The Best Used SUVs for Families of Six

Your family is your unit–your squadron of people who mean the world to you. Sometimes, families with more people in the household need to plan so that nobody gets left out. One example of this is your means of transportation. If you have six people in your household, for example, the average sedan or pickup truck isn’t going to cut it. To help you out today, we’ve come up with a list of three SUVs you can shop for if you’re looking for a used SUV dealer in Indianapolis that all fit the bill for what we’d consider to be the top-of-the-line family experiences thanks to a multitude of factors. When you’re ready to experience these models for yourself, we invite you to visit us here at Blossom Chevrolet.

Chevy Suburban

Let’s start with something big: the Chevy Suburban. It’s Chevy’s largest SUV, even when stacked against its full-size relative, the Tahoe. The Chevy Suburban is a great choice for drivers in Indianapolis looking for a pre-owned SUV for a family of six.

Truth be told, the Suburban will be more than sufficient for families of six as you can buy a Suburban with a maximum seating capacity of nine passengers. With the Suburban, you can start fitting members of your extended family, like grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Or, your kids can bring their friends for the ride so they can have a fun Saturday at the Indianapolis Zoo or catch an event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Cargo space is plentiful with the Suburban, so let’s bring the 2021 Suburban into the discussion and look at its cargo capabilities. The 2021 Suburban has 41.5 cu.ft. of space, even when it’s accommodating its nine passengers. This is unequivocally excellent, with only one other full-size SUV in the market matching it: the GMC Yukon XL, which shares its DNA with the Suburban.

If your Suburban is for the family, you likely won’t often have the back seats folded. However, in times when you do, the incredible Suburban reaches its maximum 144.7 cu.ft. of space. With that said, you can keep the middle row up and fold down the third row if you need a combination of passenger capacity and cargo space – folding down the third row gives you 93.8 cu.ft. of space. ​

The most spacious interior for headroom is the cabins without a sunroof, although models with the sunroof aren’t far off–42.3 inches for the former and 40.4 inches for the latter. The second row’s headroom also slightly differs – 39.9 inches without the sunroof, and 37.5 inches with it, but the third row seats offer 38.2 inches of headroom – the moonroof doesn’t affect the third row.

Legroom is very generous for second-row passengers, as the front-row’s 44.5 inches of legroom isn’t far off from the 42 inches of legroom second-row passengers have. The third-row seats are impressive because they’re a part of the core design and not an afterthought – the 36.7 inches of legroom is representative of that. Shoulder and legroom are also accommodating for yourself and your loved ones, with the wide interior providing 66, 64, and 48.4 inches of shoulder room for the first, second, and third rows, respectively, and hip room measuring 61.5, 61.3, and 49.4 in rows one through three.

Ford Expedition

Is there validity to the “Built Ford Tough” mantra? With vehicles like the Expedition, you bet there is. The Expedition is an SUV that’s large and in charge, and while it may not have the same level of cargo space as the Chevy Suburban, it holds up immaculately and its performance is also stellar. Using a 2021 Expedition as the epicenter of our deep dive–many Expedition models offer the same performance, including 2018, 2019, and 2020 models–the Expedition provides a powerful base engine, which is why even the most cost-effective 2021 Expedition still outputs 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. The base Expedition can tow a maximum of 9,300 lbs–all thanks to its standard powertrain, including a turbocharged 3.5L V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

With base performance in a variety of Expedition models calling for a towing capacity of 9,300 lbs, this is more than enough to tow a camper if you’re spending a night at the Lake Haven Retreat or taking the family boat down to the Geist Reservoir for a day of catching fish, swimming, and boating in refreshing waters. Not to mention, cargo space being an excellent commodity of the Expedition means it’s a great vehicle for family and friends.

Let’s say you’re an Indianapolis Colts fan and enjoy tailgating with the family– the Expedition has cargo space that allows for fun tailgating before the Sunday game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Cargo space is especially voluminous if you buy an Expedition MAX model so that you can store the grill, a foldable table, and your ice coolers stuffed with drinks. If you don’t buy the MAX model, you still get respectable cargo room: 20.9 cu.ft. with all three rows up, 63.6 cu.ft. with the third row folded down and 104.6 cu.ft. with both back rows folded down. The MAX models are the best option if your family depends on great cargo space, and that’s what you’ll get with at least 36 cu.ft. available at all times, increased to 79.6 cu.ft. without the third row, and 121.5 cu.ft. if driving alone and folding the back rows down.

Honda Pilot

Honda has always been a great option for drivers looking for family-friendly cars. Reliability and practicality are two things Honda does unprecedentedly depending on who you ask, and the Pilot is perhaps one of its most family-focused automobiles in the lineup. Size, performance, and efficiency are all expected when you purchase a Honda Pilot, so what can you expect from a used model?

The Pilot has been around for over twenty years, and its specs have been consistent. For example, the 2016 Pilot models perform the same as the 2024 models, all thanks to a 3.5L V6 engine. However, that doesn’t mean they’ve all felt the same to drive–a 6-speed automatic transmission used to come standard with an optional 9-speed automatic transmission, but the latter started coming standard with the 2021 model until a 10-speed automatic transmission took over in 2023.

The efficiency of the Pilot means it’s a great SUV for going on vacation with the family, even with AWD. Using the 2021 Pilot for our ratings, the SUV earns EPA-estimated ratings of 20 MPG in the city, 27 MPG on the highway, and 23 MPG combined with FWD. With AWD, the ratings of your Pilot will be slightly different: the 2021 Pilot with AWD earns fuel ratings of 19 MPG in the city, 26 MPG on the highway, and 22 MPG combined. The AWD model also has the benefit of towing a maximum of 5,000 lbs, up from 3,500 lbs with the FWD model.

Let’s wrap up the discussion on the Pilot with cargo space and interior room because it’s two areas where Honda’s SUV shines for the price. The 2023 Pilot changed up cargo space a bit, so most pre-owned models don’t have an identical amount to the newest ones, but the differences are too small to make any meaningful difference in your life. In models like the 2021 Pilot, you get a maximum of 109 cu.ft. of space, with 55.9 cu.ft. as the middle ground measurement if you fold down the third row, but keeping the third row in commission leaves you with 18.5 cu.ft. to work with.

Headroom can differ between the LX and EX trims and the other trims, but these two trims have 40.1 inches of headroom in the first row, 40.2 inches in the second row, and 38.9 inches in the furthest row. Legroom doesn’t differ between the trims, so the 2021 Pilot nets you 40.9 inches of legroom in the front row, with 38.4 and 31.9 inches for the second and third rows, respectively. There’s also 62 inches of shoulder room in both the first and second rows, and 57.6 inches for the third row, which isn’t too dissimilar. Lastly, your used 2021 Pilot or any other comparable model year will have 59.1 inches of hip room for you in the front, 57.3 inches for second-row passengers, and lastly, third-row passengers get 44.6 inches of hip space.

You and Your Family Deserve to Travel in Style and Comfort

Your family is the most important thing to you, so if you’re buying a car, why not treat yourself to something that’s equally a treat for them? If your family has around six people, your choices of SUVs are rather limited because a third row is necessary, which leaves you with slightly large midsize and properly equipped full-size options. As for the SUVs we’ve discussed today, we believe the Suburban, Expedition, and Pilot are a perfect representation of the types of experiences you can get with an SUV if you’re shopping for the family as much as you’re shopping for yourself. Need help narrowing them down? Come into Blossom Chevrolet today, and our team will be more than happy to help you discover a model that’s a perfect fit for you and your family.