You could once find a V8 anywhere in new American cars. Whether it was small hot hatchbacks such as the AMC Gremlin, or giant front-wheel-drive oddities such as the Oldsmobile Toronado, a large eight-cylinder motor was the norm under the hood. Naturally, the best place for a V8 has always seemed to be larger models, which need plenty of grunt to push them around. These days, most vehicles don't come much larger than SUVs, with three-row versions tending to replace large executive sedans for plush, cruising transportation.But something strange has happened. The V8-powered three-row SUV is fast becoming extinct, with just five models left with this configuration on the market. With EVs and hybrids taking over, straightforward grunt from an ICE V8 could soon be a thing of the past. HotCars decided to look at the five models that you can still get with this configuration. We are counting distinct nameplates, not variants for this list, and arranged them from cheapest to most expensive. Dodge Durango — $50,275 Bring a TrailerThe Dodge Durango is the sole non-GM three-row offering on the list. This outsider tends to lean into the muscle car legacy of Dodge rather than going down the luxury SUV route, even though it does have plenty of features. You get a 295-hp 3.6-liter V6 as standard in the GT, which will get you to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, but a 360-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (with 390 lb-ft of torque) is an option. This starter V8 is good for 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. But then things start to become interesting. Bring a TrailerAs we said, the Durango is easy to spec as an all-out muscle car for the whole extended family. The Durango R/T 392 models come with a 6.4-liter Hemi, pumping out 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. The sprint to 60 mph takes 4.3 seconds. If that's not enough to scare Aunt Doris in the back, Dodge will also build you a Durango SRT Hellcat, featuring a 710-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8. You'll be hitting 60 mph in 3.5 seconds in this deranged Durango.The GT starts at $50,275 and you get niceties like leather seats included. The SRT Hellcat Jailbreak has Brembo 4-wheel discs and Nappa leather. This top spec AWD Durango has a starting price of $80,990. Chevrolet Tahoe — $63,495 Source: Bradley Hasemeyer / Hot Cars / ValnetThe familiar Chevy Tahoe has been around since the early '90s. This model has gone from being a fairly utilitarian SUV version of a truck to a giant luxury SUV with a competitive price tag. To be fair, the 2026 Tahoe is still based on the Silverado pickup truck, but trucks have also come a long way in the past three decades, so you're not really going to notice its workhorse underpinnings. The Tahoe basically offers a bit of everything you could possibly need from modern life, from lashings of tech, to three rows of seats. It even has decent off-road capability thanks to optional 4WD. But the coolest feature of the Tahoe is under the hood. Source: Bradley Hasemeyer / Hot Cars / Valnet The Chevy Tahoe comes with not one but two different V8 options. A 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V8 engine is standard, but you can also choose a hearty 420-hp 6.2-liter unit too. Both engines are linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission. There is also a Duramax 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engine available if you want something more frugal. As you would expect, the Tahoe comes with a mind-boggling array of standard and optional equipment, from available Super Cruise advanced driver assistance technology to a power third row bench seat available in the higher end models. Prices start from a very reasonable $63,495, going up to $83,495 for the bells and whistles High Country spec. Chevrolet Suburban — $66,405 via ChevroletThe Chevy Suburban has always been a bit of an oxymoron. Is a ginormous SUV really the ideal vehicle for trundling around suburbia picking up a bottle of milk or the kids? Buyers of the long-running Suburban probably think so. Thankfully, the streets of suburban America tend to be large enough for this big Chevy (you'd probably get stuck Austin Powers–style if you tried to do a three-point turn in one in a European city), and the Suburban offers a lot for the money.It is essentially a close relation of the Tahoe, also being based on the Silverado 1500 pickup platform, but it is even bigger. The Suburban is 15 inches longer than the Tahoe and has a 13.2-inch longer wheelbase, resulting in more room inside. via Chevrolet Under the hood, the Suburban also comes with a choice of a 5.3-liter V8 engine as standard, with a higher-output 6.2-liter V8 optional. The top-tier High Country model has the 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine with Dynamic Fuel Management as standard, along with Magnetic Ride Control with available four-corner Air Ride Adaptive Suspension. Prices start at $66,405 for the basic LS trim, going up to $81,395 for the Premier, and $86,495 for the High Country. All engine options are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. GMC Yukon / Yukon XL — $72,395 GMCNo one can say that GM doesn't get its money's worth out of the Silverado. The Yukon and long-wheelbase Yukon XL are another couple of large three-row SUVs that also borrow the GM T1 platform underpinnings and control-arm front and multilink rear suspensions. So what's the difference? Aside from obviously offering something for GMC diehards with a large family, the three-row Yukon is pretty similar mechanically to the Chevys. The main difference is a slightly higher price point, which is reflected in more upmarket trimmings and a longer list of available goodies.GMC Naturally, there are two V8s to choose from in the Yukon, connected to that 10-speed auto. The Elevation and off-road-ready AT4 trims come with a 355-hp 5.3-liter V-8 as standard, whereas the Denali and Denali Ultimate have a 420-hp 6.2-liter V8. The XL model is (as you probably guessed) some 15 inches longer than the standard Yukon for a bit of extra space. The Denali Ultimate hits 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and, in terms of spec and opulence, starts to rival a Cadillac Escalade.The Ultimate comes fitted with Advanced Technology Package, including Super Cruise driver assistance tech, Air Ride Adaptive Suspension with ride height control, and a Bose Performance Series CenterPoint Surround 18-speaker audio system. The Yukon starts at $72,395 for the Elevation trim, right up to a starter price of $106,695 for the XL in Denali Ultimate. Cadillac Escalade / Escalade ESV — $93,995 CadillacA controversial favorite among footballers the world over (that's both the round and prolate spheroid versions), the Escalade is still going strong as one of the leaders in the luxury three-row SUV segment. You might be thinking, at least this Caddy won't be built on the same platform as the Yukon, Silverado, and Suburban, but: wrong. The Escalade rolls on the same T1 foundations, but that doesn't mean it's not a premium product. The Escalade and Escalade ESV (Escalade Stretch Vehicle—around 15 inches longer and with more legroom in the back) look contemporary and imposing, matching something like a Range Rover for out-and-out presence.CadillacThe Escalade doesn't mess around with the 5.3-liter V8, instead receiving the 420-hp and 460 lb-ft of torque 6.2-liter V8 as standard (naturally with a 10-speed automatic transmission). The Escalade isn't just decked-out with luxury materials inside, it has features that you might expect to see on a private jet. There is a 56-inch horizontal curved display in the cabin, with heated, vented, and massaging seats available in the first and second row as an available feature. A console fridge with freezer mode can hold up to six 24-ounce bottles of your favorite soda, at temperatures ranging from 41 to 23 degrees Fahrenheit.What really sets the Escalade aside is the firebreathing sleeper V-Series model, which features a 682-horsepower and 653 lb-ft 6.2-liter supercharged V8. This monster SUV can carry seven passengers and hit 60 mph in a scant 4.3 seconds. The Escalade starts at $93,995 for the base model, right up to $173,895 for the V-Series.
+4 others
