Best Midsize SUVs for the Money for 2026
The best midsize SUVs for the money are ranked based on an analysis of their price and average lifespan, with the top-ranked models offering the longest life at the lowest price.
The best midsize SUV for the money is the Jeep Wrangler which has the lowest iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost. We rank vehicles by how much a vehicle costs to purchase relative to how long the car lasts which we believe is a good determiner of value - the lower the cost, the better the value. The Jeep Wrangler has an average new car list price of $53,156 and an average lifespan of 138,451.5 miles or about 16.2 years, resulting in an annual purchase cost of $3,273. Using this method, the second best midsize SUV for the money is Toyota 4Runner with an Annual Lifespan Cost of $3,407. In third place is Nissan Murano which has an iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost of $3,665.
The best midsize SUV for the money is the Jeep Wrangler which has the lowest iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost. We rank vehicles by how much a vehicle costs to purchase relative to how long the car lasts which we believe is a good determiner of value - the lower the cost, the better the value. The Jeep Wrangler has an average new car list price of $53,156 and an average lifespan of 138,451.5 miles or about 16.2 years, resulting in an annual purchase cost of $3,273. Using this method, the second best midsize SUV for the money is Toyota 4Runner with an Annual Lifespan Cost of $3,407. In third place is Nissan Murano which has an iSeeCars Annual Lifespan Cost of $3,665.
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Annual Lifespan Cost
3273.15
- Avg Lifespan: 138.45146875K Miles (16.24 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 35595
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
7.8
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
3406.88
- Avg Lifespan: 217.1365K Miles (15.98 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 41570
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
8.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.9
/ 10
-
Safety
7.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
3664.79
- Avg Lifespan: 153.622390625K Miles (12.58 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 41670
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.4
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.3
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
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Annual Lifespan Cost
3743.28
- Avg Lifespan: 150.179578125K Miles (11.39 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 35050
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
7.2
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.7
/ 10
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Safety
9.7
/ 10
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Annual Lifespan Cost
3746.73
- Avg Lifespan: 182.2566875K Miles (13.78 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 45570
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.3
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
3825.02
- Avg Lifespan: 180.495265625K Miles (13.03 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 42195
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.6
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.8
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
4015.74
- Avg Lifespan: 156.7326875K Miles (10.99 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 37500
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
7.2
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.3
/ 10
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Safety
10
/ 10
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Annual Lifespan Cost
4276.45
- Avg Lifespan: 151.137796875K Miles (11.93 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 38465
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
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Reliability
7.3
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.4
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
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Annual Lifespan Cost
4414.38
- Avg Lifespan: 130.535546875K Miles (8.9 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 32390
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.8
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.5
/ 10
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Annual Lifespan Cost
4531.01
- Avg Lifespan: 146.63940625K Miles (10.35 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 37995
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.4
/ 10
-
Safety
8.9
/ 10
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Annual Lifespan Cost
4598.4
- Avg Lifespan: 162.268421875K Miles (10.6 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 38995
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.2
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.7
/ 10
-
Safety
7.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
5129.88
- Avg Lifespan: 117.6196484375K Miles (8.6 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 34300
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.6
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
5232.51
- Avg Lifespan: 147.474328125K Miles (10.52 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 43700
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.5
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
5837.57
- Avg Lifespan: 137.82759375K Miles (8.57 Years)
- Starting MSRP: 40800
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.8
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.8
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 42250
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.9
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 38800
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.9
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 39190
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.7
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 38300
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.5
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 39435
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.7
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 40795
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.7
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 39995
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.6
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 39310
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.4
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 41660
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
8.6
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 44950
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
8.0
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 62945
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.8
/ 10
-
Safety
7.0
/ 10
-
Annual Lifespan Cost
Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 40495
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
7.9
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
The Best Cars for the Money list ranks cars by their annual cost, which compares the purchase price of the car against how long the car lasts. We believe this is a good determiner of value--the lower the annual cost, the better the value.
iSeeCars analyzed millions of cars to determine how long each car can last. Then we calculated the annual cost over the lifespan for each vehicle. In the event two or more vehicles have the same annual cost, we use iSeeCars proprietary rating of the overall quality of the car (iSeeCars Score) to break the tie.
The overall iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).