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Carsales Staff24 Jun 2021
REVIEW

Best Mid-Size SUV 2021

Medium SUVs are the most popular new-vehicle type and these are the top 12 contenders, so which one is best?
Review Type
Comparison

This is the vehicle segment that arguably first popularised the SUV in Australia, with the likes of the late-1990s Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 leading the charge. Today, the mainstream mid-size SUV class is well and truly booming, with 19 models offered across 18 brands attracting more buyers than any other new-vehicle segment. Together, they clock up annual sales of around 200,000 units, with 4x4 utes the only other segment coming close. So if the hands-down most popular style of vehicle Down Under is the mid-size SUV, which is the best one? That’s what we’re here to find out.

This is carsales’ Best Mid-Size SUV 2021 mega-test, for which we’ve taken the 12 best models available in Australia’s sub-$60,000 medium SUV class today and assessed them against more than 100 criteria split across five key areas to determine which is the pick of the crop.

Popularised by the introduction of the Toyota RAV4 in 1995, the mid-size SUV class – then simply known as ‘all-terrain wagons’ – was swiftly joined by the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester in 1997.

Since then the medium SUV segment, under which there are now small and even light SUV categories, has grown bigger and better in terms of the models available, their size and packaging, and their sheer popularity, which in turn has seen all-new and much-improved entrants rolling in at a rapid rate.

For this mid-size SUV mega-test, we’ve culled the fleet of contenders from 19 to the 12 you see here, all of which we reckon deserve to be on your shortlist, or at least worthy of close consideration, based on what’s currently available on the market.

While this segment now offers many hybrid and diesel options, not all manufacturers have such powertrains on the table. So to maintain a level playing field, we’ve chosen the set-up that most car-makers offer in Australia: a petrol engine with automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

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Furthermore, we selected the highest luxury model grade from each brand with a recommended retail price as close to $50,000 as possible. As it turns out, most have a manufacturer’s list price significantly less than that.

For some, the $50K price point means a variant that’s one tier down from the most expensive grade. For example, we chose the premium luxury variant within the recently facelifted Volkswagen Tiguan range, the 162TSI Elegance ($50,790 plus on-road costs), rather than the sportier and more expensive Tiguan 162TSI R-Line ($53,790 plus ORCs).

There’s a big difference in how ‘new’ our shortlisted contenders SUVs really are in terms of design and engineering. However, even the oldest model here has been recently refreshed to some degree to keep it competitive in this all-important segment.

The newest SUV released here is the Hyundai Tucson, which was launched just last month, while new-generation models introduced over the past three years include the Ford Escape, MG HS, Toyota RAV4, Skoda Karoq and Subaru Forester.

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The current-generation Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V both arrived in 2017, and each received a mid-life update last year. The current Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage are both a little bit older, arriving in 2016, with the Sportage updated in 2018 and the Tiguan coming in for an update earlier this year. An all-new Sportage arrives late this year.

This generation of Nissan X-TRAIL harks back to 2014, with the latest update reaching showrooms in March 2021. An all-new model is expected next year.

The Mitsubishi Outlander is the oldest SUV here, arriving in 2012 before being reskinned in 2015 and receiving another couple of upgrades since then, the most recent last year. A new-generation Outlander is due in the third quarter this year.

As with all our mega-tests, including the recent Best Small SUV 2021 and Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute 2021, our assessment criteria covers safety, technology, comfort and convenience features, driving performance and ownership costs.

And the final results apply to the entire model range, not just the individual variant we’ve used as our testing benchmark.

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Comfort and convenience

What were once big-ticket options or only available in high-end prestige cars are now routine comfort and convenience features expected in the upper-tier mid-size SUVs we have here.

It’s not an unreasonable expectation in 2021 to see a comprehensive list of features in each of these SUVs, given they are all priced at, or near, $50,000.

For buyers aiming for a little luxury in their mid-size SUV, they want to know they are actually getting all the goods. Even though these manufacturers for the most part seem to have achieved a similar features result, there are some surprising omissions among them.

More on mid-size SUV comfort and convenience here

Safety

Cutting-edge safety features used to be the hallmark of particular (read: luxury) vehicle brands and vehicles, but now consumers have high expectations of any new vehicle when it comes to its active and passive safety checklist.

The fact that most vehicles meet those expectations is partly due to safety legislation, better technology and the realisation by car-makers that a comprehensive safety suite is an effective selling tool.

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Technology has seemingly compounded at a blistering rate, with almost every medium SUV model update revealing yet more sophisticated features that help either avoid or minimise the effects of a crash.

Some mid-size SUVs have kept up with the latest in safety innovation, while others lag behind.

More on mid-size SUV safety here

Technology

Having infotainment systems with seamless functionality and connectivity is a priority in the mid-size SUV segment, which attracts a disproportionately large number of families.

And many buyers of high-series models such as these here in particular want access to all of the latest multimedia features now widely expected in the new vehicle market.

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However, not all medium SUVs are equal in this regard – some have tech shortfalls, while others are more than ample in their tech specs.

More on mid-size SUV technology here

Driving performance

People tend to buy a vehicle like a mid-size SUV to do everything, to be a jack of all trades. So it’s important to have a medium SUV that will perform daily commute duties just as well as it takes on the family’s long holiday haul.

Good engine performance, chassis dynamics and ride quality make for a more relaxing and enjoyable vehicle to drive.

With sportiness and comfort at opposite ends of the chassis tuning spectrum, some mid-size SUVs here strike a far better balance than others in when it comes to this important area of assessment.

More on mid-size SUV driving performance here

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Ownership costs

There’s nothing more unpleasant when buying a new car than to later realise its ownership costs are a big financial drain.

Yet this important purchase consideration has been refined in recent years, allowing buyers to have some peace of mind by being able to reliably calculate many costs before they occur.

Maintenance and depreciation costs are now far more transparent so you can calculate with some assurance what you’ll be up for when it comes time for servicing or, eventually, selling your mid-size SUV.

When it comes to how much a mid-size SUV costs to run and service, how much it depreciates, how long its warranty is and what, if any, free roadside assist is included, none of these vehicles are created equal.

More on mid-size SUV ownership costs here

Now let’s find out which model is the Best Mid-Size SUV for 2021.

Best Mid-Size SUV 2021 contenders:
Ford Escape 2.0 Vignale AWD
Honda CR-V 1.5 VTi LX AWD
Hyundai Tucson 1.6 Highlander AWD
Kia Sportage 2.4 GT-Line AWD
Mazda CX-5 2.5 Akera AWD
MG HS 2.0 Essence X AWD
Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 Exceed AWD
Nissan X-TRAIL 2.5 Ti AWD
Skoda Karoq 2.0 140TSI Sportline AWD
Subaru Forester 2.5i-S AWD
Toyota RAV4 2.5 Edge AWD
Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 162TSI Elegance AWD

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Written byCarsales Staff
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