Best Mid-Size SUV 2021: Comfort and convenience

Features that are perceived as adding to comfort and convenience to a new vehicle priced around $50,000 are naturally more numerous than one that costs, say, $30K.

So it follows that, while you’ll find some equipment that is par for the course among the 12 models under assessment here in Best Mid-Size SUV 2021, there are also some vehicles that miss out on gear you might expect for your hard-earned.

Each mid-size SUV here is the premium petrol luxury variant within its respective model range. These are not vehicles to entice buyers on price alone, which is why features that surprise/delight or make spending time inside them more relaxing/enjoyable are so important.

While all of the vehicles here are officially classed as Medium SUVs, the older nameplates among them have grown over their respective generations from relatively small five-seat SUVs to family-size high-riding wagons – some of which now even offer seven seats.

The Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 Exceed AWD is the only model on our mega-test to come with seven seats as standard, although the Honda CR-V 1.5 VTi LX AWD and Nissan X-TRAIL 2.5 Ti AWD are also both available in other grades with seven seats too.

That leaves the rest as five-seaters, but all of them are big enough to comfortably seat two adults in the second row for a long-distance drive, or up to three at a pinch.

As for boot space with the second-row seat folded, the Mazda CX-5 2.5 Akera AWD has the lowest capacity with 442 litres, while the Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 162TSI Elegance AWD has most space with 615L.

If you’ve run out of boot space, there’s always the option of installing racks on the roof. Only the CX-5 does not come with roof rails as standard in our shortlisted group.

The CR-V and Forester do not have any optional paint colour charges. For the rest, you’ll pay between about $500 to $800 extra for optional colours, except Skoda charges a steep $1100 for Velvet Red on the Skoda Karoq 2.0 140TSI Sportline AWD.

All have 18-inch or 19-inch alloy wheels as standard but only four models – CR-V, along with the Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Highlander AWD, Kia Sportage 2.4 GT-Line AWD and Subaru Forester 2.5i-S AWD, have a full-size spare wheel.

The rest have a temporary-use, speed-limited spare wheel.

Rear and rear side window privacy glass is becoming an expected feature on vehicles such as these and yet the Mazda misses out here.

For your $50K spend you’ll get a glass sunroof as standard on all but the Skoda and the Volkswagen.

Unlocking and starting your mid-size SUV is all done without fumbling with keys or remote buttons here, as is opening the (gesture-control, powered) tailgate – except for the Karoq, where it is an option.

The Ford Escape 2.0 Vignale AWD is the only vehicle on test that you can start remotely to, for example, activate the air-conditioning to cool the vehicle before you get in, as part of the FordPass smartphone app.

Inside, all our contenders have climate control with two zones except the Tiguan, which goes one better with an additional rear zone, which can be adjusted by rear-seat passengers. The Tucson boasts an automatic dehumidifier mode and air diffuser mode.

Only the Ford, Hyundai, Skoda and Volkswagen have a full-colour digital instrument cluster.

Lashings of leather are still a must-have for high-end variants within any vehicle segment, so it’s no surprise to see cow hide used widely here.

MG is straight up with the MG HS 2.0 Essence X AWD, calling its upholstery ‘synthetic leather’ rather than pretending it offers any of the real thing, while Toyota doesn’t offer leather trim at all. Instead, the Toyota RAV4 2.5 Edge AWD has ‘Softex’ cloth seat trim.

The Skoda is arguably one step ahead of the rest with its Alcantara inserts, adding another layer of luxury.

All the models on test have front seat heating to keep you warm in winter, with a front seat cooling function also in the Tucson, Sportage, CX-5 and RAV4.

The rear outer pews are also heated in the Tucson, CX-5 and X-TRAIL, while the Tucson, CX-5, X-TRAIL and Tiguan also score a heated steering wheel.

A head-up display makes knowing your speed much easier to check but only the Ford and Mazda have it as standard.

Active cruise control with stop and go function can make highway travel much easier no matter how heavy the traffic. All here have ACC with stop/go, except for the Outlander and X-TRAIL.

When it comes to stress-free parking, all have a reversing camera and rear sensors. And while all but the MG, Nissan, Skoda and Subaru also come with front parking sensors, only the Ford, Honda, Kia, Skoda and Subaru do not have full 360-degree view cameras.

The Ford and Volkswagen go one better to take the hassle out of parking. Both have an automated park assist feature that automatically senses a parking space and steers the vehicle into it for you.