is everywhere. In its early days, it was understood more as a recreational vehicle than a kid courier. Over the last 30 years though, it’s slowly swallowed its competing segments, nearly erasing the

minivan

from existence and, more recently, nibbling away at the sedan.

We’ve learned to rely on our SUVs for a lot more than they were first intended to do, from the monthly trip to

Costco

to the kid’s soccer game. But some SUVs are equipped for much more than picking Lily and Liam up from school.

I’m talking about speed. SUVs might not be known for the zero-to-60s, but a few of them can go mind-bogglingly fast. Uncle Ben says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Some SUV designers seem to have forgotten the second half of the statement.

How did SUVs get so fast?

Sports Utility Vehicles didn’t start out as speed demons.

Donut Media

says the first modern SUV, Jeep’s 1984 Cherokee XJ, took 10.2 seconds to reach 60 mph. Today’s full-size pickup trucks can do better than that.

But starting in the ‘90s, automakers began suping up their SUVs.

GMC

kicked the race off in 1992 with the Typhoon. It reached zero to 60 in an extremely impressive 5.3 seconds, a segment record it held for the rest of the decade.

No one managed to dethrone the GMC Typhoon until 2006, when Porsche released its Cayenne Turbo S. Its supercharged V8 engine could get you from zero to 60 in five seconds—for $112,000.

How fast can SUVs go now?

MORE:

Canadian Man Learns the Hard Way How Fast Car Insurance Costs Can Rise

Porsche did not hold onto its crown for long. That same year,

Jeep

’s Cherokee SRT8 shaved two-tenths of a second off that time. Mercedes beat that with its SRT8 a year later. Competition for the fastest SUV got much more heated from there.

Luxury car manufacturers and tuning companies edged each other out of first place throughout the 2010s, reaching 60 mph in less than four seconds in the first year of the decade. Bentley, Audi, Tesla, and Maserati are just a few fancy brands with 0-60s within the three-second range.

But SUVs with that kind of spunk aren’t only for the rich. Both Jeep and

Dodge

offer SUVs with “Hellcat” HEMI-powered engines that go stupid-fast. The “GT Performance Edition” trim of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E (remember the car-swallowing I mentioned earlier?) moves from zero to 60 in a completely unnecessary 3.5 seconds.

Do power and speed mean higher premiums for SUVs?

MORE:

You Should Stick to Speed Limits Even on a Race Track

Many of the super-fast SUVs on the market are built by luxury brands. Regardless of their horsepower numbers,

car insurance

for these Gucci grocery-getters are generally higher than the average rate.

But other factors have just as much or more influence on the cost of car insurance. Your address, age, and credit score can all make a huge impact on your premiums—not to mention how responsibly you drive one of these puppies.

The provider you choose can also make a big difference. That’s why you should always shop around with

Jerry

before signing up for a policy. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and will even help you cancel your old policy.

Are you overpaying for car insurance?

Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.

Try Jerry