12 New SUVs With Captain Seats In 2024

Buyers looking for a new family-sized SUV or crossover now have a huge array of options to pick from, with almost every major manufacturer offering at least one model, and many offering several. Narrowing down a few top picks with such a large pool of options to pick from can be a difficult task, but one of the easiest ways to start eliminating models is to focus on those with a specific list of features.

One popular feature is the availability of captain's seats, which offer superior space and comfort compared to standard bench seats. They're available in a wide range of SUVs and crossovers stretching from budget-oriented picks to six-figure luxury land yachts, but not every three-row SUV offers them. This roundup isn't an exhaustive list of every SUV and crossover with captain's seats, but rather a selection of 12 top picks that have been put through their paces by SlashGear's review team in the past year.

Despite being fairly similar to the outgoing model underneath the vehicle, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is a radical departure from previous generations in terms of styling. It does a solid job of borrowing exterior design elements from famous off-road vehicles (including the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser) without looking too much like a rip-off of any of them. Its newly toughened looks haven't resulted in much extra all-terrain capability, but it's not like the vast majority of buyers will ever notice.

The car's cabin also takes inspiration from pricier rivals, with the color-changing ambient lighting taking inspiration from Mercedes and other interior elements looking similar to designs from Volvo and Land Rover. Following in the footsteps of the aforementioned luxury brands, the Santa Fe offers optional second-row captain's chairs for its top-spec trims. SlashGear's reviewer found the captain's chairs to be comfortable, if not exceptional but noted that the third row of seats was noticeably more cramped than other SUVs in the segment. However, at a starting price of $46,500 for the Calligraphy trim of our test vehicle, it's only fair to expect a few compromises.

The latest generation Lexus GX launched for the 2024 model year as an all-new SUV with a familiar nameplate. It blends the all-terrain capability enjoyed by owners of previous generations of the car with a fresh helping of both luxury and tech, with the latter being especially different from the outgoing model. It shares a platform with the Toyota Land Cruiser, and from the outside, the relationship between the two is plain to see. Inside, there are a number of key differences, including the availability of captain's chairs in the second row of the GX.

The captain's chairs are only available on the higher-spec trims of the SUV, with base-spec and off-road trims only available with a standard bench seat. The cheapest variant available with captain's chairs is Premium+, which starts at $69,250 for 2024. That's a little steep compared to other similarly sized luxury SUVs, but then, few of them will be quite so capable off-road.

Mercedes-Benz's increasingly sprawling range of SUVs now includes both gas-powered and electric SUVs of various potency, with the most powerful variants offering performance once reserved for sports cars. The 2024 GLS 4MATIC isn't the fastest SUV in the range, although it's still reassuringly punchy, with a 0-60 mph time under five seconds. It's also not the most luxurious — that honor goes to the Maybach GLS — but the GLS 4MATIC still feels more than plush enough to justify its six-figure price tag.

The interior is furnished generously with leather upholstery and metal accents, and the optional second row captain's chairs allow passengers to travel in superior comfort. A regular bench seat is also available, which brings the maximum number of occupants to seven. For additional luxury, an options package is also available that adds massage and ventilation functions to the captain's chairs. All of this comes at an unsurprisingly high price, with SlashGear's test car retailing for $124,260. There are also a laundry list of further options available to push that final price even higher.

An SUV for buyers who want maximum practicality, space, and off-road chops, the latest generation Toyota Sequoia doesn't rewrite the rulebook. It shares a platform with the Tundra pickup but offers three rows of seats with captain's chairs available in higher trims. It's not the absolute most spacious SUV in its class, whether the standard bench seat or captain's chairs are optioned, but it's still more than cavernous enough for all but the most demanding of families.

It's competitively equipped with plenty of infotainment and safety tech, and the cabin's leather interior prioritizes function over aesthetics. The all-terrain focus of the Sequoia is not a bad thing, but it means that buyers looking for a premium road-focused family hauler will find better value elsewhere. The cheapest trim of the Sequoia to feature captain's chairs is the Sequoia Limited, which starts at $73,865 for 2024. However, those with deeper pockets can stretch the car's final price north of $85,000.

It's hard to stand out in the increasingly crowded three-row crossover segment, but the 2024 Volkswagen Atlas makes a valiant effort. Despite a design that shares a clear family resemblance with other cars in the brand's range, this is Volkswagen at its most American – the Atlas is built in America and designed squarely for stateside buyers. That includes the interior, which delivers space on par with its chief rivals and layout versatility in the form of optional second-row captain's chairs.

The third row is roomy enough to seat adults on shorter journeys and easier to get in and out of than many rivals. Elsewhere in the interior, the Atlas is a typical Volkswagen, with infotainment and safety tech broadly comparable with what else is on offer in the brand's range. The Atlas starts at under $40,000 for 2024. However, opting for the cheapest trim available with captain's chairs — SE with Technology — will bring that total up to $44,220.

The Mazda CX-90 offers all the industry standard features that buyers expect from a three-row crossover. It's roomy enough to serve as a family hauler, even if the third row isn't the most spacious in the class, and it's decently equipped across all trim levels. Another increasingly common feature in the segment, a pair of second-row captain's chairs, are also present and correct. Like most of its rivals, the CX-90 only offers captain's chairs in its highest trims, while lower trims have to make do with a three-person bench seat.

So far, so unremarkable, but the CX-90 does pack a few surprises. The first is its handling, which is sharper than virtually all of its rivals, even those with substantially higher price tags. Its interior materials are also on par with certain pricier SUVs, which is all the more impressive given the car's affordable starting price. Then, there's its styling, which reflects the car's athletic intentions and, as a result, is one of the best-looking crossovers in its class. The base-spec CX-90 starts at a hair under $40,000, but to get the captain's chairs, more powerful engine, and premium interior found on our test vehicle, buyers will need to spend around $60,000.

Many people know what it's like to be outshone by a relative. In the 2024 Infiniti QX60's case, that relative is the Nissan Pathfinder, the cheaper SUV on which the QX60 is based. It might not come with the same generous helping of leather or complex tech as its Infiniti-badged cousin, but the Pathfinder's shared platform and engine means that, in pure driving terms, there's not much to pick from between the two.

The added tech isn't necessarily a win for the Infiniti either, as our reviewer found it needlessly complicated to use and generally distracting while on the road. Despite its flaws in other areas, it's hard to fault the QX60 for luxury, with the front seats offering heated, ventilated, and massage functionality and captain's chairs available for the second row. The third row is only a bench seat, but it's roomy enough for children or small adults. The biggest stumbling block for many buyers is likely to be the car's price, which cost nearly $70,000 in SlashGear's test spec.

Buyers looking for a spacious SUV with a Toyota badge have multiple options, with the Grand Highlander being one of the freshest faces in its lineup. It has been designed for buyers who value space above all else, with all three rows comfortable for adults and up to eight seats available. As standard, however, the Grand Highlander is a seven-seater with a pair of captain's chairs in the second row. With its top-spec Hybrid Max powertrain, the captain's chairs are the only option, as the alternative three-wide bench isn't available.

The Grand Highlander is very much a typical Toyota in most other regards, in that it's well-equipped, comfortable, and pleasant (although not necessarily exciting) to drive. The Hybrid Max powertrain is the closest buyers will get to driving enjoyment, with our tester impressed by its capability off the line. That said, it's still no match for the likes of the Mazda CX-90 in the corners. The Toyota can also get quite pricey in the upper parts of its trim range, but it starts at a more reasonable $43,320.

The badge might be familiar to buyers, but little else is familiar about Kia's latest SUV. The 2024 Kia EV9 is one of the brand's most upmarket vehicles to date, aiming to take market share away from the traditional premium brands, and its interior delivers on that brief. It's finished in suitably upscale materials, and the captain's seats give passengers the luxury of added room and comfort on longer journeys.

The exterior is also markedly different from other models in Kia's range, but the biggest change for existing Kia owners looking to upgrade to the EV9 will be the electric powertrain. Depending on trim, the EV9 gets anywhere between 230 and 309 miles of officially quoted range. That might be a sticking point for buyers looking to frequently take their families on longer road trips, but even the base variant offers more than enough juice for everyday driving. There are some EV-specific benefits, too, with the car being quicker off the line than most of its gas-powered rivals. However, all of the added luxury and capability comes at a cost. The base-spec EV9 starts at $54,900, and a fully optioned, top-spec example reaches close to $83,000, including the destination fee.

Updated for the 2024 model year, the GMC Acadia promises more space than the outgoing model, no matter whether buyers opt for the second-row bench seat or available captain's chairs. The midsize SUV is available in a variety of flavors ranging from luxury to off-road oriented, with the Denali trim being the go-to for the former. That top-spec trim starts at $55,695, while the mid-tier AT4 costs at least $51,395, and the base-spec Elevation rounds out the bottom of the range at $43,995.

Buyers already familiar with the Acadia's rivals shouldn't find too many surprises in the 2024 model's list of updates. A new, larger infotainment touchscreen is standard, plus a smattering of updated safety and assistance tech, including the latest version of GM's Super Cruise. There's a smaller standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, too, replacing the old 3.6-liter V6 engine. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Acadia is standing out against such a packed field of rivals, but for those already inclined toward the GMC brand, there's plenty to like.

The latest iteration of Nissan's long-running Pathfinder SUV starts at $36,650 for the 2024 model year. A wide range of trims is available, culminating in the $51,520 four-wheel drive Pathfinder Platinum. SlashGear's tester was a mid-spec Pathfinder Rock Creek, an off-road-oriented version of the SUV that adds a tougher look to the family hauler.

It's about more than just looks, though, and our reviewer found that the beefier tires and modest lift were enough to add a genuinely useful extra layer of capability in the snow. It's not enough to match a dedicated off-road SUV, but it should provide extra reassurance to drivers over the winter season. The car was impressively comfortable as well as being capable, and there was plenty of space for hauling bulky items as well as people. Captain's chairs also came as standard in our tester, although bench seats are available elsewhere within the Pathfinder range.

The 2024 Lexus TX 350 is the upmarket cousin of the Toyota Grand Highlander, sharing its platform and being similarly spacious inside as a result. Also shared are the available captain's chairs, which come standard on higher trims. Upscale upholstery, Lexus-specific infotainment, and a new set of powertrain options separate the TX 350 from its cheaper counterpart. The car's exterior styling is unique, too, and it features a new iteration of Lexus' infamous gaping grille. This time, it's integrated better into the front fascia and features body-colored slats, but it still won't be for everyone.

The base-spec TX 350 starts at $55,050 for 2024, while the priciest TX 550h+ Luxury AWD trim tops the range at $78,050. The TX doesn't fundamentally change what makes the brand's cars appealing, with a focus on sensible, well-thought-out luxury, but that's no bad thing. Quite the opposite, in fact; it's another strong entry into what's already an impressive lineup from the manufacturer.