Every Truck-Based SUV Still Sold Today (2024)

Based on the same frame on the new Chevrolet Silverado, the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban are as tough as they come, boasting nearly 10 inches of maximum ground clearance with air springs and more than 122 cubic feet of cargo space. No wonder they outsold all other full-size, body-on-frame SUVs combined in the United States last year. To help with ride quality and handling, the new family haulers from General Motors now employ the help from an independent rear suspension. The Tahoe and Suburban should be for sale in the middle of 2020 as the biggest SUVs Chevy has made yet.

The new GMC Yukon, like its Chevy cousins, hopes to continue its success in the large luxury SUV segment. They're based on the Sierra/Silverado truck frame, but they are completely redesigned in a way that improves fuel economy, cargo space, and options. A pretty sweet deal considering the price difference between SLE trim models is only $100 from last generation models. As before, the Denali is where the luxury truly shines and offers options such as a panoramic sunroof, 22-inch wheels, air suspension, and rear-seat entertainment screens. The Yukon and Yukon XL will be available sometime mid-2020.

Although the new Cadillac Escalade won't be on sale until later this year, it will remain a body-on-frame model until the world says no to big SUVs, which won't be happening anytime soon. Now in its sixth generation, this large luxury SUV can be had with either a 420-hp 6.2-liter V-8 or a 277-hp 3.0-liter turbo-diesel. A completely digital gauge cluster and infotainment display bring this classic into the modern world. The top trimmed Platinum Sport gets AKG Studio Reference system with a whopping 36 speakers, but starts at an even louder $101,290.

Until the arrival of the new Bronco, it's the only body-on-frame sport-ute Ford currently offers. Buyers can choose between two body lengths: the Expedition and the Expedition Max, which is nearly a foot longer. Both feature ever-more luxurious trim levels before getting to the swankier Lincoln Navigator that rivals Cadillac's Escalade. The EcoBoost V-6 proves a solid replacement for displacement (especially in the 450-hp, Raptor-powered Navigator), but it hardly delivers better fuel economy, and overall refinement lags behind many of its rivals. The Expedition Max can seat up to eight.

The Jeep Wrangler sticks to a classic military format with a wide-opening two- or four-door cabin with removable doors and fold-down windscreen and unsurpassed go-anywhere capability. But the new Wrangler is upgraded with modern amenities and tech, including available mild-hybrid assist. A plug-in hybrid, known as the Wrangler 4XE is also in the works. While it's undoubtedly more refined than earlier models, it remains, for better or worse, resolutely more trucklike than most anything else on the market. The bottom line is that nobody will mistake this Jeep for a mall-crawling, kid-hauling crossover.

The Lexus GX cuts a decidedly different profile from Lexus's hot-selling crossovers, and it sticks to an old-school powertrain to go with its rugged construction. It also packs that frame with all the leather, tech, and power equipment you could want in a luxury vehicle. On solid pavement, it'll be outclassed by most unibody crossovers. But off-road, its locking differential and permanent four-wheel drive will take it just about anywhere the bigger (and substantially pricier) Land Cruiser/LX will go. No wonder the Japanese giant sold nearly twice as many of these in the U.S. last year than all the Land Cruisers and Sequoias combined.

Mercedes-Benz offers plenty of unibody crossovers, but only one body-on-frame sport-ute. That's the G-class, an off-roader as capable as any Jeep or Land Rover. The new Geländewagen stays true to its roots and projects an unsurpassed presence both on and off the road. Yet it's surprisingly refined on dry pavement, if a bit wobbly around corners and noisy on the freeway. A twin-turbo V-8 is the only engine available, producing a handsome 416 horsepower in the standard G550, and a prodigious 577 horses in AMG G63 spec. Either way, you're looking at a six-figure price tag that makes it by far the most expensive vehicle on this list.

The Titan-based Nissan Armada stretches nearly 17 1/2 feet long and is capable of hauling 8500 pounds. It's bigger and brawnier than anything this side of a Suburban or Expedition. But it's surprisingly agile, comfortable inside, and can be loaded with enough luxuries to make us wonder why (badge snobbery aside) anyone would need to trade up to the Infiniti QX80, which is essentially a fancier and pricier version of the same thing. Its hardly frugal at the pump, its infotainment system is outdated, and the steering too light. But none of those factors kept it from tying the Suburban to secure our Editor's Choice award for the best large SUV.

Most of these SUVs are gargantuan beasts. The mid-size Toyota 4Runner is one of the few exceptions, taking up barely more space than a four-door Wrangler and weighing a good thousand pounds less than most of the vehicles here. It's eminently capable off the beaten path, especially in mid-level TRD Off Road or top TRD Pro spec. After more than a decade on the market, though, the 4Runner is showing its age, with inadequate on-road manners, poor ergonomics, and cheap-feeling interior. So, unless you have some serious rock-crawling to do, we'd suggest looking elsewhere.

The Toyota Land Cruiser has ventured far from its utilitarian roots as it has grown into a proper luxury SUV. That point's driven home by its twin, the Lexus LX, which costs a little more while dressing to the nines with a big mouthful of chrome. Under either badge, it's the most expensive vehicle the company makes under, of course, the Lexus LC coupe. But it's still one of the most capable off-roaders you can get at any price. As with most body-on-frame SUVs, it won't impress with its wobbly handling, light steering, or dismal fuel economy. But it has a pleasantly compliant ride and packs every creature comfort you could want.