Best Mid-Size SUV 2024 – The other contenders

Mid-size SUVs are Australia's most popular new-vehicle type. To decide the 2024 Best Mid-Size SUV our road testers drove, appraised and scored the 14 most popular. But in any proper comparison there can only be one winner.  

You can read about our top mid-size SUV choices in our Best Mid-size SUV feature. But here’s more detail on the nine vehicles that didn’t make the top five – and why…

A stylish, well-proportioned Euro SUV with excellent on-paper fuel economy, the Citroen C5 Aircross was quickly undone by poor packaging (the rear seat is very cramped), a high price tag given the quality of the interior and equipment level and only a four-star ANCAP safety rating.

The driving experience can be quite enjoyable, helped by the low weight of the C5 Aircross, but not by enough to make up for its other deficiencies.

2024 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport at a glance:
Price: $54,990 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 133kW/250Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 130g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP 2019)

A ‘nearly’ car that would be a lot more attractive if it had the Citroen’s price tag. Or the Toyota’s. That might sound obvious (most cars would be more appealing if they were cheaper), but the Peugeot 3008 is very expensive and it’s difficult to work out why.

It’s quite an enjoyable car to drive, bar the awful gearbox that’s as smooth as week-old milk, and the suspension can run out of ideas at higher speeds, but the final straw for the Peugeot is truly stratospheric depreciation, the 3008 GT Sport by far the worst in the field.

2024 Peugeot 3008 GT Sport at a glance:
Price: $63,390 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 133kW/250Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 128g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

“This would be a great car if you didn’t have to go anywhere,” quipped Nadine Armstrong. That might sound harsh, but it’s actually a compliment. Sort of.

As a static object the GWM Haval H6 – tested here in Hybrid Ultra Luxury guise – has a lot going for it. Oodles of room, possibly the comfiest back seat of any car tested, impressive equipment levels, a low, low price and a seven-year warranty.

On the move, the hybrid powertrain also impresses with its power and smoothness, but the ride is constantly jittery and irritating, it lacks control at higher speeds, there’s poor traction (even in the dry) and the driver assists are very poorly calibrated.

2024 GWM Haval H6 Hybrid Ultra Luxury at a glance:
Price: $45,990 (drive-away)
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 179kW/530Nm (combined)
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 120g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

The Mitsubishi Outlander is also a ‘very nearly’ car. If it were better in a couple of areas it could potentially rocket up this list – but it isn’t.

It’s well-equipped, reasonably priced, fairly cheap to service, handles nicely and has a very pleasant interior with seven-seat flexibility.

Unfortunately, the ride quality is also poor, the engine is underwhelming in both performance and efficiency and rear seat space is relatively tight. It could learn a lesson or two in both comfort and packaging from the closely-related Nissan X-TRAIL, which you’ll find some way further up the list.

2024 Mitsubishi Outlander Exceed at a glance:
Price: $52,640 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 135kW/244Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 185g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

From here on you’re dealing with very, very good cars. Again, depending on your priorities, any of them could be the one for you and that includes the Skoda Karoq. Let’s start with the negatives…

We approached this test with family-friendliness in mind and the Karoq’s in-between size (it’s bigger than small but not quite medium) means it just doesn’t have as much space for occupants or luggage as some of the others. Then again, this might make it right-sized for you.

It is expensive, though. The drive-away price tag for the 140TSI Sportline tested is quite sharp, but gear like electric leather seats, heated seats and steering wheel, semi-autonomous lane assist/adaptive cruise functionality, a 360-degree camera, adaptive suspension and more is optional, pushing the price to near-$60,000.

The interior is pleasantly functional but quite drab at that price point too.

Where the Skoda really impresses is in the bends. Of the 14 cars here, it’s the sportiest to drive and genuinely enjoyable to attack some corners in – and not just by the standards of an SUV.

Combine the chassis with the punchy 2.0-litre turbo engine and all-wheel drive and it’s definitely warm, if not outright hot, in its abilities. Then again, this athleticism doesn’t come for free, the ride being on the firmer side on poor surfaces.

2024 Skoda Karoq 140TSI Sportline at a glance:
Price: $52,490 (drive-away)
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 140kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 6.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 156g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

The Volkswagen Tiguan sings a similar tune to the Skoda. Sporty and enjoyable to drive, the 162TSI R-Line on test improves upon the Karoq with more space, more power and more standard equipment in a nicer interior, albeit for more money.

Unfortunately, the problems mirror the Skoda’s, too. The ride is firm (those stylish 20-inch rims can’t help) and optional equipment (most nice-to-have rather than essential but included on cheaper rivals) blows the price tag out further.

Around most of our test loop its performance advantage over the Skoda wasn’t hugely apparent, either, primarily because there’s only 30Nm in it in terms of maximum torque.

This is important as fuel use is greater by around 10-15 per cent and combines with very expensive servicing to make running costs a Tiguan sore point.

Even the five-year pre-paid plan is $3200, making it easily the most expensive car here and $1350 dearer than the mechanically similar Skoda over the same period. Nice car if you can afford it, but there’s better value on offer.

2024 Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line at a glance:
Price: $60,590 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 162kW/350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 195g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

It might be a relatively old dog, but the Mazda CX-5 still knows plenty of tricks. Its main shortcoming is size, with the rear seat in particular a squeeze for adults (or larger kids), which hurts its family-friendliness.

Continual updates have kept the CX-5 fresh in terms of its safety, equipment and technology, and in G35 spec it’s the muscle car of the group. The large 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine produces a strong 170kW/420Nm and is the highlight of the car.

It offers what most people will find to be a better ride/handling balance than the Skoda and Volkswagen, too. Not as sharp in the bends, but with more comfort to make up for it.

Once again, it’s worth stating that most of these cars are good. If you want a well-equipped and quick SUV and aren’t that fussed about space, the CX-5 could be the pick.

But with a focus of finding solid family transport in this test, its small interior, relatively high asking price and thirst count against it.

2024 Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera at a glance:
Price: $55,000 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 170kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 191g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Unrated

In many respects the Subaru Forester is the polar opposite of the CX-5. Its Tardis-like interior, with a huge boot (with full-size spare!) and ample rear seat space, can swallow a family with ease and it’s also tremendous value.

Even this range-topping 2.5i-S is well under $50,000 before on-road costs, and while it lacks some of the trinketry of its rivals, there’s very little of substance missing, though it’s clearly an older car when compared to, say, the similarly-priced Outback. Subaru’s previous dual-screen dash arrangement is still quite odd.

The Forester continues to impress on the road, soaking up Australia’s pockmarked urban and rural roads with little fuss and it always feels balanced and confidence-inspiring.

Where the Forester struggles is under the bonnet. The 2.5-litre flat-four gets along okay – unladen at least – but it’s certainly nothing to write home about and loves a drink in the process. Don’t be fooled by the official 7.4L/100km claim, you’re likely to be in double figures in the real world.

Combine this with relatively high servicing costs and it takes the value sheen off slightly, but this is a great choice for adventurous families with its space and light off-road ability.

2024 Subaru Forester 2.5i-S at a glance:
Price: $47,140 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 136kW/239Nm
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 168g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)

This is quite a momentous occasion, the first time an EV has been included in a regular carsales’ Best award, rather than being limited to Best Electric Car . It will quickly become commonplace but has been made possible thanks to the likes of BYD and MG achieving price parity with regular internal combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles – or pretty close, anyhow.

As you can see from the finishing position of the BYD Atto 3, the lower price tag doesn’t mean BYD has skimped but it’s a placing that does come with more qualifications than usual.

The Atto 3’s running cost advantage assumes a large percentage of charging will happen at home, though equally the tax advantages of leasing an EV means it could be much cheaper than all the other cars here on a per-week basis.

Likewise, the very soft suspension set-up that has the Atto 3 happily loping around town can lead to a lack of composure on higher-speed country roads.

The drivetrain is great, though. Compared to the fairly uninspiring petrol engines that power most of these SUVs, the BYD’s electric motor has far superior response and performance.

The quirky interior won’t be for everyone, but it has reasonable amounts of storage and very comfortable seats. The biggest question mark surrounds BYD’s warranty coverage, which is limited to only three or four years on some fairly major componentry.

2024 BYD Atto 3 Extended at a glance:
Price: $51,011 (plus on-road costs)
Powertrain: Single front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 150kW/310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 60.48kWh lithium-iron phosphate
Range: 420km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 16kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

The above nine vehicles lead us to the pointy end of this contest, now check out the the top five finalists in the 2024 carsales Best Mid-Size SUV.