2020 carsales Best Family SUV: The best to drive

Dynamics and road-holding are an important safety consideration. When the unexpected happens, it’s good to know your seven-seat SUV is as agile and adept as it needs to be. Also important in deciding the 2020 carsales Best Family SUV is the every-day comfort and confidence behind the wheel. Here, we look at all those consideration, as well as fuel economy, performance and refinement.

Overall size, footprint and weight are obvious considerations in assessing the dynamic abilities of any SUV, especially larger seven-seat models like those gathered here.

For that reason, it’s perhaps not surprising that the Holden Acadia LT is a little underdone dynamically. As was evident during our 2019 carsales Car of the Year testing, the braking performance was also lacklustre when measured in this company.

On the positive side, the Acadia’s 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine and smooth nine-speed automatic transmission deliver effortless performance. This combination works seamlessly to keep the Holden at pace with busy city traffic, while also cruising comfortably on the open road.

In combined testing, the Acadia adhered closely to its claimed 9.3L/100km fuel consumption figure, but jumped easily into double digits in urban running.

The mix of V6 petrol and turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel models on this test shows the diversity available to Aussie SUV buyers. At Hyundai, it’s the 2.2-litre four-cylinder R-series diesel that continues to outsell the thirstier 3.3-litre petrol V6 in its Santa Fe and our judges agree that the small turbo-diesel provides the best blend of torque and efficiency.

Equally impressive is the performance of Hyundai’s locally-tuned suspension arrangement which, even with its optional heavy-duty rear springs and tow kit, proved comfortable and controlled over a wide variety of road surfaces.

Our judges said ‘confident, poised dynamics’ were the order of the day in the Santa Fe – as was a fuel economy average that ranked as one of the best on test, matching the manufacturer’s claim of 7.5L/100km.

As is the case at Hyundai, Kia also invests heavily in tuning the ride/handling characteristics of its passenger vehicles to suit Australian roads. The Sorento on test showed a level of refinement our judges felt was as impressive as the Santa Fe’s.

On the school run and on winding country back-roads, the Kia proved a confidence-inspiring drive.

The Kia Sorento GT-Line on test was also powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. Unlike its Hyundai counterpart, however, the Kia used fractionally more fuel, breaking away from its combined claim of 7.2L/100km to register a still-acceptable 7.8L/100km in mixed testing.

What’s interesting when comparing the Mazda CX-8 and CX-9 against not only the other vehicles on test but also against each other, is the differences they present – both in terms of chassis dynamics and engine performance.

The latter is not a surprise given the CX-8 runs a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine against the CX-9’s 2.5-litre turbo-petrol four. Both offer a different character and deliver their best in a different style.

The CX-8 is fuss-free, almost effortless and impeccably efficient (6.0L/100km), while the CX-9 is zesty, energetic and happier to rev. It cannot, however, get close to its 8.8L/100km fuel consumption claim, running double-digit numbers for most of our test.

Where dynamics and ride comfort are concerned, however, the ‘CX’ pair share a personality that’s difficult to separate. Both are quiet, calm and refined irrespective of the environment in which they’re driven.

The level of control offered by the Mazdas was rated as class-leading by our road test team, which also said the CX-8 and CX-9 ‘belie their physical dimensions from behind the wheel’. High praise, indeed.

The Nissan Pathfinder is the heavyweight of this comparison, but for those planning on towing that’s a good thing. With a braked towing capacity of up to 2700kg, the Pathfinder and its big 3.5-litre petrol V6 and CVT ‘auto’ are ideally suited to (smaller) trailer boat and camper owners.

Unfortunately, the big petrol engine and additional weight of the Pathfinder wreak havoc on its fuel consumption. It had the worst official ADR fuel economy at 10.1L/100km, and on test struggled to stay under 12L/100km.

Dynamically, the Pathfinder is also a little soft and wallows through corners, which doesn’t inspire confidence. The steering is slow and braking response languid. The Nissan Pathfinder shows its age when driven back-to-back against its contemporaries.

The Skoda Kodiaq Sportline’s punchy turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch ‘auto’ transmission are ‘a dream combination’, according to our judges and ‘proof that a seven-seat SUV can be fun at the wheel’.

As one of the quieter and more economical SUVs on test (7.6L/100km), the Kodiaq Sportline was let down only by a slightly firm ride. Blame the sportier tune of its adaptive dampers and low-profile tyre and 20-inch wheel combination.

Despite this, it’s an easy SUV to live with and one that’s a cinch to park – thanks in part to excellent outward visibility and light steering, but also a sophisticated auto parking system and 360-degree camera combo.

The Toyota Kluger feels every bit its size on the road. But if the sales figures are anything to go by, perhaps this is exactly the sort of thing Aussie SUV buyers want.

It offers gutsy V6 petrol power and a ‘sorted’ eight-speed automatic transmission to keep performance-focussed buyers happy. It’s a free-revving and enthusiastic performer that is fuss-free in terms of its operation.

On the flipside, the Kluger uses a lot of fuel – a lot more than its 9.5L/100km ADR figure. The foot-operated park brake is clumsy and the steering a little slow – the latter making the big Kluger more difficult to squeeze into tight city car parks.

As one of our judges put it, “the Kluger is a win for space and comfort, and little else”. Ouch!

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has a strong, turbocharged petrol engine and quick-acting seven-speed dual-clutch ‘auto’ transmission combination and it’s a lot of fun to drive.

It’s punchier than the Skoda Kodiaq Sportline (162kW/350Nm versus 132kW/320Nm), but also firmer in the ride department. This means that despite being the most dynamic SUV here, it’s also one of the least comfortable in terms of ride quality.

Overall, however, the Tiguan Allspace is still one of the nicer SUVs to spend time in. It’s refined, responsive and very confident at highway speeds on all road types – and trumps all but the Nissan Pathfinder where braked towing capacity is concerned (2400kg).

Volkswagen’s efficient 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine also ranks as one of the leanest on test. Indeed, the petrol Allspace challenges its frugal diesel-powered rivals with a combined average of 8.3L/100km.

An even sportier Tiguan R is due in Australia next year.

Zoom-zoom still resonates

For this part of our 2020 carsales Best Family SUV testing, despite some close competition our judges awarded the Mazda CX-9 as the best to drive.

“The Mazda CX-9 remains the ride and handling class benchmark,” said Sam Charlwood.

“Out of all of these SUVs, it is the one that belies its size and dimensions best. It’s smooth, whisper-quiet, refined and a joy to drive.”

Top three scoreboard:
1 Mazda CX-9 (19.0/20)
2 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace (18.0/20)
3 Skoda Kodiaq (17.5/20)

2020 carsales Best Family SUV