Best Family SUV 2023

If you’ve outgrown a traditional mid-size SUV and need to graduate to a large seven-seater, then you’ve come to the right place. Welcome to carsales’ Best Family SUV for 2023.

The seven-seat SUV is for buyers who can no longer afford to compromise. They need lots of space and a highly diverse skillset.

It’s a challenging task for manufacturers, to build a car that packages three rows in comfort and safety, caters for their entertainment needs and handles the daily grind with ease, yet is unfazed by long road trips or adventures into the wild.

Not to mention be robust enough to withstand the destructive capabilities of multiple young children. And do all this with reliability and without costing a fortune to run. Tough gig.

Fortunately, plenty of manufacturers are equal to the task and we’ve put all the relevant contenders under the microscope to find out which is most deserving of your dollars.

carsales’ Best Family SUV is open to all road-focused, car-based SUVs from mainstream brands with three genuine rows of seats and a five-star safety rating.

The former precludes the likes of the Ford Everest, Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, all of whose on-road dynamics are compromised to varying extents by their ute-based chassis and off-road ability.

Our size criteria sees off the Nissan X-TRAIL, Mitsubishi Outlander and other seven-seat mid-size SUVs as their smaller dimensions make them closer to ‘5+2s’ whereas we want our contenders to have three useable rows of seats.

This leaves us with a similar set of contestants to carsales’ Best Family SUV 2022. In alphabetical order, they are:

• Hyundai Palisade
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Kia Sorento
• Nissan Pathfinder
• Skoda Kodiaq
• Toyota Kluger

In case you’re wondering, the updated 2023 Mazda CX-8 is launching soon and didn’t arrive in time for testing, the Mazda CX-9 is about to be discontinued (it’s leaving the market in favour of the all-new Mazda CX-90 due in August) and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace’s expired ANCAP rating fell foul of our requirement for a current five-star safety rating.

All contenders were tested in premium model grades where possible, reflecting buyer preferences: Hyundai Palisade Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander, Kia Sorento GT-Line, Nissan Pathfinder Ti-L, Skoda Kodiaq Style (with option packs) and Toyota Kluger Grande.

As you’ll see, there’s a variety of powertrain options in the mix, including petrol, diesel, turbocharged petrol and hybrid. All use an automatic transmission with an all-wheel drive system.

As with all our Best Car awards, each of the family SUVs put up for testing were assessed against carsales’ rigorous testing criteria, split across five major categories: safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and ownership costs.

How did they fare? Let’s get straight into the results!

In some ways, the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder’s placing here is a reflection on the quality at the top of the segment as Nissan’s new large SUV has much to commend it.

It’s quite the looker, for starters, and its substantial size (it’s the largest car here) is put to good use with a spacious and well-thought-out interior.

There’s genuine room for most adults in the third row and plenty of features back there, too, including curtain airbag coverage. Its ProPilot active safety suite doesn’t just tick boxes, either, but works well in the real world, so the Pathfinder gets a big tick for safety.

While not strictly part of the criteria for this test, it’s also worth noting the Pathfinder can tow the most of this group at 2700kg and is the only one you’d realistically be sticking a set of all-terrain tyres on and heading properly off-road.

So what’s the problem? The Pathfinder’s cabin presentation and technology spec are fine, but for $81,490 plus on-road costs in Ti-L guise, we don’t want ‘fine’. Speaking of cost, the Pathfinder also struggles in terms of ownership costs, particularly resale and fuel consumption.

All in all, the new Nissan Pathfinder is a good car and in certain circumstances could be the right choice, but there are too many question marks for it to climb any higher in our ranking.

2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti-L at a glance:
Price: $81,490 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 3.5-litre V6 petrol
Output: 202kW/340Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 245g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

The 2023 Toyota Kluger and Nissan Pathfinder finish in a dead heat not because of their similarities, but because of their differences.

While the Pathfinder – as its name suggests – feels like it would be more or less at home in the bush, the Kluger’s talents definitely lie in tackling the urban jungle.

At higher speeds, the soft suspension of the Kluger Grande Hybrid struggles to maintain control, the hybrid drivetrain’s efficiency advantage lessens and it doesn’t feel particularly at home beyond sealed surfaces.

The Kluger’s credentials as a three-row SUV are also questionable. The centre row is fine, but the third row feels like an afterthought.

Where the Toyota rockets back into contention is running costs, thanks to strong residuals, low fuel consumption and cheap servicing.

Again, like the Pathfinder, the Kluger is a good car, especially in updated guise with its improved tech, but there are four better options available.

2023 Toyota Kluger Grande Hybrid at a glance:
Price: $79,560 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 142kW/242Nm (184kW combined)
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 128g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)

Our strong focus on three useable rows of seating costs the 2023 Skoda Kodiaq, as in many ways it’s a very impressive car.

It’s a no-frills package and that’s intended as a compliment, as it ticks a lot of boxes without unnecessary flair.

Even with the Kodiaq Style loaded to the hilt with options packages, the price is the lowest here, it drives well, has plenty of equipment and in the first two rows you don’t really notice the Kodiaq’s smaller size.

In fact, that smaller size can be an advantage when negotiating the school run or tight car parks.

However, the third row is marginally useable bar perhaps for a very specific age range and if our task is to award the best ‘seven-seat’ SUV then the Kodiaq somewhat excludes itself from the running.

All Skoda’s SUVs slot in between traditional size classes and the Kodiaq is no exception, so if you need a car with a little more space and flexibility than a mid-sizer it could be well worth a look.

We would potentially stretch to the RS over our fully optioned Style, though. It is around $8000 more expensive but arguably worth it for its sportier looks, better performance (and fuel efficiency!), improved driving dynamics and stronger residuals.

2023 Skoda Kodiaq Style at a glance:
Price: $63,460 (plus on-road costs), as tested incl. Luxury/Tech Packs
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 132kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 176g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)

The first step on our all-Korean podium is occupied by the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe.

In top-spec Highlander guise, the Santa Fe is a car with very few weaknesses: the price is right, it’s well equipped, frugal, spacious and drives well to boot.

You could very easily buy a Santa Fe Highlander and it would slip seamlessly into family life, answering every question asked of it.

The reason it occupies third place despite the glowing appraisal is that there is one very similar car that does everything just a little bit better: slightly cheaper, a fraction more equipment, a long warranty, better driving dynamics, the list goes on.

It’s a reminder that while the Santa Fe is a fine vehicle, there is room for improvement. And in this case, another vehicle offers those improvements.

2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander at glance:
Price: $66,550 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 148kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 159g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2018)

Hyundai has done a fantastic job with the updated 2023 Hyundai Palisade.

Last year, Hyundai’s large flagship SUV languished in sixth place and under this year’s entry requirements wouldn’t even have made the starting line courtesy of its four-star ANCAP rating.

The update to the 2023 Hyundai Palisade has brought with it benchmark safety credentials, including front-centre and third-row airbags and every conceivable active safety system – though a number could use better calibration.

There’s also a flash 12.3-inch infotainment touch-screen with app connectivity, which helps justify the Highlander’s increased $80K price tag.

It’s also a standout for accommodating a family and keeping them happy, with heated and cooled seats in the front two rows, USB ports galore and tri-zone climate control.

But it’s the Palisade’s space that will truly be appreciated. It’s a big car and that takes a toll on performance and efficiency.

However, it more than makes up for that with genuine space in all three rows, plenty of storage areas, a useable boot with all three rows in place and so much room with them stowed you could almost live in the Palisade.

Indeed, if you need all three rows in operation at all times then there is a case to be made for the Palisade being the best car here.

But while it should be on plenty of people’s shopping lists, there was one car with an even greater level of overall polish.

2023 Hyundai Palisade Highlander at a glance:
Price: $79,900 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 147kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 193g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

It’s not a coincidence that this marks the third year running that the Kia Sorento has earned carsales’ Best Family SUV gong. This is an outstanding motor vehicle.

The competition gets closer every year, but the 2023 Kia Sorento has done enough to keep its spot on the top of the podium by dint of being incredibly well-thought-out and exceptionally well-executed.

Let’s cover the shortcomings first. Some more storage would be handy up front and third-row airbag coverage would improve its safety credentials, especially when the third row is so clearly designed to be used frequently.

Otherwise, there’s little to fault. The Sorento GT-Line has all the active safety systems you’d expect as well as being the only car on test to offer four sets of ISOFIX points for quick and easy child-seat installation in the second and third rows.

That third row is a little tighter than in the Pathfinder and Palisade, but its slightly larger dimensions compared to the Santa Fe give it an advantage and it’s well-equipped, while the second row offers everything you’d hope for – for example, the added cup holders in the doors and USB ports in the front seatbacks – bar separate temperature controls.

There are no notable gaps in its equipment list, the interior has more flair than most of the others and this is all offered at the second-lowest price on test and the lowest of all flagship variants.

Then there’s the seven-year warranty, strong residual values and impressive fuel consumption that ticks the ownership costs box.

This alone would make the Sorento a worthy winner, but what tips it over the edge is the fact that it’s truly excellent to drive.

It’s comfortable, composed and properly enjoyable regardless of the situation or terrain you might find yourself in.

2023 Kia Sorento GT-Line at a glance:
Price: $65,070 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 148kW/440Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 159g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2020)

So, how did each contender for carsales’ Best Family SUV 2023 score across our major categories: safety, technology, comfort and convenience, driving performance and ownership costs?

Let’s take a closer look.

When it comes to safety, the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Pathfinder are the standout packages, primarily due to having airbag coverage for the third row.

Both also offer three ISOFIX points, two on the middle ‘captain’s chairs’ and a third on the passenger side in the third row, though the Palisade has five top-tether points to the Pathfinder’s three.

Both also have a comprehensive range of active safety features, the Palisade nudging ahead courtesy of its clever blind spot camera, something the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento also share, but the Pathfinder’s lane assist system works much more unobtrusively than the Hyundais’.

The Palisade’s active safety systems could use some tweaking, as the speed limit warning defaults to on every time you drive the car. Why would you turn it off? While a good idea in theory, when the car thinks the speed limit is 40km/h instead of 60km/h, for instance, the appeal quickly wears thin.

The Sorento is also worth mentioning with its quartet of ISOFIX points – two centre, two rear – it dropping a point only due to lacking that third row of airbag coverage. We go into depth on this in our separate report on the best family cars for child safety seats.

The Skoda Kodiaq and Toyota Kluger are by no means lacking; both have plenty of active safety gear but both also lack a centre airbag for front-seat occupants, third-row airbag coverage and have only two ISOFIX points without even top-tethers in the third row.

All our contenders can cater to virtually any technological need you may have, though equally there is a clear pecking order. Given their similarities under the skin, it’s little surprise that little separates the three Koreans – Kia Sorento and the Hyundai Santa Fe and Palisade.

All have quick, high-resolution infotainment touch-screens packed with features, including unique offerings like Passengertalk, which directs the driver’s voice back to the rear seats to prevent the need to turn around and yell at the kids, and quiet mode, which limits audio to the front speakers in case those in the back need some peace and, well, quiet.

The Palisade gets the ultimate nod thanks to its larger 12.3-inch screen and more USB points than you can poke a charging cable at in all three rows. The biggest shortcoming of all three Koreans is the lack of wireless smartphone mirroring.

Kudos to the Skoda Kodiaq for being the only car here with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and though its screen is on the smaller side it’s very responsive and easy to navigate. Odd, then, that it would completely lack USB ports in the rear. That might sound like a small thing until the kids’ devices go flat…

Until recently the Toyota Kluger would have struggled on the infotainment front but the updated model brings an excellent 12.3-inch touch-screen along with wireless Apple CarPlay and charging. It is a shame that the optional rear-seat entertainment screen has been discontinued, however.

The Nissan Pathfinder is the newest car here but you wouldn’t know it. It’s unclear why Nissan’s near-$90K flagship makes do with a 9.0-inch screen (that admittedly works quite well with smartphone mirroring) when the QASHQAI and X-TRAIL Ti-L models score larger 12.3-inch units, but it’s not a good look. Nor is the extremely dated-looking sat-nav.

It’s not bad – hence a decent 15/20 score – but for this money you’d expect better.

The Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Kluger also feature connected app services, allowing you to remotely check the car’s location, start the heating or cooling and pre-load navigation instructions via your smartphone. The car will also automatically contact emergency services in the event of an accident.

The updated Hyundai Palisade offers so much space and features it should be called the Palace-ade. OK, no more terrible jokes. The Palisade is available in eight- or, like our test car, seven-seat guise with a pair of captain’s chairs in the middle row and three across the back.

Up front there is masses of storage space, helped by having buttons for gear selection instead of a lever. It is a button fest but with familiarity everything is easily found in a quicker manner than digging through multiple touch-screen sub-menus.

Both centre seats are heated, ventilated, recline, have plenty of fore-aft adjustment and jump out of the way at the touch of a button to access the third row, though the split arrangement also allows access through the middle ‘aisle’.

As one of the larger vehicles on test, the Palisade can also accommodate adults in the third row and cup holders, vents and USB-C charging ports ensure that those occupants are well catered for. We've gone into further detail on this in our separate features on the best third rows and the best boot space and versatility for family cars.

There’s still reasonable boot space with the third row in place, too, which expands to enormous and then gargantuan when dropping the third and second row respectively – and the latter can be done electronically via buttons in the boot. Very handy.

It’s a very similar story in the equally large Nissan Pathfinder. There’s no ventilation for the second-row seats, but the Nissan does get the cup holder award with a pair in each arm rest and another pair in the centre console, which can be removed for easy through-access to the third row.

Again, the centre seats spring forward at the touch of a button and there’s a pair of cup holders, air-vents and a USB-A port on the driver’s side. Boot space is also gigantic with a handy area underneath the boot floor, though it’s a shame the Pathfinder only has a space-saver spare tyre.

In the front there’s useable storage, primarily thanks to the area under the centre console, but while the features list is comprehensive enough the small screen and a couple of cheaper touches rankle at this price point.

In contrast, it’s clear Kia really concentrated on making the Sorento GT-Line feel a bit fancy. Funky vent shapes, various high-quality materials – though the vast expanses of piano black will be a pain to keep clean – help take the mind off the fact the Sorento lacks the storage nooks and crannies of its rivals.

Further back, what it lacks in ultimate size the Kia Sorento makes up for in cleverness. The heated second row is very comfortable and, like the Pathfinder, has cup holders in the arm rests as well as larger bottle holders in the doors. The lack of separate temperature controls is a shame, however.

The second row needs to come forward slightly to accommodate grown-ups in the back but it’s a reasonable compromise and fan controls, storage areas and USB-A ports on both sides make it clear the third row is anything but an afterthought.

Being so closely related under the skin, it’s no surprise the Hyundai Santa Fe is very similar, though it is slightly shorter in both overall length and wheelbase compared to the Sorento and it does show.

It forces a little more compromise to both the second and third rows to fit occupants and likely limits the latter to short trips only. It also lacks any ISOFIX points in the third row though does have USB-A ports and fan controls.

Neither car offers much luggage space with the third row in place, but both have ample capacity with only two rows in place and become positively van-like if the second row is dropped as well.

The Skoda Kodiaq is the smaller of our sextet by a reasonable margin and no matter how well you package the inside, eventually that’s going to have an impact. On the other hand, the Kodiaq has a few features that warrant Skoda’s ‘Simply Clever’ tagline.

The glove box is air-conditioned, there’s a second glove box located in the dash, flip-out door edge guards protect the paint from accidental car park knocks and there are umbrellas in the doors.

No complaints in the second row, which splits 40/20/40, has lots of space, separate air-con controls and heated outboard seats, both with ISOFIX points.

The third row is more of an issue. The Kodiaq is between 25-30cm shorter in length than the Toyota Kluger, Nissan Pathfinder and Hyundai Palisade, and even with the second row slid all the way forward the rear seats are marginally useable and the lack of amenities don’t help, though on the plus side there’s decent luggage space with all three rows up.

At least the Skoda has an excuse. The Kluger’s third row has a little more space – though nothing like the other giants, the Palisade and Pathfinder – as well as air vents and cup holders, but no USB charging. And forget ISOFIX points; there aren’t even any top-tethers back there.

Thankfully, the second row is almost big enough to be an AFL ground and there are separate temperature controls, a pair of USB-C ports and ISOFIX points on the outboard seats.

But it’s the only car here without a heated second row, which feels a bit mean at this price point.

The name of this criteria is a bit of a misnomer. We’re not looking for ‘performance’ per se, but instead the key attributes for a car designed to carry a family: comfort, stability and ease of use.

To assess this, every contender for carsales’ Best Family SUV 2023 was driven on the same loop consisting of urban, highway and country roads including a section of unsealed surface as it seems reasonable to assume these cars will occasionally be called upon into light adventuring.

In this context, but frankly any other related to driving, the Kia Sorento is a standout.

As far as this class of vehicle goes it is wonderful to drive, a credit to the work done by Kia’s local chassis engineering team.

Great steering, a comfortable ride, confidence-inspiring on tarmac or gravel, a punchy diesel engine, it’s a genuinely enjoyable car to drive, which isn’t something you can say about too many three-row SUVs!

Once more, given the two cars’ similarities beneath the skin, it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn the Hyundai Santa Fe also performs well.

Its suspension feels slightly firmer which means it possibly even handles a fraction better than the Kia, but for this sort of car the fact that it makes the ride less comfortable is more relevant.

The Skoda Kodiaq is as dynamically talented as the Kia, or as near as makes no difference, and its smaller size and lighter weight – around 200kg less than the Sorento and Sante Fe and between 300-350kg less than the others – give it a feeling of agility along with stable, enjoyable handling.

Its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine feels quite flat, though. It gets along OK, but selecting Sport mode for the gearbox is really required to prevent it feeling lethargic. Even then it doesn’t have the bulk torque of the diesels or the higher-up power you might expect of a petrol.

The three ‘big rigs’ on this test all occupy the lower places here but possibly not for the reasons you may expect. The Hyundai Palisade performs in a similar manner to the Santa Fe but without the polish.

The all-wheel drive system can be slow to respond, chirping the front wheels out of junctions, the engine – shared with the Santa Fe and Sorento – starts to struggle when tasked with the extra mass, and over the more corrugated sections of our unsealed route the car felt quite loose through the steering in particular.

No such dramas for the Nissan Pathfinder, which feels completely unfazed by any driving condition and handles impressively well for such a big vehicle.

Unfortunately, to achieve this control the suspension is relatively firm and you’ll feel plenty of road imperfections on a day-to-day basis.

The 3.5-litre V6 does a reasonable job if you’re prepared to use some revs, and once up to speed isn’t actually that thirsty, but the Pathfinder’s nine-speed auto lets the team down. It’s meant to be an improvement over the previous model’s CVT but it’s too dim-witted, frequently pausing and then clumsily grabbing a number of lower gears when called into action.

If you never venture beyond the school run the Toyota Kluger has its positives. Its suspension is soft, soaking up most lumps and bumps, the hybrid drivetrain shuffles seamlessly between petrol and electric power, and the light steering makes it easy to manoeuvre.

Venture beyond the city limits and cracks quickly appear. That soft suspension results in plenty of pitch and roll and a general lack of body control, which not only isn’t particularly confidence-inspiring but mightn’t do wonders for little stomachs, either.

There’s also a fair bit of road noise, and on our unsealed section the all-wheel drive system quickly overheated. Presumably continually activating the rear wheels on the slippery surface got a bit much for it.

It probably sounds more dramatic than it is, as the car just reverts to front-wheel drive and many Klugers will never venture beyond a sealed road.

But, equally, every other car completed the same journey with no issues.

When it comes to ownership costs, the Toyota Kluger Grande is the clear winner.

Its initial price tag of $79,560 plus on-road costs is high – though in line with rivals – yet servicing costs over the first five visits are almost half that of most of our other contenders.

The Kluger also has the strongest projected resale over the first three and five years of ownership, according to figures provided by the experts at RedBook.

Then there’s the decisive urban fuel economy advantage provided by the Kluger’s hybrid drivetrain and the strong warranty offering, with the usual five-year backing enhanced by seven years of powertrain coverage. The only real demerit is that Toyota charges you an annual fee for roadside assistance.

Kia also fares well thanks to the Sorento’s frugal diesel engine, benchmark seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and strong residuals (a fraction behind the Kluger’s), while you can basically throw a blanket over the two Hyundai models – Santa Fe and Palisade – and the Skoda Kodiaq.

It’s not such a happy story for the Nissan Pathfinder. The highest initial purchase price and lowest projected resale values aren’t a good combination, and that naturally-aspirated V6 means you’ll be visiting the petrol station more frequently, too.

While the first five service visits are in line with competitors at $2323, beware the sixth which is $1625 all on its own, way more than any of the other cars here.