The full-sized SUV has lost some of its popularity in recent years due to the rise of the smaller, more fuel efficient crossover vehicle. Yet, 2016 has seen a resurgence in the mid and full-sized SUV. Vehicles like the 2016 Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Ford Explorer Sport and the Land Rover LR4 are taking the SUV market back from the little guys.
Economy Trim
If you’re looking for the best value package, then look no further than the 2016 Honda Pilot Elite trim. It comes in on the large end of the spectrum and seats 8 passengers. Yet, it still gets 27 miles per gallon on the highway. It’s also got some impressive safety features. The 2016 Pilot Elite trim has a five star crash rating and has blind spot monitoring. It also has Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Electronic Brake Distribution. The focus here is centered on providing an affordable vehicle that can keep everyone safe without having to keep filling up at the gas station.
Utility Trim
The 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee is just begging for a hard day’s work or a rough trail ride. There are eight different trim packages, but even the base model comes with a 3,500 lb. towing capacity.
The Summit trim is perhaps the best way to experience all that the Jeep Grand Cherokee has to offer. The Summit trim has 68.3 cubic feet of cargo space and still seats 5 passengers comfortably. It has QuadraLift air suspension that turns the vehicle into a virtual transformer. In just a few moments, you can go from a ride height of 6.6 inches to 11.3 inches of maximum ground clearance.
Sporty Trim
The 2016 Ford Explorer Sport has the performance features and sporty exterior to rival the smaller crossover vehicles in its category. It’s been redesigned for the new year and the EcoBoost V6 engine has best in class acceleration. It has a 3.5 Liter twin turbo with direct fuel injection that gets a whopping 365 horsepower. The powertrain is expertly managed by intelligent four wheel drive and a sport-tuned suspension. It’s not just about what’s under the hood either. The 2016 Ford Explorer has exterior trim accents like chrome tipped dual exhaust and 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
Luxury Trim
The 2016 Land Rover LR4 could easily rival the Jeep Grand Cherokee in offroad capabilities. Yet, it’s also got one of the most refined and luxurious interior trims. The LR4 comfortably seats seven passengers and has enough entertainment features to keep the whole crew entertained. The HSE Silver Edition trim comes with a 17 speaker, 825-Watt Meridian sound system with sub-woofer. You can upgrade this package even further to include 8-inch video monitors embedded in the back of the front headrests, wireless headphones and auxiliary inputs for mobile devices.
Final Thoughts
All of the trim levels in this selection are loaded down with next generation features. The fears that SUVs would go the way of the dinosaur are turning out to be completely unfounded. In 2016, you can go large and still get an SUV that’s affordable, rugged, sporty and sophisticated.