200120 best family suv 10
200120 mazda cx 9 23
200120 skoda kodiaq 23
200120 best family suv 13
200120 best family suv 22
Ken Gratton19 Feb 2020
REVIEW

2020 carsales Best Family SUV: The most affordable

Which seven-seat family SUV is the most affordable?
Models Tested
Holden Acadia v Hyundai Santa Fe v Kia Sorento v Mazda CX-8 v Mazda CX-9 v Nissan Pathfinder v Skoda Kodiaq v Toyota Kluger v VW Tiguan Allspace
Review Type
Comparison

Cost of ownership is a vitally important consideration when determining the 2020 carsales Best Family SUV. In looking at our field of seven-seat SUVs under $70,000, we also considered warranty and roadside assistance provisions, annual running costs, scheduled and capped-price servicing costs, insurance, fuel and even tyre replacement to see which SUV offers the overall best value for money.

RedBook.com.au supplied all that information to help us arrive at a winner in our Best Family SUV deliberations.

Our calculations were based on a three-year ownership period for fuel, servicing and resale value. Tyres were costed on the basis of one full set purchased during that timeframe.

Insurance figures provided by Budget Direct assumed the driver was a rating-one 40-year-old male and the vehicle was unmodified and garaged every night.

In price, the retail prices for the nine contenders ranged from $47,490 for the Holden Acadia LT all-wheel drive to $66,760 for the Mazda CX-9 Azami, the flagship variant of the 2016 carsales car of the year.

Using spreadsheet formulae to convert the cost to a score out of 30, here's how the nine vehicles fared, from costliest to run to most affordable.

200120 best family suv 13

Mazda CX-9 Azami
Retail price, including on-road costs: $73,184
Specification adjusted pricing: $62,010
Servicing (over three years): $1512
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $5782
Tyres: $1464
Finance: $7804
Insurance: $3615
Retained value: $46,398
Final cost: $48,633
Points out of 30: 15.0

Nissan Pathfinder ST-L
Retail price, including on-road costs: $64,320
Specification adjusted pricing: $54,940
Servicing (over three years): $1424
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $6635
Tyres: $992
Finance: $6859
Insurance: $3265
Retained value: $39,751
Final cost: $45,414
Points out of 30: 16.3

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 162 TSI Highline
Retail price, including on-road costs: $57,294
Specification adjusted pricing: $49,790
Servicing (over three years): $1758
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $5939
Tyres: $1120
Finance: $6203
Insurance: $3200
Retained value: $34,906
Final cost: $42,278
Points out of 30: 17.3

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Toyota Kluger Black Edition
Retail price, including on-road costs: $65,342
Specification adjusted pricing: $56,820
Servicing (over three years): $1080
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $6242
Tyres: $1080
Finance: $6968
Insurance: $3179
Retained value: $42,879
Final cost: $42,682
Points out of 30: 17.4

Mazda CX-8 Asaki
Retail price, including on-road costs: $68,379
Specification adjusted pricing: $59,140
Servicing (over three years): $1514
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $4023
Tyres: $1088
Finance: $7292
Insurance: $3370
Retained value: $45,109
Final cost: $42,227
Points out of 30: 17.6

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander
Retail price, including on-road costs: $65,640
Specification adjusted pricing: $56,300
Servicing (over three years): $1197
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $5029
Tyres: $1316
Finance: $7000
Insurance: $2813
Retained value: $42,653
Final cost: $42,012
Points out of 30: 17.7

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Holden Acadia LT
Retail price, including on-road costs: $52,446
Specification adjusted pricing: $45,940
Servicing (over three years): $817
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $6110
Tyres: $1040
Finance: $5593
Insurance: $2500
Retained value: $28,257
Final cost: $41,919
Points out of 30: 17.8

Kia Sorento GT-Line
Retail price, including on-road costs: $64,628
Specification adjusted pricing: $54,940
Servicing (over three years): $1305
Warranty: Seven-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $4828
Tyres: $1316
Finance: $6892
Insurance: $3100
Retained value: $41,940
Final cost: $41,799
Points out of 30: 17.8

Skoda Kodiaq Sportline 132TSI
Retail price, including on-road costs: $47,900
Specification adjusted pricing: $42,950
Servicing (over three years): $1353
Warranty: Five-year/unlimited km
Fuel: $5348
Tyres: $1120
Finance: $5108
Insurance: $3015
Retained value: $34,249
Final cost: $31,265
Points out of 30: 22.1

Pricing and Features
200120 skoda kodiaq 02
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Written byKen Gratton
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