's three-zone climate control to go with an available three-zone entertainment center.

6. 2015 Mazda CX-9 Touring

Tested price: $33,360

Five-year fuel cost: $10,750

Five-year residual value:$11,676.00

Final cost: $32,434.00

The words Mazda and big don't tend to occupy the same sentence often. The Mazda 5, the company's attempt at a minivan, has only 44 cubic feet of cargo space at its largest. Its most iconic car -- the MX-5 Miata -- is a two-seater.

The CX-9 is the big exception. With 139 cubic feet of passenger room and maximum cargo capacity of nearly 101 cubic feet, it's absolutely cavernous. Granted, it gets a scant 21 miles per gallon thanks to its hulking size, but the touring version distracts from that awfulness with standard backup camera and sensors, an 8-way power driver's seat, heated front seats and leather seating.

5. 2016 Honda Pilot EX

Tested price: $33,310

Five-year fuel cost: $9,500

Five-year residual value: $11,991.60

Final cost: $30,818.40

It got a huge upgrade for 2016, mostly because the 2015 version was atrocious. A combined 20 miles per gallon is awful, no matter what navigation, telematics and wireless features Honda added as distractions. The Pilot was also unnecessarily bulky, with the folks at Honda's plant in Lincoln, Ala. trimming 300 pounds off its frame between generations. It's still the biggest SUV Honda makes, with seating for up to 8 and 109 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. That seems to suit U.S. owners and their families just fine as U.S. sales recovered from 83,000 after the recession in 2009 to nearly 110,000 last year.

The EX version makes itself even friendlier by adding LED daytime running lights, a 10-way power driver's seat, an 8-inch touchscreen audio display, a multi-angle rearview camera, pushbutton rear sear access and the HondaLink service app.

4. 2016 Ford Explorer Base

Tested price: $31,645

Five-year fuel cost: $10,250

Five-year residual value: $11,392.20

Final cost: $30,502.80

The king of the gas-guzzling SUVs is now a “full-size” crossover for an automaker with no desire to build a true minivan again. Laden with safety features including adaptive cruise control, hill descent control, blind-spot warning and intelligent four-wheel drive, the Explorer is more for family safety than a weekend of overlanding.

However, third-row power-folding seats, room for seven, up to 82 cubic feet of cargo capacity, parking assist, front and rear cameras, the Microsoft Sync entertainment and information system and an available hands-free liftgate are all designed to make this crossover shuttle as easy on driving parents as possible. Sure, the Explorer brand itself has a few miles on the tires, but that doesn't mean it's out of new tricks.

3. 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS

Tested price: $31,045

Five-year fuel cost: $9,750

Five-year residual value: $11,797.10

Final cost: $28,997.90

Hyundai has had the Santa Fe in the rotation for a while now, but its success on rental lots and elsewhere comes down to one thing: Space. The 147-cubic feet of passenger space are surprisingly roomy, though its 80 cubic feet of cargo space seem about average for its class.

That said, you're getting Hyundai's ten-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, dual automatic climate control, heated front seats, touchscreen audio, a rearview camera, Bluetooth connectivity and HD Radio for what amounts to a base price for this vehicle. The Santa Fe has a way of feeling loaded for a crossover that's a frugal pick for this category.

2. 2015 Toyota Highlander LE Plus

Tested price: $34,175

Five-year fuel cost: $9,500

Five-year residual value: $15,037.00

Final cost: $28,638.00

This Camry-based crossover helped kill the lumbering conventional SUV when it was introduced little more than a decade ago and continues to trim the fat, especially in hybrid form. That mileage complements features like a panoramic moonroof, power liftgate, three-zone climate control and backup camera without sacrificing the Highlander's 94 cubic feet of storage space or three rows of seating.

LE Plus, however, provides integrated fog lights, a flip-up rear hatch window and an adjustable power liftgate for your extra splurge.

1. 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL

Tested price: $25,845

Five-year fuel cost: $7,750

Five-year residual value: $8,270.40

Final cost: $25,324.60

Mitsubishi doesn't sell many cars in the U.S. compared to its competitors -- and, after this year, won't produce any either -- but it sells a whole bunch of this one.

The Outlander Sport is just a step above the base model and comes with dual-zone climate control, a rearview camera with 6-inch screen, keyless entry, push-button start, three rows of seating, 34 cubic feet of storage behind the second row and 63 behind the first. Combined with the multi-information display, heated front seats, HD Radio, Bluetooth and leather steering wheel -- and combined 27 miles per gallon -- the Outlander is Mitsubishi at its best. However, when you kick it up to the SEL version, you get leather seating, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats and a 6.1-inch touchscreen display with backup camera.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.

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