Best Family SUV 2021
Large car-based seven-seat SUVs are the go-to vehicles for Aussie families today, so let’s find out which is bestThe four-wheel drive wagon was once known as a primitive, thirsty, rough-riding machine that only farmers and off-road enthusiasts would buy, but has today become the go-to practical, do-everything vehicle for Australian families. Hence the term SUV, or sport utility vehicle, which for the models tested here combines the practicality of a traditional large seven-seat 4WD wagon with superior packaging and car-like performance, refinement, ride and handling. So, leaving aside the hard-core ladder-frame 4x4 off-roaders, let’s find out which SUVs in this hugely popular segment best meet the everyday requirements of Aussie families.
Welcome to the carsales Best Family SUV 2021 mega-test, for which our experienced judging panel short-listed eight popular candidates and assessed them against five areas of evaluation to discover which is the top pick.
For many generations, large sedans and station wagons were the vehicles of choice for most Aussie families.
But today, within just a few short years, large mainstream passenger cars have become extinct while the SUV has well and truly become the nation’s most popular form of family transport.
The SUV’s higher driving position, easier access, seating for up to eight occupants and more versatile cargo-carrying options have cemented its position as the natural successor to the traditional sedan and wagon.
In this mega-test we’re assessing the most popular mainstream large SUVs, all of which have at least seven seats and a car-like monocoque chassis construction.
That rules out more rugged 4x4 off-road wagons based on truck-style ladder frames and offering low-range gearing, leaving us with AWD wagons primarily designed for everyday family duties, holiday touring and light-duty adventures away from the suburbs.
Although the Best Family SUV award goes to the full line-up of a particular model, we have chosen the top-shelf variant in each range for assessment.
These premium SUVs span a mix of traditional petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains, and while that’s a broad church, each of them do in fact represent the most advanced and efficient option available in their respective model range.
As we do with every mega-test, we’ve put each of these eight SUVs in front of the judging panel to assess them against more than 100 separate criteria in five key judging areas.
These are safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and, not least of all, ownership costs.
The newest model here, the fourth-generation Toyota Kluger, arrived in Australia in April 2021. New generations of the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe and the all-new Hyundai Palisade were released here last year, while the Mazda CX-8 and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace hit the road in Australia in 2018.
The Tiguan Allspace will receive a comprehensive mid-life upgrade in early 2022, while the Skoda Kodiaq, which arrived in 2017, is due for a significant update at the end of this year.
The current generation Mazda CX-9 landed in 2016, but has been revised several times since then, with the latest upgrade coming in January this year.
Two models have fallen off the radar since our last family SUV mega-test in 2020: the Holden Acadia, which departed last year as the lion brand quit Australia, and the Nissan Pathfinder, which is now sold out before its all-new replacement arrives in early 2022.
Safety
Advanced safety features that only a few years ago weren’t a consideration for car buyers have fast become standard – or at least expected – in every new vehicle, and family SUVs are no exception.
Indeed, safety is an acute issue in this category because large SUVs are ingrained in the fabric of family life, from picking up newborns from hospital to providing a taste of freedom for freshly-licenced offspring borrowing the car for the first time.
There are specific safety needs a parent will want to know too, such as how many child seat anchor points there are.
Some family SUVs offer a broad sweep of innovative safety features, while others are more basic.
More on family SUV safety here
Technology
A family SUV must be on the cutting edge of in-vehicle technology, meeting the needs and expectations of parents as well as their children to make every journey as convenient – and, we might add, as peaceful – as possible.
Quick-to-understand and easy-to-use infotainment and multimedia systems are a priority in any segment, but especially so among family SUVs.
And with often multiple devices now attached to all family members, let’s not forget the importance of wireless smartphone charging and (plenty of) USB ports.
Being the showcase grade of each model line, the vehicles on test here represent the best technology available from each brand. Yet not all family SUVs are equipped to cover off every occupant’s tech needs.
More on family SUV technology here
Comfort and convenience
It’s a given that a top-spec version of a family SUV costing up to around $70,000 (plus on-road costs) should be loaded with gear.
What can be surprising are the priorities the product planners at each manufacturer give to specific features in their premium family SUVs.
Most, for example, will automatically include a sunroof as standard, yet a roof that actually opens up to the environment outside isn’t a given.
Also, as newer designs roll into showrooms, so do innovative features that can’t be quickly added to existing competitors. There are more equipment differences here than you might expect.
More on family SUV comfort and convenience here
Driving performance
The family SUVs on test here are not hard-core mud-pluggers and nor are they designed to perform like sports cars.
But driving pleasure, refinement and all-round comfort for every occupant, whether moving around town or further afield, does come back to fundamental areas of chassis engineering, engine performance, noise suppression and so on.
The best riding, handling and performing SUV will generally be safer and less tiring to drive. They can be fun and engaging, too, without detracting from critical elements of a family wagon such as comfort and versatility.
The SUVs on test here have different priorities in terms of driving performance, but some are more successful than others in striking the right balance overall.
More on family SUV driving performance here
Ownership costs
Balancing the family budget can be a struggle, so you don’t want to complicate that with any unpleasant surprises when it comes to the cost of running a family SUV.
In today’s new vehicle market, such situations are rare. Car-makers now provide better peace of mind with more extensive factory warranties, often with roadside assistance thrown in.
Dealer servicing costs, once a very opaque area, now bring clarity with capped-price servicing offers, and tyre replacement costs are much easier to calculate too.
Depreciation costs are also more transparent than before, so you can work out with some confidence what your family SUV will likely be worth when the lease is up or you want to cash in.
As we discovered though, ownership costs vary greatly in the family SUV market.
How much a family SUV costs to service, how much it depreciates, what warranty provisions it has and what, if any, complimentary roadside assistance is included can be very different.
More on family SUV ownership costs here
Now it’s time to name our Best Family SUV for 2021.
Best Family SUV 2021 contenders:
Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2D AWD
Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2D AWD
Kia Sorento GT-Line 2.2D AWD
Mazda CX-8 Asaki 2.2D AWD
Mazda CX-9 Azami 2.5T AWD
Skoda Kodiaq RS 2.0 TDI AWD
Toyota Kluger Hybrid Grande 2.5 AWD
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Wolfsburg Edition 2.0T AWD
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