10+ Seat Vehicle Options When A 9-Seat SUV Won’t Do – Jalopnik

Despite their monumental dimension, even the SUVs with essentially the most spacious third rows fall brief in the case of actually maximizing passenger capability. Those decisions usually maintain a mere eight individuals in complete, and the game‑utilities mostly out there in the marketplace with room for 9 are the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban. In at the moment’s market, discovering a trip with a minimum of 10 seats mainly means searching for machines like a full-size passenger van, a world minivan, a stretched model of a smaller car, or a bus — and, technically, if you happen to want something greater than 10 seats, you are restricted to the latter.

That’s as a result of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards outline a bus as any “motor vehicle with motive power, except a trailer, designed for carrying more than 10 persons.” The variations usually come right down to totally different engineering and security requirements for autos with Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of lower than 10,000 kilos vs. greater than 10,000 kilos. On the subject of watching your weight, you may additionally have to contemplate GVWRs for the biggest of those choices. Here within the U.S., states might require a CDL to drive a car that tops 26,000 kilos in that measure, and a few large buses will exceed that restrict. So be sure you verify the principles of the highway in your state — or any state you will be driving by means of — for particulars on licensing necessities. And you’ll be able to verify beneath for 5 of our favourite options with double-digit seating capacities.

Looking for a brand-new car constructed with old-school power? Now, some individuals could also be stunned it is nonetheless in manufacturing — and it’s just about the identical because the mannequin that debuted 30 years in the past — however the 2026 Chevrolet Express might be an important place to start out. The van’s beginning value is $50,345 (together with a $2,395 vacation spot cost), and that will get you 12-passenger seating, air con, and energy equipment — and never a lot else. Some essential upgrades can be found, although, together with trendy ADAS methods resembling ahead collision warning, aspect blind-zone alert, and lane departure warning. On the opposite hand, the usual infotainment setup is a two-speaker AM/FM radio, and Bluetooth is non-obligatory. A touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot shouldn’t be commonplace. In reality, even steering wheel controls are off the menu.

Where the Express actually shines is within the muscle division. The van is constructed on a truck-style ladder body created from high-strength metal and provided in 2500 and 3500 configurations — just like the Silverado HD 2500 and 3500. As a outcome, the extra-large Express, with an prolonged wheelbase, 15-passenger seating, and a 401-horsepower V8, can boast a GVWR of 9,900 kilos. Notably, that is along with as much as 3,540-pounds of payload capability.

Folks preferring to place a Professional Grade spin on the Chevy’s record of attributes can go for the GMC Savana, too. Except for just a few beauty particulars, it is basically the identical car because the Express, proper right down to its beginning value.

At the opposite finish of the spectrum is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. To be clear, the next-generation mannequin shall be even BOuLDER, however the present model definitely lives as much as its positioning because the Mercedes-Benz of full-size passenger vans — and that is particularly the case with the Sprinter Select. To an already lengthy record of ordinary options, it provides lux facilities like a heated comfort-style driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an upgraded overhead management console, and high-performance LED headlights with adaptive excessive beams.

Like the Express, the Sprinter is offered in 12- and 15-passenger layouts, on two separate wheelbases, however Mercedes-Benz goes its personal manner underneath the hood. There, the usual and solely engine is a 2.0-liter turbodiesel I4 — once more in two setups. The common mill makes 170 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, whereas the high-output motor delivers 211 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque. The Sprinter additional extends its vary with an out there all-wheel-drive system that is missing on the Chevy.

This is a high-tech passenger hauler as nicely. Beyond a smorgasbord of security methods, Mercedes-Benz could make staying related straightforward with an out there MBUX infotainment system bundling a ten.25-inch touchscreen, a digital driver show, an clever voice-activated cabin assistant, Wi-Fi compatibility, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Of course, stepping as much as a Sprinter does include a value: the MSRP of the bottom van is $56,930, with the Select trim checking in at $64,780. Destination prices for both require a further $2,295.

With all apologies to the Chevy Express, the Checker Aerobus stands out as a real blast from the previous. A stretched model of Checker’s basic taxi cabs and initially envisioned as an airport shuttle/low-cost limousine, the Aerobus was in manufacturing from 1962 to 1977. Examples nonetheless pop up occasionally, nevertheless — one offered at a Hagerty public sale within the spring of 2026 for a comparatively reasonably priced $29,425.

True, you will look in useless for any signal of contemporary goodies in these machines, until they have been added from the aftermarket. But the Aerobuses greater than make up for any lack of creature comforts with their unforgettable model. After all, the general look is not a lot totally different from that of the Checker A8, which premiered as a brand new taxi design in 1956 — besides for his or her dimension, that’s.

There had been really a number of variants of the Aerobus within the type of each sedan and wagon physique types that had been prolonged by both 34.5 or 69 inches. The former was for the three-row, six-door Aerocab, and the latter upsized the bundle to 4 rows, eight doorways, and a seating capability of as much as 12. Plus, the wagon fashions had house left over to hold the passengers’ baggage. The Aerobus was upgraded underneath the pores and skin as nicely. Its look could also be proper out of the common Checker lineup, however the Aerobus was distinguished from historically sized fashions with a novel body and heavy-duty suspension particularly engineered for extra strong use. One remains to be in use as a shuttle for some guests to Glacier National Park, recognized for its famously scenic drives.

No matter what number of nice autos are offered in their very own nations, auto fans are likely to have a smooth spot of their hearts for these that aren’t. For occasion, Hyundai launched its futuristic-looking Staria compact van again in 2021 that we thought could be a superb match right here, however the automaker disagreed -– and hasn’t modified its company thoughts within the years following. This means you will must discover a option to import a Staria in order for you one, though you’ll get an 11-seat minivan with an unique exterior within the course of. For what it is price, there’s a world 11-seat Kia Carnival on the identical platform, albeit with out the identical far-out look.

As for the Staria, it makes good use of its inside house. There are 36 inches of legroom and 39 inches of headroom even within the fourth row. The third row of the Tahoe, by comparability, is listed at 34.9/38.2 — although Chevy’s large SUV is about 3.5 inches longer total. The trade-off is that the Tahoe retains 25.5 cubic toes of cargo house behind the third row, whereas the Staria 11-seater seems to have about 0 cubic toes of storage behind its remaining row.

The Staria additionally doubles down on engine decisions. Owners can select between a 3.5-liter V6 with 268 horsepower and 244 pound-feet of torque or a 2.2-liter diesel serving up 175 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque. Even higher: Hyundai is among the many manufacturers nonetheless promoting manuals in 2026, and the Staria gives one.

Indeed, the Hyundai Staria could be categorized as a bus on this nation as a result of it has greater than 10 seats. With that in thoughts, why not think about the true factor? Yes, they are often costly. Big-budget buyers will uncover that even a high-end pre-owned mannequin, resembling a 2024 Mercedes-Benz Tourrider Lux, is greater than midway to one million bucks — $519,000, to be precise. School buses is usually a extra reasonably priced resolution, though they may not carry again one of the best recollections for everybody and have not modified a lot since 1939.

That’s why we advise a world icon referred to as the AEC Routemaster. Jalopniks from the U.Okay. will seemingly be accustomed to these long-lasting double-decker buses, which first went into service in London in 1956, remained in manufacturing by means of 1968, and had been in common use proper up till 2005. Indeed, the final of the unique Routemasters did not cease selecting up public passengers till 2021. Speaking of which, frequent variants of the bus may maintain 64 to 72 individuals in complete, with between 28 and 32 passengers on the bottom ground and 36 to 40 within the penthouse.

The Routemasters had been additionally pretty progressive for his or her time. Power steering, power-hydraulic braking, a totally automated transmission, and an unbiased entrance suspension all made their bus-industry debuts on the autos. Nor are all of them that costly to purchase. A pair of 1966 Routemasters just lately went up on the market, with every listed at round $55,000.