Best Family SUV 2021: Comfort and convenience
Family SUVs are typically practical and comfortable, but not all of them are created equalLeading a busy life with a family to raise can be difficult, so the more comprehensive an SUV’s comfort and convenience suite, the easier it is to live with. Adequate rear ventilation makes for happy campers on family trips, for example, while a full-size spare wheel instead of a temporary one is what you want (but hope you never need) on a holiday drive. Lashings of leather and a panoramic sunroof are nice touches that help make the investment seem worthwhile. But not all family SUVs are equally well equipped, even at this flagship level. Many manufacturers deliver the right mix of creature comforts, while others could do much better.
As the top-shelf variants of their respective model lines, the eight vehicles on test here in carsales’ Best Family SUV 2021 represent the finest fit-out that’s possible with each nameplate.
With prices ranging between $60,000 and $75,000 (plus on-road costs), you’re spending what is bordering on prestige SUV money.
In a market that has started to demand luxury touches even at entry level, at this premium price point buyers want to see lots of evidence that their hard-earned has been well spent.
All models here are seven-seat SUVs, although the Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2D AWD is available at no extra cost as an eight-seater, bringing three seats (instead of two) across the third row to make up the eighth in a 2+3+3 layout.
Both the Mazda CX-8 Asaki 2.2D AWD and Mazda CX-9 Azami 2.5T AWD are also available in a more premium LE grade. These more expensive LE offerings from Mazda were not included in this mega-test as they only come with six seats: two captain’s chair bucket seats in place of the three-position bench in the second row.
All models on test have a fore/aft sliding second row, allowing more versatility for adjusting legroom in either the centre or third row. Furthermore, they all have an easy-access sliding second-row seat to gain access to the third row.
There are practical touches everywhere such as keyless entry, push-button engine start/stop and dusk-sensing auto headlights that also automatically dip their high beams for oncoming vehicles. Even better, all have a powered tailgate with gesture control.
Not only do all have the luxury of leather seat trim (leather/Alcantara in the case of the Skoda Kodiaq RS 2.0 TDI AWD), front seat power adjustment and driver’s seat memory, but all also offer heated front seats.
From this point on, these eight SUVs differ in their comfort and convenience features.
While privacy glass is now expected in even much-lower-spec vehicles, both the Mazdas here miss out on this worthwhile feature.
The CX-9 also lacks the roof rails present on every other model, while the two Mazdas and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Wolfsburg Edition 2.0T AWD only have a temporary-use spare wheel instead of a full-size alloy spare wheel, as in the others.
All but the Volkswagen, Skoda and the Toyota Kluger Hybrid Grande AWD feature a heated steering wheel and, while none have a power-adjustable steering column, all come with manual rake and reach adjustment.
Only the Kodiaq lacks a head-up display, and only the Santa Fe, Sorento, Kodiaq and Tiguan Allspace feature a fully digital instrument cluster.
Ventilated front seats feature in all but the Skoda and Volkswagen, while heated second-row outboard seats are a standard fixture in all but the Toyota. Only the Palisade goes further in offering ventilation for outer second-row occupants.
All but the Kia Sorento GT-Line 2.2D AWD have rear climate-control adjustments in the second row, although all include second-row face-level air vents. Third-row face-level vents feature in both Hyundais, the Kia and Toyota.
Park assist is a great feature that appears in the Santa Fe, Sorento, Kodiaq and Tiguan Allspace. The Santa Fe and Sorento can also be moved/parked with no occupants in the vehicle, using the key fob (albeit without steering movement, and this feature cannot legally be operated in WA).
Each SUV here features a panoramic tilt/slide sunroof, with the exception of the Volkswagen, which offers a panoramic sunroof as a $2000 option.
As for the Toyota, a standard-size tilt/slide glass sunroof is fitted in place of the otherwise-standard fixed-glass panoramic roof when an optional rear entertainment system with ceiling-mounted BlueRay/DVD player is fitted.
The Santa Fe and Sorento have extra power front passenger seat switches positioned so that the driver can adjust them, while power-fold/slide second-row seats are fitted to the Hyundais and the Kia.
Only the Tiguan Allspace has folding picnic tables (in the second row), while features appearing here only in the Kodiaq include an umbrella (with dedicated storage), door edge protector and two rear tablet holders.
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