10 of the Best 8-Passenger Vehicles of 2020

Chrysler Pacifica S Black Driving Front Quarter ・ Photo by Chrysler

The best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020 are ideal if you have a big family, a whole bunch of friends, or a large crowd for the car-pooling circuit. In any case, these vehicles provide three rows of seating along with an impressive range of features.

Some of these rides even have enough bandwidth so that all passengers can enjoy mobile Wi-Fi at the same time — and the driver can join in as well when the vehicle is parked. You can also keep most passengers happy with rear-seat entertainment systems that let you watch videos, play games, and more. Nor are you limited to minivans. In fact, if you want the most cabin space for an octet of occupants, you can also consider a full-size body-on-frame SUV. 

2020 Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey minivan sets our legroom benchmark for the best eight-passenger vehicles of 2020. With its expansive cabin, the Odyssey has almost 41 inches of legroom for the driver, front passenger, and three second-row passengers. Folks in the third row can then stretch out with more than 38 inches of legroom. No vehicles on our list can top that mark.

The upper trims of the 2020 Odyssey also earn Top Safety Pick ratings from the IIHS when they’re equipped with Honda’s optional driver-assistance technology. This includes automatic emergency braking, a forward collision warning, and a lane-departure warning. A further advantage comes from the Odyssey’s CabinWatch system, which lets you keep an eye on rear-seat passengers with an in-vehicle camera that displays on the infotainment screen.  

Photo by Honda

2020 Chrysler Pacifica

The Chrysler Pacifica is next on our list of the best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020. As a starting point, even the third-row passengers enjoy 36.5 inches of legroom. That’s 2.4 more inches than in the back seat of a 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class full-size sedan. Chrysler's minivan also showcases plenty of technology, highlighted by the Uconnect Theater rear entertainment system with mobile Wi-Fi and two 10-inch touchscreens. You can treat passengers to concert-quality audio, too, with an available 20-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

Looking for safety technology? The Pacifica can be ordered with automatic emergency braking, automatic parking assistance, blind-spot monitoring, a forward-collision warning, a lane-departure warning, a surround-view parking camera, and front and rear parking sensors. (Just remember that the Pacifica Hybrid is not sold with eight-passenger seating.) 

Photo by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2020 Toyota Sienna

The Toyota Sienna isn’t quite as spacious as our first two choices, but it’s definitely one of the best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020. Certainly helping matters is Toyota’s sharp focus on driver assistance.

The company’s Safety Sense technology is standard on nearly every model, and for the Sienna, the package bundles adaptive cruise control, forward automatic emergency braking, a forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, a lane-departure alert, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high beams. So you’ll be able to drive with peace of mind even with seven other people depending on you — and your Toyota. Back inside, the Sienna’s three rows have 40.5, 37.6, and 36.3 inches of legroom, respectively. The Sienna seals the deal with a 16.4-inch widescreen monitor for its rear-seat entertainment system.

Photo by Toyota

2020 Kia Sedona

The Kia Sedona is also a good choice if you’re interested in the best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020. However, the Sedona does put a priority on first- and second-row comfort. The result is that people in both of those rows have about 41 inches of legroom, but third-row legroom checks in at just 34.8 inches.

On the one hand, that’s a bit less space than you get in the back seat of a Kia Forte compact sedan. Yet it’s notably more than in many three-row SUVs, which shows the benefit of getting a minivan. It’s also worth pointing out that the Sedona — and its minivan rivals — can supply much easier access to the back rows with a pair of power-operated sliding rear doors.

Photo by Kia

2021 GMC Yukon XL

Since this list covers the best 8-passenger vehicles for 2020, we’re including the 2021 GMC Yukon XL that’s due in dealerships this summer. Now, the 2020 edition is no slouch when it comes to legroom. But the all-new 2021 Yukon XL has been thoroughly engineered for more comfort.

For instance, GMC grows second- and third-row legroom by 2.3 and 2.2 inches, respectively. The new legroom totals for the 2021 edition end up at 42 inches in the second row and 36.7 for the third. Thanks to its overall length, this giant-sized GMC also has 170 cubic feet of passenger volume, which is about 6.5 more than the Honda Odyssey. Of course, as a body-on-frame SUV, the Yukon XL is a capable off-roader, too.

Photo by General Motors

2020 Ford Expedition

The Blue Oval’s best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020 are led by the Ford Expedition family. The long-wheelbase version — the Expedition Max — maximizes space for eight with 172 cubic feet of passenger space. That said, the regular-wheelbase Expedition could be in the sweet spot for more buyers. They’ll appreciate getting the same passenger volume as the Max but with a noticeably smaller footprint that makes the Expedition easier to maneuver.

To be clear, the standard-length Expedition is still a full-size body-on-frame SUV, but it’s a foot shorter in length than the massive Max version. What’s more important for shoppers is that the Expedition has more passenger volume for eight people than its archrival, the Chevrolet Tahoe. Oh, and the Expedition can out-tow the Tahoe as well.

Photo by Ford

2020 Chevrolet Traverse

We've made sure to have some crossover-style SUVs in our gallery of the best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020. crossovers offer a more car-like driving experience than a body-on-frame SUV along with more stylistic appeal than minivans. The downside is that leading entries from the other segments have more space for passengers.

The 2020 Chevrolet Traverse is a case in point. It’s one of the roomiest mainstream crossovers on the market, and it tops out with 157.3 cubic feet of passenger space. The Chrysler Pacifica minivan raises the bar to 165 cubic feet, while the Ford Expedition Max reaches 172 cubic feet. On the positive side of the ledger, the Traverse offers mobile Wi-Fi for entertainment and numerous technologies for driver assistance. 

Photo by General Motors

2020 Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai has an all-new suv that’s among the best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020, and it’s already racking up thousands of sales each month. The Hyundai Palisade is attracting those buyers with its bold design, sophisticated technology, and a relatively roomy cabin. Serving up 155.3 cubic feet of passenger volume, the Palisade is nearly as large inside as the Chevrolet Traverse.

A key difference, though, is that the way these two crossover-style SUVs parcel out legroom. The Palisade provides measurements of 44.1/42.4/31.4 inches for its first three rows. In the Traverse, the tale of the tape reads 41/38.4/33.5 inches. Also important: Only the Palisade has an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating (in upper trims equipped with LED headlights).

Photo by Hyundai

2020 Subaru Ascent

Another relatively new kid on the crossover block is the Subaru Ascent, which was introduced for 2019. The Ascent now brings typical Subaru benefits to our list of the best eight-passenger vehicles for 2020. This means symmetrical all-wheel drive and a boxer-style engine are standard across the lineup.

For our purposes, the Ascent features 153.5 cubic feet of passenger space with a bit more legroom in the first two rows than the Chevrolet Traverse. Our super-sized Subaru also stands out for advanced driver-assistance technology. The 2020 Ascent’s Limited and Touring trims — with LED headlights — received Top Safety Pick+ ratings from the IIHS. In addition, the Ascent is one of the few vehicles available for 2020 with reverse automatic emergency braking. 

Photo by Subaru

2020 Lincoln Navigator

If you’re looking for something more luxurious, the best eight-passenger vehicles of 2020 also include the Lincoln Navigator. More specifically, we recommend the regular-wheelbase Navigator, not the plus-sized Navigator L: Although the latter is longer, with more cargo room, the standard Navigator actually supplies more cabin space for passengers.

The Navigator also combines its 172 cubic feet of passenger volume with upscale appointments. Soft leather and genuine wood are on display throughout the cabin, as is a wealth of technology. Mobile Wi-Fi, a rear-seat entertainment system, a 20-speaker Revel Ultima audio system, and a full suite of advanced safety measures are all in the mix with the Navigator. Nor does the Navigator lack for power, since its twin-turbo V6 can unleash 450 horses and tow up to 8,700 pounds.

Photo by Lincoln