Last Updated on April 12, 2023 by Paul S.
This article is going to which mid size SUV has the highest ground clearance on the market.
For explorers, adventurers, and even weekend warriors ground clearance is an important spec because it allows you to go down that trail that is for high clearance vehicles only. High clearance is also great in snow country so that you are never stuck somewhere because of the snow dump you received overnight.
While you are reviewing these high-ground clearance SUVs keep in mind that the Honda Civic comes in around 6.7 inches of ground clearance. This gives you an image in your head for comparison of these ground clearances.
Read on to find out which SUV has the highest!
Table of Contents
Nissan Pathfinder Ground Clearance
The Pathfinder measures in at 7.1 inches of ground clearance. That is only 0.4 inches away from the stealthy civic! So, if high ground clearance is your thing then keep on reading!
The pathfinder name is a little misleading with such a small ground clearance but the pathfinder had a much larger ground clearance in previous years.
Honda Pilot
The Honda Pilot has a ground clearance of 7.3 inches. Still not a lot but it does boast a ton of cargo space with their 60/40 split-folding seats! This comes standard on the entire lineup.
Chevrolet Blazer Ground Clearance
The Blazer came out of retirement in 2019 and while it was a 4wd vehicle and much larger, it has now turned into a mid-size SUV with all-wheel drive.
The Blazer has a ground clearance of 7.4 inches.
Buick Enclave
The latest Enclaves have the ground clearance set at 7.5 inches for the Essence and 7.7 inches for the rest of the lineup.
This finally puts us at 1 inch above the streamlined Civic! It is only up from here!
Hyundai Palisade
At 7.9 inches the Hyundai Palisade has decent ground clearance but taking this on a trail with a few rocks could still be daunting. But at least at 7.9 inches, they can say they are not at the bottom of this list!
Kia Telluride
We have finally hit the 8 inch mark. The KIA Telluride is starting to get to a more comfortable ground clearance if you want to go exploring on the trail. Although, I doubt you will be able to go to Telluride, CO, and drive the famous Imogen Pass that reaches 13,000+ feet above sea level!
Chevrolet Traverse
We have another vehicle clocking in at 8 inches of ground clearance. If you are looking for a Traverse that can off road a little more be careful about which Traverse you choose as the all-wheel drive is an optional extra and is not standard.
Honda Passport Ground Clearance
This mid-size SUV wants to party with the big boys and comes with 8.1 inches of ground clearance. It comes with a V-6 engine, independent suspension, and a traction management system to handle the tough stuff.
If you visit their website here, Honda Passport, you will see that they are depicted it as a great vehicle for off-roading. I am not quite sure I agree that the vehicle would be great on all the trails they show but at least they are great photos.
They have three trims to choose from the EX-L, Trailsport, and the Elite. It does not matter which trim you choose as they all come with 8.1 inches of clearance. One perk for the Trailsport is that you get a “rugged design” wheel other than that the other trims don’t seem to be too far off so you could probably get away with the base level unless you want more interior specs.
Subaru Ascent
Of course, we are going to have a Subaru on this list. The Ascent which is the largest Subaru ever comes in at 8.7 inches of total ground clearance. This gives us the biggest jump on this list so far.
What is unique about this SUV is that the interior is almost similar to a minivan because of its second row captain chairs. And of course, the Ascent comes with their amazing all-wheel-drive system that has helped people in crappy conditions countless times!
Mazda CX-9
This seven passenger mid-size SUV measures in at 8.8 inches of ground clearance. I can admit that I didn’t realize Mazda would have something like this in its lineup. All of its models come with its i-activ all-wheel drive and off-road traction assist so this vehicle will be a lot better off-roading than the vehicles above.
Toyota 4runner SUV Ground Clearance
Another big jump takes us to the Toyota 4runner and its 9.6 inches of ground clearance. The 4runner also provides the first real 4×4 experience on the list as the other vehicles either had AWD or just two-wheel drive.
If you need a vehicle to take you to most places on the trail, then the 4runner can do that and more for you!
Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Another great off-roading vehicle with a 4×4 drive train but this time we are above 10 inches of clearance and even closer to 11 inches. The Grand Cherokee L provides a ground clearance of 10.9 inches.
One of the great features of this vehicle is that it comes with a V-8 option if you are a big engine lover.
Land Rover Discovery S P300
The Land Rover Discovery S P300 comes with an electronic air suspension system. This allows the driver to be able to set it to 11.1 inches of ground clearance when the trail gets tough and then drop it down 8.15 inches when you are on the road and need a little better gas mileage.
Inside the Discovery you are going to be treated like royalty with a luxurious interior that doesn’t necessarily fit in the off-road world but I have heard no complaints!
Jeep Grand Cherokee TrailHawk
Another Cherokee has made the list but this time it is with the off-road version, the Trailhawk. And with that name you get an astounding 11.3 inches of ground clearance which is more than enough to get you anywhere you want to go. This tops the list for the largest ground clearances for mid-size SUVs.
The Jeep website is worth the visit to see the other photos and specifications of the Trailhawk. Jeep.com
Conclusion – Mid Size SUV with Highest Ground Clearance
You may not need the full 11.4 inches of ground clearance that the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk provides. Many people, myself included, are fine with a mid size SUV with 9 to 10 inches of ground clearance. Even the most well-known trail rider, the Jeep Wrangler, starts at 9.7 inches which is more than enough to get you to places most vehicles can’t go.
If you are looking for a smaller SUV check out our post on small SUVs with high ground clearance.
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