2023 Best Value Large SUV

The cost of living is skyrocketing, so it’s more important than ever to drive your dollar further when looking for a family-friendly large SUV.

We’ve crunched the value equations of every seven-seat SUV on the market right now, from smaller new entrants such as Honda’s new CR-V up to segment stalwarts like Kia’s Sorento and Hyundai’s jumbo Palisade.

In this comparison, we’ve kept things streamlined limiting entrants to those with monocoque bodies focused on occupant comfort and practicality rather than outright off-road or towing capability.

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To measure each large SUV’s value, we dusted off the calculator to generate a ‘three-year ownership figure’ to compare each model.

The goal is to look beyond the purchase price and provide a clearer overall indication of how much each SUV will cost in your driveway. We’ve taken depreciation, servicing, insurance premiums, and fuel use into account and, as you can see, the results are surprising…

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Take the difference between the first-place Mazda CX-8 and third-place Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

The Mazda’s drive-away price is $2657 lower than the Volkswagen, yet the CX-8’s excellent residual value, low insurance premiums, and decent fuel economy see it creep further away over three years, costing $4292.03 less overall.

Nissan’s Pathfinder is the biggest car here and so, perhaps expectedly, it walked home with the wooden spoon. That could be justified by size, but a total ownership cost of $21,000 – and $6590 dearer than the similar size Palisade – more than our winner is significant.

It doesn’t help that the Pathfinder is only available in high-spec trims but big fuel bills (with its thirst for premium petrol), and poor resale value also contributed.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How we calculate best value
• 🥇 Mazda CX-8 Sport FWD
• 🥈 Honda CR-V VTi X
• 🥉Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Life
• 🤔 Other recommendations
• Ownership costs
• Specifications

How we calculate best value

Our full results are in the table below, and we’ve highlighted the three best-value seven-seat large SUVs you can get.

But first, an explanation of how we calculated our ownership figures.

We focused on the cheapest seven-seat variants on offer and used drive-away pricing for vehicles delivered in Sydney with no options fitted.

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Residual values (in percentage form) were gathered from Redbook and form the single largest cost of ownership. Insurance premiums were quoted for a 30-year-old male living in inner Sydney with a clean driving record.

Fuel bills were calculated based on each contender’s combined economy figure and the assumption that owners will drive 12,100km per year – the Aussie average, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Diesel and 91 RON unleaded were $2.00 and premium 95 RON at $2.10 per litre in our calculations

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These figures are a guide only, of course.

While they’re based on historical data and official manufacturer figures, they will change depending on where you live, how far you drive, and other market forces such as the swings in used-car values experienced during and after COVID.

But if value is a high priority, here are three top picks and some extra considerations…

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🥇 Mazda CX-8 Sport FWD

Mazda’s stalwart smallie-big SUV is the most affordable large SUV to buy and own over a three-year period.

Along with an affordable entry price, the well-equipped CX-8 has the best residual value of the bunch at 69.3 per cent. It also has a low fuel consumption rating and proved affordable to insure with middling service pricing.

If you’re looking deeper than the lowest possible price, you can move up the CX-8 trim tree to a Touring variant and still reap many of the rewards that make the Sport our winner.

Along with the responsive engines and a great chassis, you can now add unbeatable value to the list of the CX-8’s talents.

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🥈 Honda CR-V VTi X

Honda’s newest entrant is the car to buy if you’re looking for the most affordable large SUV over three years and only need five seats, but the seven-seat VTi X7’s $2000 premium over its five-seat brother nudges it beyond the CX-8 Sport.

Honda’s clearly pushing its new entrant as a value-oriented option with streamlined ownership. Servicing is just $199/visit, a small turbo-petrol makes for low fuel consumption and it’s relatively affordable to insure.

Looking beyond price alone, the base CR-V does miss out on safety equipment such as rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring that the CX-8 Sport boasts as standard.

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🥉Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Life

A big gulf separates the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace from the CX-8 and Honda CR-V but one would be unwise to overlook the Tiggy on price alone.

Its technology is more up-to-date than the CX-8’s and the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol 110TSI engine’s 250Nm of torque figure is spread from 1500-3500 rpm making this tractable SUV – with an excellent chassis to boot – a great drive.

The Tiguan, like the CX-8 and CR-V, has a more intimate interior than its pricier rivals. If you’re regularly carrying more than five passengers it may be wise to spend a little more on bigger rivals as outlined below.

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🤔 Other recommendations

The Kia Sorento S V6 is a skerrick under $800 dearer to own over three years than the VW but its added size will be welcome for bigger families.

It’s no secret that the comparison-winning Sorento is a great choice and relatively affordable, given its proportions. The Hyundai Santa Fe, too, is worth a look though it is hit by worse residual value than its Kia relation.

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Ownership costs

Note: scroll across table to reveal full results

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Specifications

Note: scroll across table to reveal full results

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