Best Used 7 Seater SUV in Kingston: Which Three-Row SUV Should You Buy?
Most families do not start this search with a badge in mind. They start it with one sentence: we need a third row.
Jim Thompson Chrysler is a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram store on Gardiners Road, and we appraise, buy and sell used vehicles of makes we do not sell new.
So this page compares the whole segment instead of pointing you at one nameplate, and several of the honest answers below are not vehicles we sell new.
Key Takeaways
There is no single best used three-row SUV — there are four different right answers, and which one is yours depends on whether the back row carries adults daily, carries kids occasionally, or mostly carries nothing at all.
For adults in the third row, the Volkswagen Atlas and the Buick Enclave are the two strongest of the eight compared here. Neither is a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram, and that is the honest answer to that question.
For fuel, the small engines win by a wide margin. The Government of Canada rates the 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid with all-wheel drive and the 1.6 L four at 6.6 L/100 km combined, against 15.6 for the 2022 Dodge Durango SRT with all-wheel drive and the 6.4 L V8.
Two of these third rows are occasional seats, not adult seats. The Dodge Journey and the Mitsubishi Outlander are both offered with a back row, and a family who needs it every day should be looking at a larger vehicle — the Journey is one of ours, and it is still the wrong buy for that family.
Jim Thompson Chrysler in Kingston appraises, buys and sells used vehicles of makes we do not sell new, so a three-row shortlist built with us can include any of the eight vehicles compared here.
What Is the Best Used 7 Seater SUV in Kingston?
The best used 7 seater SUV in Kingston is the one that matches the job you need the third row to do, and there are four honest answers rather than one.
If adults ride in the back row regularly, the Volkswagen Atlas and the Buick Enclave are the two to drive first, because both were designed around the third row rather than around what was left behind it.
If you tow and you want a vehicle that drives like a rear-drive vehicle, the Dodge Durango is the one in this group built that way.
If the third row goes up a few times a month and the rest of your driving is Kingston commuting, the Kia Sorento, the Dodge Journey and the Mitsubishi Outlander all do that in a vehicle that parks like a normal car.
If you move seven people and their gear at the same time, routinely, the Jeep Wagoneer and the Nissan Armada are the full-size answers, and both are expensive to fuel.
The vehicles in this comparison:
Volkswagen Atlas — built around the third row; the roomiest back seat of the eight.
Buick Enclave — comfort-first and car-based, with a genuinely usable rear row.
Dodge Durango — the towing and rear-drive-based choice in the group.
Jeep Wagoneer — full-size, with full-size running costs.
Nissan Armada — full-size and truck-based, for people who want that specifically.
Kia Sorento — the smallest true three-row here, and the cheapest of the eight to fuel.
Dodge Journey — a family crossover with an occasional-use third row.
Mitsubishi Outlander — compact outside, with a third row for short trips.
You can browse our used vehicle listings at any time and sort by body style while you work out which of these shapes is yours.
What Do People Actually Mean When They Search for a 7 Seater SUV?
Two completely different shoppers type that phrase, and they need two different vehicles.
The first means three rows of real seats: kids across the middle, two more behind, adults in the back on a drive to Gananoque. That shopper needs a large vehicle.
The second means somewhere to put two extra people occasionally: a sleepover, a hockey carpool, grandparents from the airport. That shopper is better served by a smaller vehicle that parks at Cataraqui Centre.
Selling the first shopper a compact crossover is a mistake they live with for years, and selling the second a full-size SUV is a weekly fuel bill for a back row used ten times a year.
Do you actually need a third row?
A fair number of families work through this and find the answer is no, which is a better outcome than a vehicle bought for ten weekends a year.
If two rows will do, a two-row SUV gives you more cargo space behind the back seat, a shorter vehicle to park and usually a smaller fuel bill — our used Jeep Grand Cherokee guide covers that path.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: the standard Jeep Grand Cherokee is a two-row vehicle, and the three-row Jeep is the Grand Cherokee L, a different vehicle rated separately.
Our used SUV listings show two-row and three-row vehicles together, which is a quick way to settle the shape.
Which Used Three-Row SUV Has the Most Usable Third Row?
The Volkswagen Atlas and the Buick Enclave have the most usable third rows of the eight vehicles compared here, and neither one is a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram.
The Atlas and the Enclave were designed as three-row family vehicles first, which shows in how an adult gets into the back row and sits once they are there.
The Dodge Durango and the Jeep Wagoneer are capable family vehicles, but on third-row space specifically the Atlas and the Enclave are the better buy.
If that is the row that decides it for you, our used SUV listings are where to start looking for one.
The full-size pair
The Jeep Wagoneer and the Nissan Armada are the largest vehicles here, and they carry people and gear at the same time in a way the mid-size ones cannot.
The smallest true three-row
The Kia Sorento is the smallest vehicle in this group that still offers a real, if tight, third row, and for many Kingston families that trade is the right one.
The Sorento parks like a compact SUV and is the cheapest of the eight to fuel.
The occasional seats
The Dodge Journey and the Mitsubishi Outlander are both offered with a third row, and both back rows are best understood as occasional seating for shorter trips.
A family who will put someone back there every day should buy a larger vehicle, and we say that about the Journey even though it is a Dodge.
Which Used Three-Row SUV Uses the Least Fuel?
The 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid with all-wheel drive and the 1.6 L four uses the least fuel of anything in this comparison, rated by the Government of Canada at 6.6 L/100 km combined.
The pattern underneath these ratings is simple: engine size decides the fuel bill far more than badge or body style does.
Here is the whole group on one basis, all from the Government of Canada Fuel Consumption Ratings, in combined L/100 km:
2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid, all-wheel drive, 1.6 L four: 6.6 in the federal ratings.
2022 Mitsubishi Outlander, four-wheel drive, 2.5 L four: 8.9 in the same federal data.
2022 Kia Sorento, all-wheel drive, 2.5 L four with the eight-speed automatic: 9.7 in the federal ratings.
2022 Volkswagen Atlas 4MOTION, 2.0 L four: 10.6 in the federal ratings, and 12.2 for the 3.6 L V6 version of the same model year.
2019 and 2020 Dodge Journey, front-wheel drive, 2.4 L four: 11.1 in the federal ratings for both of its last two model years.
2022 Dodge Durango, all-wheel drive, 3.6 L V6: 11.3 in the federal ratings.
2022 Buick Enclave, all-wheel drive, 3.6 L V6: 11.8 in the same federal data.
2022 Jeep Wagoneer 4x4, 5.7 L V8: 13.8 in the federal ratings.
2022 Dodge Durango, all-wheel drive, 5.7 L V8: 14.1 in the federal ratings.
2022 Nissan Armada 4x4, 5.6 L V8: 15.4 in the federal ratings, on premium fuel.
2022 Dodge Durango SRT, all-wheel drive, 6.4 L V8: 15.6 in the federal ratings, on premium fuel — the thirstiest rating in this group.
The two thirstiest ratings in the comparison belong to a Dodge and a Nissan, and the very thirstiest one is ours. A V8 three-row is a running cost you sign up for, whoever built it.
One caution before you shop on those numbers: they belong to the model years and configurations named beside them, and a different year or engine in the same nameplate is rated differently.
Where Does the Dodge Durango Win, and Where Does It Lose?
The Dodge Durango wins on towing and on the way it drives, and it loses on third-row space and on fuel.
The Durango is the one vehicle in this group built on a rear-drive architecture rather than a front-drive one, so if you pull a boat to the Thousand Islands or a trailer up the 401 that difference is real.
Where it loses: on third-row space the Durango sits behind the Atlas and the Enclave, and on fuel the Durango's V8 versions are at the bottom of the federal ratings above.
Pick the Durango for what it is genuinely good at, and cross it off if what you need is adults riding comfortably in the back row every day — our used vehicle listings carry the alternatives either way.
What Should You Check on a Used 7 Seater SUV in Kingston Before You Buy?
Check the third row with the people who will actually sit in it, before anything else — bring them along and put them back there in the parking lot.
Seat counts and seating layouts vary by configuration within the same nameplate, so confirm what a specific vehicle has on its original window sticker rather than on the tailgate badge.
Fold and unfold the back row yourself, twice — if it is awkward in a showroom it will be worse in a February parking lot with an armful of groceries.
Then look at the cargo space behind the third row with it up, because that is what you actually have on a trip with every seat full.
Check which fuel the vehicle takes, because some configurations in this segment are rated on premium and the badge does not tell you.
Two checks are ours rather than yours, and worth having done before you sign:
Open recalls — recalls are issued against a VIN rather than a model year, and our service department can check a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or Ram VIN against the manufacturer's system for you. We cannot make that lookup for the other makes on this page, and recalls for every make are listed in Transport Canada's public database.
Condition — book a pre-purchase inspection with our technicians and you get brakes, tires, fluids and suspension looked at by people who do it every day, before the paperwork rather than after it.
How Do You Finance a Used 7 Seater SUV in Kingston?
Financing is available on a used three-row SUV, O.A.C., and the approval depends on the application, income, credit and the vehicle itself rather than on the badge you choose.
The fastest way to know where you stand is our 30-second credit application, which our finance team works through with you, O.A.C.
Most three-row buyers are trading something in, and that number changes the shape of the whole deal — start with Value My Trade on your current vehicle.
If you would rather sell it outright than trade it in, we buy cars whether or not you buy one from us.
Why Shop for a Used 7 Seater SUV in Kingston at Jim Thompson Chrysler?
We appraise, buy and sell used vehicles of makes we do not sell new, so the Atlas, the Enclave, the Sorento, the Durango and the rest can sit on one shortlist and be discussed on their merits.
Our people see all of these vehicles come through the same building on trade, which is why this page can tell you the Atlas and the Enclave have the better third row and mean it.
We are a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram franchise store too, so if a new three-row is in scope you can see our new vehicle listings or build and price one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best used 7 seater SUV in Kingston?
There is no single winner, because the right one depends on the job. For adults in the third row the Volkswagen Atlas and the Buick Enclave lead this group, for towing the Dodge Durango, and for the lowest running cost the Kia Sorento.
Which used three-row SUV has the most usable back row?
The Volkswagen Atlas and the Buick Enclave have the most usable third rows of the eight vehicles compared in this guide. Both were designed as three-row family vehicles first, which shows in how an adult gets in and how they sit once they are back there.
Do all 7 seater SUVs really seat seven adults?
No, and this is the most common disappointment in the segment. Some third rows are sized for adults on a long drive and others are occasional seats for shorter trips, so put the people who will actually ride back there into the seat before you buy.
Which used three-row SUV is cheapest to fuel?
The 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid with all-wheel drive and the 1.6 L four is rated by the Government of Canada at 6.6 L/100 km combined, the lowest in this comparison. At the other end, the same federal data rates the 2022 Dodge Durango SRT with all-wheel drive and the 6.4 L V8 at 15.6 L/100 km combined.
Can I buy a used three-row SUV from a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealership?
Yes. Jim Thompson Chrysler on Gardiners Road in Kingston appraises, buys and sells used vehicles of makes we do not sell new, so you can compare a used Volkswagen, Kia, Buick or Nissan three-row here alongside a Dodge or a Jeep.
Find Your Best Used 7 Seater SUV in Kingston
Shop this decision in the right order and it gets easy: decide what the third row is for, then shortlist two or three vehicles, then drive them with your family in them.
Sit in the back row, fold it, and load the cargo area with it up. Then match the engine to the driving you actually do.
Get directions to 805 Gardiners Road and come and sit in a few of them. That is twenty minutes that saves most people from the wrong vehicle.
Source, read 2026-09-25: every fuel figure above comes from the Government of Canada Fuel Consumption Ratings, published by Natural Resources Canada on open.canada.ca, read in raw form on the day this article was written. Recalls are held against the VIN by the manufacturer and in Transport Canada's public database, which is free to search for any make.
Visit us at 805 Gardiners Road, Kingston, ON K7M 7E6
Browse inventory online, value your trade, get pre-approved on approved credit, book service, or contact our team.
Local: (613)-389-4426 Sales: (877)-251-9249 Parts: (888)-711-5309 Service: (888)-713-0742
About the Author:
Kerry Irven is the Vice President of New and Used Automotive Operations for Heighton Automotive Group, a family-owned and operated automotive group serving communities across Eastern Ontario. Kerry began his automotive career in new-car sales, building his experience on the showroom floor and working his way through multi-store dealership operations.
With over 25 years in the automotive industry, Kerry has helped grow automotive businesses from one location with 40 to 50 vehicles in stock to more than 500 vehicles across 10 rooftops. His hands-on background in both new and used-vehicle operations gives him a practical understanding of what customers look for when shopping for their next vehicle.
Throughout his career, Kerry has always been actively involved in staff coaching and in understanding customer wants and needs, helping ensure the businesses he works with continue to adapt to what customers are truly looking for.
One of the most exciting chapters of his career has been the shift into modern automotive marketing, embracing new technology, transparent pricing, customer-first inventory strategies, and new ways to create a better vehicle-shopping experience.
Kerry has completed extensive automotive training, including certification through the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, involvement with the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario, Canadian automotive dealer training, and multiple customer service courses.
Born and raised on a farm, Kerry has always valued family, hard work, and a practical, down-to-earth approach. Joining Heighton Automotive Group and working alongside Thomas Heighton and family, along with managing partners Kyle Lothian and Martin Gougeon, has allowed him to bring those same values into the car business. It has also allowed Kerry to continue following a simple philosophy: treat every customer exactly the way he would want to be treated.
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