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Fastest SUVs
Quickest SUVs and Crossovers in 2019
January 13th, 2020
Fastest Small SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $31,195
- 0-60 mph:
- 6.4 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 252 hp @ 5,500 rpm
- Torque:
- 260 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
2020 Chevrolet Equinox with 2.0T engine
The Chevrolet Equinox has great infotainment features and comfortable seats but only average cargo space. Popular driver aids such as blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise can only be found on higher trims, making this a pricey vehicle depending on what you want out of it. And for the money, the quality of the Equinox's interior trim isn't quite up to par. But who cares? Equipped with the optional 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the Equinox knocked out a 6.4-second 0-60 mph run on our test track. That makes it a hot rod among small SUVs.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $36,080
- 0-60 mph:
- 6.6 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 250 hp @ 5,000 rpm
- Torque:
- 310 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm
2020 Mazda CX-5 with 2.5T engine
The Mazda CX-5 is one of our favorite small SUVs. It has interior quality and driving dynamics that challenge some luxury vehicles. It lags behind top competitors in terms of cargo space, but the premium experience does a lot to make up for that shortcoming. Otherwise, we can find very little fault with the CX-5, especially in its top two trims: Grand Touring Reserve and Signature. Both receive a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine that, in our testing, propelled the CX-5 to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $26,995
- 0-60 mph:
- 7.2 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 175 hp @ 5,500 rpm
- Torque:
- 195 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm
2020 Hyundai Kona with 1.6T Engine
If you're looking for an SUV that's smaller than popular picks such as the Honda CR-V, you might want to check out the Hyundai Kona. It stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to speed. When equipped with the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Kona went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds on our test track. That makes it quicker than some V6-equipped SUVs. You also get nimble handling and an extensive list of available features.
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Fastest Midsize SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $88,395
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.7 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 707 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 180 mph
- Torque:
- 645 lb-ft @ 4,800 rpm
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
The Jeep Grand Cherokee can be equipped as a luxurious SUV, an off-road specialist or a V8-powered speed monster. Considering the massive cost associated with the Trackhawk model, it almost seems unfair to include it in a list of mainstream midsize SUVs. That said, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk went from 0 to 60 mph more than twice as quick as a V6-equipped Grand Cherokee in our testing. You can thank its supercharged V8 and all-wheel drive for that. It's notable that while Jeep claims a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, the quickest run we were able to manage on our test track was 3.7 seconds. That's a bit slower, but it still means the Trackhawk can run with SUVs costing twice as much.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $64,490
- 0-60 mph:
- 4.9 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 475 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 180 mph
- Torque:
- 470 lb-ft @ 4,300 rpm
2020 Dodge Durango SRT
The Dodge Durango is getting pretty long in the tooth, having debuted in 2011. But the Durango can seat up to seven and tow up to 8,700 pounds. It can also blitz quite a few sports cars if you opt for the SRT model. It did 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds at our test track. That's a half-second slower than Dodge claims, but it's still a respectable performance.
Fastest Large SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $69,420
- 0-60 mph:
- 6.2 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 420 hp @ 5,600 rpm
- Top speed:
- 113 mph
- Torque:
- 460 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm
2020 Chevrolet Tahoe RST
With a 6.2-liter V8 under the hood, the Chevy Tahoe RST (technically the Tahoe Premier with the RST option package) -- and its corporate twin, the GMC Yukon Denali -- has plenty of power to shift its gargantuan bulk. In our testing, the Tahoe RST went from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds, an impressive time for a large SUV. The Tahoe is a strong pick for towing duty, but cargo space is a bit sparse with the third row in place, and a lot of desirable features are pricey options.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $75,330
- 0-60 mph:
- 6.4 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 400 hp @ 5,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 120 mph
- Torque:
- 480 lb-ft @ 3,250 rpm
2020 Ford Expedition Platinum
Our top-rated large SUV, the Ford Expedition has a ton of utility and road presence. The Expedition offers a 9,000-pound max towing capacity and a spacious, upscale interior with room for adults in all three rows. The Platinum trim, which gets a few extra horsepower over the base model, can also shuffle the Blue Oval behemoth to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds. You'll pay a premium for the Platinum, but the Expedition is a strong enough all-around SUV to feel like it's worth the money.
Fastest Small Luxury SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $82,040
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.6 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 505 hp @ 6,500 rpm
- Top speed:
- 176 mph
- Torque:
- 443 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio gains a horsepower every time someone misspells its name, which is why it's so fast. It really is an astonishingly quick and sporty SUV, and it's loads of fun to drive. It's just too bad about the rest of it: From the subpar infotainment to mixed-bag interior materials to the sometimes inconsistent build quality and rather stunning price tag, there's a lot to recommend against the Stelvio. But the Stelvio Quadrifoglio isn't a car you buy with your brain ... at least so long as your heart and your wallet can get along.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $85,095
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.6 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 503 hp @ 5,500 rpm
- Top speed:
- 174 mph
- Torque:
- 516 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm
2020 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 63 S Coupe
While so many luxury tuner subbrands are making their cars more focused (and less raw) in pursuit of Nurburgring bragging rights, AMG is willing to stay in the business of stuffing big engines into nice Mercs. The AMG GLC 63 gets its Popeye-with-too-much-spinach vibe courtesy of a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. You have to upgrade to the 63 S to get max acceleration, but it's only available in the coupe-like body style. You can get the regular 63 in the standard (more practical) GLC body.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $81,625
- 0-60 mph:
- 4.3 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 550 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 176 mph
- Torque:
- 502 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
2020 Jaguar F-PACE SVR
The Jaguar F-Pace SVR is another SUV from the school of "put a V8 in it." In this case, the use of a supercharger rather than a turbocharger makes the F-Pace SVR a bit more exotic. With belt-driven induction aid in place, the 5.0-liter V8 puts out 550 hp, enough to propel the Jag to 60 mph in a manufacturer-claimed 4.3 seconds. It also produces a wonderful noise, although it's probably not the best pick for a quick spin around the block to lull your baby to sleep.
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Fastest Midsize Luxury SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $106,695
- 0-60 mph:
- 4 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 600 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 189 mph
- Torque:
- 553 lb-ft @ 2,200 rpm
2019 BMW X6 M
Sure, the X6 is basically just a less practical and more expensive version of the X5, but it looks faster, so that's why it gets the headline. Whether you're willing to trade style for cargo room or not, both the X6 M and the X5 M get the same 600-hp turbo V8 and the same 3.8-second 0-60 mph time. For 2020, the Competition package adds an extra 17 horsepower and knocks the 0-60 run down a tenth. You'll pay about $530 a horsepower for the package, but can you really put a price on speed?
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $127,850
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.9 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 541 hp @ 5,750 rpm
- Top speed:
- 177 mph
- Torque:
- 568 lb-ft @ 1,960 rpm
2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
Remember when the internet was mad at Porsche for making SUVs? Yeah, we don't either. We're too busy enjoying Porsche's SUVs. It's a testament to the company's engineering chops that the Cayenne Turbo takes the top spot over the BMW and Mercedes even though it makes less power. But who cares that it's not the most powerful turbo V8 when it can get five people from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds? Porsche has proven that an SUV can be a sports car.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $111,195
- 0-60 mph:
- 4.1 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 577 hp @ 5,500 rpm
- Top speed:
- 174 mph
- Torque:
- 561 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm
2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S
Don't blink! Not only because the AMG GLE 63 S is so fast, but because it's going to disappear from this list (although only briefly). The current GLE 63 is still based on the first-generation GLE, and the second-generation model will be available as a 2021. The second-gen GLE is one of our favorite luxury SUVs and improves on the first generation in a number of meaningful ways. Still, a nice interior design and flashy infotainment tech don't matter as much as a teeth-rattling V8, right? At least if you're reading this list. Still, if you can muster the patience, we think the second-gen GLE 63 will be worth the wait.
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Fastest Large Luxury SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $100,595
- 0-60 mph:
- 4.5 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 523 hp @ 5,500 rpm
- Top speed:
- 155 mph
- Torque:
- 553 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm
2019 BMW X7 M50i
BMW and Mercedes-Benz both only just jumped into the large luxury SUV class. And without an AMG variant on the road yet, BMW has the faster offering. The X7 is a massive, plush vehicle with an extensive list of luxury upgrades. Add in the turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in the X7 M50i and you can coddle three rows of passengers from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $179,795
- 0-60 mph:
- 5.1 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 557 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 130 mph
- Torque:
- 516 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm
2020 Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic
The Range Rover name has stood for off-roadable luxury for decades. But look at where the company started and you'd probably never predict something like the Range Rover SVR. With its wide, sticky tires, it's not going to win any races in the mud, but it will win them on the pavement. The big 5.0-liter V8 puts down 557 hp, which it needs to haul around a name that long. It can also motivate the Rover from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.
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Fastest Super Luxury SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $200,000
- 0-62 mph:
- 3.6 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 641 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 190 mph
- Torque:
- 627 lb-ft @ 2,250 rpm
2019 Lamborghini Urus
If building SUVs worked for Porsche, why wouldn't it work for Lamborghini? Much to the chagrin of naysayers everywhere, the Urus is proving that applying the Lambo aesthetic to a crossover can succeed, and succeed in style. The turbocharged V8 (are you starting to see a pattern?) under the Urus' pointy hood helps make the Urus one of the quickest SUVs on the road with a 0-62 mph time of just 3.6 seconds (Lamborghini has only provided a 0-100 km/h time). Sure, a Huracan is quicker, but you can't take your family of four to Disneyland in a Huracan.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $171,500
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.7 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 590 hp @ 6,250 rpm
- Top speed:
- 189 mph
- Torque:
- 538 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
2020 Maserati Levante Trofeo
The Levante doesn't technically belong with exotics since the base model starts under $80,000. But the fastest model definitely belongs with more elite company: It tacks almost $100,000 onto the Levante's starting price. And what do you get for that? The smallest V8 you'll find on this list, at just 3.8 liters. The Trofeo manages to squeeze 590 hp out of that piddly little motor, which is good for a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $230,000
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.8 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 626 hp @ 5,000 rpm
- Top speed:
- 190 mph
- Torque:
- 664 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm
2019 Bentley Bentayga Speed
The Bentley Bentayga Speed is one of the world's fastest SUVs. How does a 190-mph top speed sound? But you probably won't ever be anywhere you can go 190 mph, which is why we've focused on the 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds. Luckily, the Bentayga is no slouch when it comes to building up a head of steam. The Bentayga Speed also has the largest engine on this list: a 6.0-liter W12 capable of making 626 hp. But it's worth mentioning that at our test track a V8-powered Bentayga matched the W12 model's claimed 0-60 mph time.
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Fastest Electric SUVs
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $106,190
- 0-60 mph:
- 2.7 seconds
- Horsepower:
- up to 686 hp
- Top speed:
- 163 mph
2019 Tesla Model X Performance
Tesla fans, rejoice: No list of the fastest SUVs could be complete without acknowledging that the Model X remains the king of 0-60 mph times. Put it in Ludicrous mode and let the instant torque snap you to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds, a time no other SUV even comes close to. We have our reservations about the Model X's build quality, ride quality and style-over-substance doors. But if you want to be in the 3-second club and you need three rows of seats, nothing else will do. Oh, but don't expect to understand how the Model X manages that feat since Tesla is close-lipped about its vehicle's actual output (especially since OTA updates can affect those numbers at any time).
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $70,525
- 0-60 mph:
- 4.2 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 394 hp
- Top speed:
- 124 mph
- Torque:
- 512 lb-ft
2020 Jaguar I-PACE
The I-Pace is a sleek, futuristic-looking EV with a comfortable, usable interior and entertaining driving character. Jaguar's lack of experience with EVs only shows through in braking refinement, where the transition from regenerative to mechanical braking could be handled a bit more smoothly. The I-Pace's 4.2-second 0-60 mph sprint at our test track doesn't exactly make it a world-beater, but it's the second quickest all-electric SUV we've seen, and a sight quicker than some mainstream sports cars.
- Starting price (including destination fee):
- $163,250
- 0-60 mph:
- 3.6 seconds
- Horsepower:
- 670 hp
- Top speed:
- 183 mph
- Torque:
- 663 lb-ft
2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid
This entry may be cheating a bit since the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is electrified rather than electric. But the fact remains you can drive it solely on battery power (albeit not very far), so we're sticking it in here since putting it anywhere else isn't fair to gas-powered cars. This plug-in Porsche produces staggering power from its combination powertrain and is good for a 3.6-second 0-60 mph sprint. Also, because there's still a turbocharged V8 under the hood, there's no range anxiety (although with just 22 mpg combined when running on gas, there aren't many green points to be won either).
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Next Steps
Now that you know the fastest SUVs, it's time to consider your budget and your needs (or, perhaps, just your desires). Our full ratings and reviews can help you better understand each vehicle and choose the one that's right for you. You can also use our shopping tools to find discounts in your area.
It's worth remembering that many of the SUVs in this list are pricier trim levels of vehicles that are still fun to drive even when they make a bit less power. If the drag strip doesn't feature regularly in your commute, it might be worth weighing the pros and cons of stepping down a bit engine-wise to get a better price and better fuel economy.
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