Looking for a seven-seat wagon for around $30K?

Australian families, so the statisticians tell us, are 40 per cent smaller than they were in the 1920s, yet we are still buying vehicles with enough seats and (unlike 100 years ago) seat belts to accommodate an entire netball team. Why is this so?

For a start there is a need for every child that counts as yours to be accompanied by at least one child of someone else on jaunts to the beach or theme park. And what about senior relatives who can 'forget' birthdays unless occasionally included on family outings?

Not long ago, vehicles with seven seats were boxy, wobbly vans with names like Tarago, Starwagon and Kombi. Unless you chose a LandCruiser Troop Carrier with the bench-seat comfort of a prison van it was hard to find a vehicle with 4WD capability that could also carry more than five.

During the 1980s, North American manufacturers pioneered a genre known as the 'Sport Utility Vehicle' or SUV. With the passage of time, demand for these roomy load and passenger-carriers has become so strong that three-box sedans have been hammered into near-oblivion.

Looking at the money our readers might want to spend we've applied a notional maximum of $30,000. Then we immediately broke the rule and included a couple that sell at a price nearer $50K. The allocated amount should buy vehicles that are in general three to five years old and no older than eight. Selections span a range of designs, from sliding-door passenger vans to serious 4WDs.

Unless noted otherwise, every model in this selection has achieved a five-star occupant protection rating when tested locally by ANCAP or overseas to the same standards.

Hopefully something here will suit your people-shifting needs.

You need to look back a few years to find an Audi Q7 that's going to get close to our $30K price target. If you want one of pristine presentation and complete with a full service history your choice will likely have MY11-12 stamped on its ID plates. However the equipment and prestige being offered for a small fraction of new price helps offset concerns about age.

The Q7 is without doubt a big lump of vehicle (more than five metres long, two metres wide and weighing 2375kg). It needs plenty of grunt just to overcome inertia, let alone haul seven people up a steep hill. Not a problem. The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 delivers a monstrous 550Nm of torque and was claimed to make 0-100km/h in under eight seconds while using diesel at 10L/100km.

Lifting the tab on the split-folded rear seat reveals a broad, beautifully trimmed chair with armrests disguising the adjacent wheel-arches. Leg-room in the very back isn't massive but OK for short people or journeys of similar length.

Looking for a 2011-2012 Audi Q7 on carsales

If you want to be able to brag that you once owned the last of Australia's seven-seat family wagons then get in before the SZ series of Ford Territory is placed on the 'endangered' list.

With $30K available we can head instantly to the top of the Territory tree; funding an All-Wheel Drive Titanium with 4.0-litre petrol or 2.7-litre turbo-diesel engines and six-speed Sportshift automatic transmission. Seating for seven was an option but one which buyers of new Titaniums seem often to have selected. Equipment in the SZ Mark 2 is lavish, the mechanicals are reliable and it will tow (with brakes) 2300kg.

Loading seven bodies – even limbre adults – into the tall Ford isn't difficult, with the third row a proper seat that lifts up from the cargo deck floor and brings with it belts and head-restraints. Behind it remains a decent amount of space for groceries or picnic foods, The lift-up rear window is handy too.

Looking for a Ford Territory SZ MkII series on carsales

Say 'Colorado' during a discussion about family-sized off-roaders and the groans might be audible and sustained. Say 'Trailblazer' and the response will more likely be curiosity than criticism.

What it is, of course, is a rebadged Colorado 7 that launched here late in 2016. The badge had been shelved by Chevrolet back in 2009 but for some reason when revived for the Australian market, the Thai-built Holden Trailblazer seems to have shed most of the baggage carried by its predecessor.

Mechanically, hardly anything has changed, with the 2.8-litre GM turbo-diesel still delivering 500Nm of torque and a three-tonne towing capacity. Transmission is via six-speed auto with a limited-slip rear differential but no diff lock.

With both sets of rear seats folded, the big Holden/Chevrolet provides 1.83 metres of load length. The three-seat bench also splits unevenly so two passengers plus long items like skis, paddles or fishing rods can be simultaneously carried.

For those seeking extra luxury, bigger wheels and a bit of bling there is an LTZ version, however these in near-new condition generally cost around $40K.

Looking for a Holden Blazer LT on carsales

Australians love a Carnival. So much so that in a generally depressed new vehicle market during 2019 the current-model Kia Carnival outsold Honda's Odyssey, its nearest rival in the People Mover category, by almost four to one. The Carnival also outsold Kia's dedicated seven-seat SUV, the Sorento, which is built on the same platform.

Walk around one of the current YP Series Carnivals – it might take a while – and you might wonder how something this size and with space for not just seven but eight occupants was able to move at all with just a 2.2-litre engine. Well, that little turbo-diesel produces 147kW of power and 440Nm of torque and while it is no match for an Audi Q7 in acceleration the Kia gets along quite well.

Equipment even in the lower-spec 'S' model includes dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors and a camera. Load area with both rear seats lowered is a massive 4022 litres and even with all seats in use there's a deep well in the load area which will fit a couple of decent-sized suitcases.

Looking for a Kia Carnival YP series 'S' badge on carsales

The Mazda CX-9 that arrived in 2009 set a new and confronting standard for rivals in the realm of seven-passenger SUVs.

While other manufacturers might have felt pressured if their products were gulping 14L/100km, Mazda was initially unashamed and saw no need to offer a diesel alternative to its smooth and effective 3.7-litre, 204kW V6.That changed in 2016, after which the CX-9 flaunted a compact 2.5-litre, twin-turbo with 170kW. It brought a significant fuel saving but minimal effect on performance.

If space is high on your list of 'must haves' then the Mazda with its 2875mm wheelbase and 1936mm in overall width provides plenty. What it won't do is slip nimbly into tight spaces or negotiate car-park access ramps with ease. Caution is recommended for drivers of the big CX-9 in multi-storey car parks.

For occupants sitting all the way back in the third row of seats, the view forward is likely to be restricted, so head-restraints that accommodate entertainment screens are appreciated. Spending up on a Luxury version, you will find a big electrically operated sunroof and seats all trimmed in leather.

Looking for a Mazda CX-9 TB series 5 on carsales

Need seating for seven in a vehicle that won't hang its tail outside your car-space? The T32 Series Nissan X-TRAIL is shorter than the 'full-sized' seven seaters and has been with us since 2013, albeit updated in 2017. As new in 2017, an X-TRAIL in 2WD ST-L specification cost around $37,000 but can be found in the used market now for under $30,000.

If you want to carry seven people in an X-TRAIL you can't have a 4WD. You also can't get the seven-seat option in anything except the ST or ST-L versions. At 4.6 metres long, the X-Trail is hardly undersized and five of its seats offer plenty of hip, head and leg-room for full-sized adults.

The pop-up chairs that emerge from the boot floor are well shaped and wide enough for larger occupants. However clambering in from the front or Fosbury-flopping over the backrest – as show-off children are prone to do – is ungainly, and once aboard the leg-room is tight. Load-space with both rear seats deployed is minimal but they do split-fold.

Looking for a Nissan X-TRAIL ST-L T32 series on carsales

For decades, people who needed to move people in bulk needed a Volkswagen Kombi and all of the compromises that entailed. Then came the Toyota Tarago with a thoroughly modernised approach to multi-human transport, but in 2019 that era ended, leaving Toyota to fill the gap with its van-based Granvia.

Late-model Tarago Ultimas can cost considerably more than our notional $30K allowance but finding 2013-14 versions that have been sparingly driven isn't hard. Specification and build quality are hard to fault; the seats are heated, there are dual sunroofs and electric privacy blinds. The air-con is powerful and has a multi-zone function. Even with a full load of people there remains plenty of space for everyone's luggage.

Thirst for fuel is a demerit but to compensate there's a smooth 202kw, 3.5-litre V6 and six-speed auto transmission. The wide track, 55 Series tyres on 17-inch rims and responsive steering all help the hefty Ultima handle and ride more like a large luxury car than a van.

Looking for a Toyota Tarago Ultima 3.5lt on carsales