Best luxury SUV to buy for 2021
Sure, you can spend over $100,000 on a luxury SUV, but seriously, you don’t have to. You can spend a more modest amount and still go home with a prestigiously badged SUV. You have options and we want to help you sort through them all. No matter if you’re shopping on the low end of the luxury SUV spectrum or you want to spend mortgage-like amounts of money, we have a choice for you.
Our picks for the best luxury SUVs run from $47,000 to more than five times that amount, so despite being about luxury, this isn’t a list of unobtainium — that said, some of our editors are dreaming.
There’s a whole assortment of models our editors chose so dive into them all.
2020 Lincoln Navigator gets smoother Monochromatic themes
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2021 Lincoln Navigator
Lincoln’s new Navigator is just about the best way to spend your money in the luxury full-size SUV space. Its primary competitor, the Escalade, which also has a third-row seat, is nearly equally priced and it feels like it’s 10 years old. The choice among large SUVs is obvious.
The Navigator drives like a dream and its interior is some of Lincoln’s best work in… maybe forever. The world needs more blue interiors.
— Andrew Krok
The Bentley Bentayga gets a 626-horsepower Speed variant
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2021 Bentley Bentayga
Let’s see… a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine producing 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Why wouldn’t this be my choice among my favorite luxurious SUVs?
Sure, it costs over $200,000, but I can’t help thinking how fun it would be to slap some aggressive tires on the Bentayga and hit the dunes.
In addition to its superluxurious interior, the Bentayga has eight driving modes, including those for snow, sand, grass and trails. And if the W12 is too much for you, there are also V8 and hybrid models.
— Emme Hall
2020 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid is a plug-in with punch
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2021 Porsche Cayenne
From a 335 hp twin-turbo V6 model to the 670 hp Turbo S E-Hybrid, the Cayenne spans a wide potential performance gamut.
It’s a big SUV, but it still handles like a proper Porsche. Plus, the new PCM infotainment, also seen in the Panamera models, is streets ahead of the older system with increased functionality and ease of use.
— Antuan Goodwin
Read more: Best midsize SUVs for the money
Pretty but slightly impractical sums up the 2020 Mazda CX-9
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2021 Mazda CX-9
You might not think of Mazda as a luxury brand, but I promise, in its top trim levels, the 2021-mazda-cx-9 is as nice as many of the other SUVs on this list.
A 2.5-liter turbocharged engine is mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic. It’s like the proverbial butter behind the wheel. But you don’t even have to drive this mid-size SUV to appreciate how well the CX-9 punches above its weight. Just look at it. It’s stunning.
— Manuel Carrillo III
2021 Audi Q7
The three-row Q7 pretty much rocks at everything. It handles like an Audi should, it looks great, packs in plenty of passengers, and it has all the latest tech. The bonus: it starts with a base price under $55,000.
Two engine choices are offered. The spry little 2.0-liter turbo with 252 horsepower is enough to motivate the Q7 around town, or you can go big and get a twin-turbo V6 with 335 hp.
The Q7 has excellent tech, from active safety to the intuitive MMI infotainment system and now comes with a virtual cockpit standard.
— Jake Holmes
2020 Mercedes-AMG G63 is the over-the-top SUV of your dreams
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2021 Mercedes-AMG G63
Yes, it’s a ridiculous anachronism, but nothing drives or feels like a Gelandewagen. It’s singularly lovable and memorable, a true living legend that drips both luxury and off-road ability.
The V8-powered G550 offers ample performance, but why not go with the 577-horsepower G63? Sure, it starts at $147,500, but aren’t you worth it?
— Chris Paukert
2021 GMC Yukon Denali
GMC’s big-boy Yukon Denali comes standard with a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, which is mated to an excellent 10-speed automatic transmission. It offers a really smooth and quiet ride for such a big, body-on-frame sport utility vehicle.
Denali-specific exterior touches add a little more styling and look better than the too-flashy Cadillac Escalade.
— Jon Wong
2020 Land Rover Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition is long on name, beauty
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2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar
The Velar
may start at under $60,000, but that doesn’t mean it’s not chock-a-block with British luxury.
This car is loaded with advanced driver aid systems, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist. You can also get some cool car tech like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, traffic sign recognition and a drowsy driver monitor.
The interior is a minimalist’s delight, flooded with light from an available panoramic moonroof. Comfortable front seats are heated and cooled and come with massage functionality. And cargo capacity is impressive.
— Steven Ewing
2021 Jaguar I-Pace
Luxury is increasingly about reduction of stress, and silently flying down the road in an electric SUV that requires basically zero maintenance and has comprehensive safety features certainly would make it pretty easy to relax.
Not that any owner is likely to go there, but the all-wheel drive I-Pace is a legitimately good off-road driving vehicle. I tackled some impressively steep terrain on some low-profile, road-biased tires, determining that the I-Pace is the best off-road EV on the market rivaling any Tesla model.
The I-Pace is legitimately quick, with 394 horsepower and a 0-60 time of just 4.5 seconds. Despite that and all-wheel drive, this car will do 240 miles on a charge. It starts at just under $70,000.
— Tim Stevens
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