Sunday 7: Seven affordable seven-seaters
Mid-size SUVs are a big deal in Australia right now.
People looking to cart around large families are moving into SUVs over the less popular people-movers, which are in danger of becoming a dying breed.
The only catch is bigger cars generally cost more, so to help you out if you’re in the market for a seven-seater, but don’t want to break the bank, we've assembled a list of the cheapest load-luggers on sale today.
Mitsubishi Outlander ES - from $31,290
The least expensive of our group is also one of Mitsubishi’s best-selling models - the Outlander. It’s the front-wheel drive automatic ES that takes top spot for most affordable seven-seater on sale right now.
Equipped with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that’s used in a majority of the range, it’s good for 124kW of power and 220Nm of torque. It also comes with handy stuff like smartphone mirroring, keyless entry and emergency brake assist.
Nissan X-Trail ST - from $32,490
Nissan’s medium SUV takes silver with its base model ST. It comes with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol in front-drive layout with power outputs similar to the Outlander at 126kw/226Nm.
But, just the like the base-model Mitsi, both miss out on safety tech like adaptive cruise, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure warning.
Honda CR-V VTi-E7 - $34,490
Honda’s cheapest seven-seat CR-V used to be the VTi-L ($38,990 plus on-roads) - that was until last month when Honda introduced a brand new (and cheaper) seven-seat variant - the VTi-E7.
This one gets a little more than the others - leather-appointed seats as opposed to cloth trim and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo engine good for 140kW of power and 240Nm of torque.
LDV D90 Mode - $38,990
You probably don’t see many of these on the road, because the Chinese car maker is still trying to establish a foot-hold with the D90. It’s not the cheapest seven-seater, but it does require one of the best bang-for-you-buck because it's a large SUV - as opposed to the mid-size Mitsubishi, Nissan and Honda.
The D90 is also one of the most powerful of our options with its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine sending 165kW/350Nm to the front wheels. It comes with a pretty good safety kit which includes adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning and more.
Haval H9 LUX - $40,990
The H9 is another one you probably don’t see too often. Another Chinese-owned manufacturer, Haval sold even less SUVs than LDV in 2018. The Haval H9 in base-model spec gets a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol good for 180kW/350Nm.
It also gets selectable four-wheel drive, a full safety suit and paddle shifters to feel a little bit less-tank and more-sporty.
Mazda CX-8 Sport - $42,490
The same 2.2-litre twin-turbocharged engine is used across Mazda’s three-tier diesel CX-8 range, but its the base front-drive Sport that’s the cheapest of the range. With power ratings of 140kW/450Nm, the CX-8 Sport isn’t the most powerful SUV, but gets the most pulling grunt. It comes well equipped with head-up display, autonomous emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.
Isuzu MU-X LS-M - $42,900
Isuzu’s one and only SUV is the seventh cheapest seven-seater today. Sitting just over $10k more than the cheapest, the base-model front-drive LS-M gets the brand’s 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.
It also gets some good tech (for a base model) including LED headlights, emergency brake assist, trailer sway control and hill descent control. And with power outputs of 130kW/430Nm, its another model that doesn’t sell overly well, but makes a strong argument for big families that want space and freedom to explore.
*ALL PRICES EXCLUDE ON-ROAD COSTS*