What are the best family SUVs in 2024?
South Africans have an ongoing love affair with SUVs and we sure have a huge variety to choose from, especially when you have a new-car budget of around R600 000 to R800 000 which will buy you a very well-specified and sophisticated mid-size SUV, or even something bigger.
Got R600 - R800k to spend on a family SUV? There's so much to choose from!
Taking into account space, features, convenience, safety, ride quality, running costs, user-friendliness, practicality, reliability, and after-sales service, I’ve picked five of my favourite SUVs and picked an overall winner. Here is my list in alphabetical order, with my chosen winner at the end.
BMW X1
The BMW X1 (read our 2023 launch report) looks stylish, has plenty of room on board and is filled with cutting edge technology. The interior is beautifully executed and you feel like you’re in a way more expensive X3. Price-wise, the “poverty-spec” X1 sDrive 18i xLine, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with 130 kW and 230 Nm is surprisingly affordable at R 788 045, and fuel consumption is a claimed 6.5 litres per 100 km. It’s suitably fizzy too, with a sub-10-second sprint from 0 - 100 km/h. And it was a 2023 World Car of the Year finalist, so who am I to argue? Also counting in its favour is that it’s quite well-specified for a German car, where you used to pay for ashtrays in the past.
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My only issue is that the infotainment system (which offers wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) is slightly too complex and I would have liked a few more buttons to instantly access certain functionalities. Also, BMWs aren’t cheap to fix if something goes wrong, but you have a 2-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan as standard.
- Safety: 5 Star EuroNCAP
- Boot space: 540 - 1 600 litres
- Warranty: 2-year unlimited warranty, 5-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.
Hyundai Tucson
The Tucson is a mainstay of the segment and even its radical new styling is going down a treat with South African buyers. While the top-spec Tucson N Line trim is over our price cap, the second-from-the-top 2.0D Elite model is an excellent car in every respect at R799 500, but pricing for the Tucson actually starts at R598 900.
Buying used? Read our road-trip review of the Hyundai Tucson 2.0D Elite Sport (2019) here.
The Elite variants have a huge selection of lovely goodies, such as smart (adaptive) cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and a panoramic sunroof, which is very appealing to those who find themselves in traffic often. And the ventilated seats are a godsend in the summer!
A user-friendly infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto seals the deal.
- Safety: 5 Star EuroNCAP
- Boot space: 539 - 1860 litres
- Warranty: 5-year vehicle and 7-year drivetrain
- Service plan: 6-year/150 000 km vehicle/200 000 km drivetrain
Read our review on the Tucson 2.0D Elite here.
Kia Sportage
The Sportage is the cousin of the Tucson, yet in JD Power’s reliability survey of 2023, it actually trumps the Tucson with fewer problems reported overall.
The latest iteration of Sportage is a very handsome and futuristic vehicle that fits in perfectly with the modern family’s busy lifestyle. The massive, curved touchscreen system is easy to use, space on board is ample, and it sips lightly at fuel (6.5 litres per 100 km in the turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine), while the 1.6-litre diesel models have an even bigger range, using only 4.9 litres per 100 km (claimed).
Pricing for the Kia Sportage starts at a mere R655 995, with the top-spec 1.6T-GDI GT Line S model retailing for R816 995, but the other models in-between fall right into our range. My top pick is the diesel Kia Sportage 1.6CRDi GT Line Plus at R783 995, which features some semi-autonomous driving features such as lane-keep assistance and also has a panoramic sunroof.
- EuroNCAP Safety rating: 5 Stars
- Boot size: 571 - 1760 litres
- Warranty: 5 years/unlimited km
- Service Plan: 6 years/90 000 km
I reviewed the Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi EX in 2023 here (now R709 995), which is great value.
Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi’s Outlander is a sophisticated contender from Japan and it’s one of those SUVs where you sit inside and think that everything feels just right, plus it has the added bonus of a third row of seats, albeit a somewhat cramped one. The interior is elegant and minimalistic, with high-quality switchgear and an ergonomic layout, but it doesn’t offer wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
It’s powered by a punchy 2.5-litre (naturally aspirated) engine with 135 kW and 245 Nm while the CVT gearbox is one of the best, being quiet and smooth. The cabin is whisper-quiet when the Outlander is on the move. All the models in the lineup are all-wheel-driven with a variety of driving modes, and the range kicks off at R759 995 and ends at R809 995 for the flagship Outlander 2.5 Exceed model.
Fuel economy could be better; realistic consumption came to about 9 litres per 100 km, despite Mitsubishi claiming an average of 8.1 but its surefooted Super All-Wheel Control system across the whole range more than makes up for it. And the standard specification is very generous—the Outlander is loaded with kit.
- Safety: 5-star EuroNCAP
- Boot space: 205 - 694 - 1461 litres
- Warranty: 3-year/100,000 km,
- Service plan 5-year/90 000 km
Read my colleague Taye’s review of the GLS model here.
Toyota RAV4
Having spent some time in the single-motor 2021 hybrid-powered RAV4, I was highly impressed by this excellent all-rounder, and in 2022 Toyota added a brilliant new dual-electric motor AWD hybrid model to the lineup, namely the Toyota RAV4 2.5 Hybrid GX-R E-Four, which now retails for R748 700. There is also a top-spec Hybrid VX model available, but it falls outside of our price range. Should you not want to go the hybrid route, there are currently 5 models in the lineup, with the RAV4 2.0 GX-R kicking off at R705 600.
The fourth-generation E-Four hybrid, however, is a hero for urban and mild off-road environments, allowing you to save big on petrol in the city and still enjoy the outdoors on weekends with extra towing capability. Along with the two electric motors, you get a 2.5-litre petrol engine along with a two-stage reduction gearbox. Since it’s not a plug-in hybrid but one that is recharged on the go, you don’t need to worry about installing wall boxes and such. It’s worth mentioning that hybrid technology is not cheap and considering it’s the only hybrid model here, and it has two electric motors instead of one, along with all Toyota’s brilliant tech and spec, it’s excellent bang for your buck!
My colleague, Chad, attended the launch and attained excellent consumption figures. You can read his launch report here.
- Safety: 5-star EuroNCAP
- Boot Space: 733 litres
- Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km for the vehicle, 8 years/195 000 km for the hybrid battery
- Service Plan: 6 Services/90 000 km
Volkswagen Tiguan
The Tiguan was facelifted in 2023 and may not look that much different, but I can assure you that it still has everything that modern families want and more: oodles of space and tech, safety features galore, and that typical neat and practical, quality VW interior. The rear middle seat is wide enough for the central passenger to be just as comfortable as those on the outer seats.
The interior layout is neat and, oh, so German, but some people feel it lacks personality. I have to disagree because usually cars that are a little less over the top, styling-wise, age much better.
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro vs VW Tiguan vs. Haval H6
The Digital Cockpit Pro with its 26cm TFT colour display and ambient is standard on R-Line models, while Life variants come standard with luxurious comfort seats. And even the entry-level models feature 3-zone climate control.
Pricing kicks off at R626 900 for the Tiguan 1.4TSI 110kW model. The Tiguan 1.4 TFSi 110kW Life model (R700 500) also falls into our price bracket, as does the Tiguan 1.4TSI 110kW R-Line at R768 800.
- Safety: 5-star EuroNCAP
- Boot space: 520 - 615 - 1655 litres
- Warranty: 3 years/120 000 km
- Service plan: 5-year/90 000 km
Our mid-size 2024 Family SUV winner in 2024 is...
The Toyota RAV4
The RAV4 is the perfect combination of good looks, twin-motor hybrid tech, comfort, and Toyota reliability. It drives like a dream, uses very little petrol, yet has a good amount of power and space, and it’s at home on (almost) every surface. For what you get, it’s priced right, too.
Related: Hyundai Tucson N Line vs Toyota RAV4 vs VW Tiguan - which has the lowest running cost?
Special mentions
Other segment favourites include: the Volvo XC40, Mazda CX-60, Nissan X-Trail, and the stellar Audi Q3 which has no less than five models under R800 000.
In this price range, you can also get a much larger seven-seater SUV for the same price as these mid-size heroes, so I thought the highly comfortable and efficient Isuzu mu-X, Toyota Fortuner and trail-loving Mitsubishi Pajero Sport were well worth a mention too, along with the value-packed Haval H6.
ENDS
