Love them or hate them, SUVs are here to stay. They are big, brash, usually uneconomical, and there are way too many of them for sale. However, manufacturers are doing everything they can to spice them up a bit.
Some SUVs might look ordinary and plain on the outside but are actually real sleepers on the inside. SUVs with immense power and big engines that are just as reliable as your daily driver.
This list contains some of those crazy sleeper SUVs that will take your breath away. Aside from being ultra-reliable, they are also powerful and fast and could cause a surprise on the drag strip.
2005 GMC Envoy Denali
GMC is no stranger to unusual performance vehicles. Just look at the GMC Syclone and Typhoon, two of the finest performance pickup trucks and SUVs ever made. The 2005 Envoy Denali is another superb effort from the American manufacturer.
Designed as a fast and luxurious SUV, the Denali competed with the Ford Explorer and Toyota 4Runner. The second-generation Denali launched in 2001. When equipped with the 5.3-liter V8, the Envoy Denali produced 300 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque, but its top speed was limited to 110 mph.
2005 Lincoln Aviator Luxury
While the 2005 GMC Envoy Denali does have some aggressive attributes, the 2005 Lincoln Aviator Luxury is a lot more mundane in its looks. Under the hood, it has a massive 4.6-liter V8 engine, producing 302 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, one of the meanest engines ever in an SUV.
Paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, the Aviator Luxury sends all of its power to the rear wheels. An excellent chassis and suspension setup also ensures great handling in the corners.
1992 GMC Typhoon
We can’t mention the epic GMC Typhoon without covering it in more detail. Produced in 1992, the Typhoon was the original performance SUV, based on GMC’s equally impressive Syclone pickup truck. The Typhoon dispelled the widely held notion that SUVs had to be big and slow vehicles.
Under the hood, the Typhoon packed a massive 4.3-liter GM LB4 turbocharged V6 that produced 280 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 mph time was a very impressive 5.3 seconds, while the top speed of the SUV was 124 mph.
2016 Cadillac SRX
Cadillac has luxury and comfort at the heart of what it does. However, the American manufacturer likes to dabble in performance, too, and it did so with the 2016 SRX SUV. The 2016 Cadillac SRX had its sights set on its main European rivals, the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLK.
Cadillac kept the comfort and poise of their usual range while injecting some extra performance into the SRX. Under the hood was a powerful 3.6-liter V6 engine, churning out 308 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. The SRX also had a six-speed automatic transmission to make city driving as comfortable as possible.
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited
Even Jeep knows how to produce a performance SUV, and of course, the Trackhawk is one of the finest of those models. However, the Trackhawk can trace its roots back to the epic 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited, an SUV that was effectively the Trackhawk of its day.
This remarkable vehicle had a 5.9-liter Magnum V8 under the hood, producing 505 horsepower and 345 lb-ft of torque. This would propel the 5.9 Limited to a limited top speed of 127 mph. For an SUV to pump out over 500 horsepower is an impressive achievement, especially in the 1990s.
2018 Lincoln MKX
Like Cadillac, Lincoln always focuses on luxury and comfort. Yet, it can surprise us with some high-performance versions, and the 2018 Lincoln MKX is one of those SUVs. It can really take the fight to its main rivals, the BMW X5 and Jaguar F-Pace.
The 2018 MKX has a 3.7-liter V6 under the hood, making 303 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. But if you wanted even more power, there was the twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 that produced 335 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque.
2000 Mercedes-Benz AMG ML55
Mercedes-Benz is a staple of the performance car world, so it comes as no surprise that the German manufacturer is able to produce a sleeper SUV. The ML55 was an interesting vehicle, as, on the one hand, it was a high-quality, comfortable, and spacious SUV with leather seats and an excellent sound system.
On the other hand, it had a massive 5.4-liter V8 under the hood. This V8 engine produced 342 horsepower and 377 lb-ft of torque, taking it to a top speed of 141 mph, making it one of the fastest SUVs of its time.
2024 Ford Edge ST
The 2024 Ford Edge ST is a confusing SUV. Despite being midsize and not compact, it lacks a third row of seating. However, what it lacks in practicality, it more than makes up for in terms of performance.
The 2024 Ford Edge comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 250 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. But the SUV really shines in ST form, with a twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V7 making 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque.
2022 Ford Explorer ST
The Edge isn’t the only Ford SUV that benefits from having an ST trim. The current Ford Explorer is also an ST model. The SUV has been part of Ford’s range since 1991, initially as a replacement for the Bronco II.
Under the hood sits a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. That might not sound very exciting. However, Ford’s EcoBoost engines are incredible, and one of them was found in the recent Ford GT. In the Explorer ST, the engine makes 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, propelling the SUV to a top speed of 143 mph.
2013 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
It might have one of the weirdest names of any SUV, but the Volkswagen Touareg is a very capable five-door off-roader. Its rigid body structure makes it safe and tough, and its European origins make it a subtle and refined product with excellent comfort levels.
The 2023 Touareg Hybrid was one of its finest hours. Not only was it more economical, but the 203 Touareg had a 3.0-liter V6 with an electric motor under the hood. Combined, they produced 380 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful Touareg in the range at the time.
2013 BMW X5 M
It should come as no surprise to anyone that BMW appears on this list. When the X5 made its debut in 1999, it was BMW’s only SUV. Fast-forward to 2024, and the German manufacturer has several in its range and has produced some real standouts. One of those is the 2023 X5 M.
As the name suggests, the 2013 X5 M was a more powerful and sportier version of the regular X5. Under the hood, it had a 4.4-liter V8 engine, producing a staggering 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. This also meant a top speed of 155 mph and a 0-60 mph time of just 3.8 seconds.
2015 Toyota Sequoia SR5
If you want a powerful yet reliable SUV, Toyota is an excellent brand to consider. In 2015, buyers had the option of the Toyota Sequoia SR5, a version of an SUV that has been a part of the Toyota lineup for decades. The SR5 had an awe-inspiring towing capacity of 7,200 lbs.
But what was more impressive was the 5.7-liter V8 under the hood. The engine produced 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Sequoia SR5 also had two overdrive gears to reduce noise at higher speeds and improve fuel economy.
2019 Audi RS Q8
Audi has become a master of SUVs in recent years in terms of reliability and performance. It’s difficult to ignore the Audi Q8, a full-sized luxury crossover SUV that the German manufacturer first launched in 2018 and serves as the flagship for its SUV range.
Audi also produced the RS Q8 version in 2019, and under the hood, it packs a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that makes 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Yet, even with all that power, the RS Q8 is still a comfortable, quiet, and relaxing SUV to drive, and it has a brilliant interior that keeps you as relaxed as possible.
