Best 7-Seater Car / SUV's Under $60,000 in 2025

scrimshaw on 18/08/2025 - 16:32
Last edited 18/08/2025 - 17:34

Moderators at OzBargain have decided to run yearly polls to decide the best products in popular categories that get asked repeatedly in the forum. Our aim is to have a central thread where users can vote on the items, suggest options and also change their vote throughout the year. The polls will end once the year is over.

Question

What is the best 7-Seater Car / SUV under $60K for the year 2025?

We asked a similar question 6 years ago and most of you thought the Hyundai Santa Fe was the best choice, followed by Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger respectively.

However quite some time has passed and we now see many Chinese branded SUV's on the road nowadays.

Seven seater cars are a great choice for parents who are looking to buy a single car to move the entire family, with a third row at the back allowing for 2 extra passengers (or extra cargo).

Some considerations when choosing a 7-seater

  • Vehicle safety (ANCAP ratings). The ANCAP rating is a five star system (five stars being the safest, one star being the least safe).
  • Fuel economy
  • Two wheel drive or all-wheel drive. All wheel drive vehicles are more expensive, but will provide a better driving experience.
  • On-board entertainment options for keeping the kids entertained and smartphone connectivity, such as Bluetooth, Android Auto, plus Mp3 player compatibility, rear view digital displays and SatNav.
  • Ongoing Maintenance costs

Remember: You can change your votes at anytime, and suggest more than 1 product over the course of the poll.

How to add new suggestions to the poll?

Fill in the Suggestion box found just above the commenting textbox with the model name, leave your review or thoughts about the account then click submit. I will then approve the options manually later

Poll Options Thu, 01/01/2026 - 00:00

This is part of What Should I Buy poll for 2025. Check out other recommendations from the OzBargain community.
Automotive What Should I Buy

Comments

  • brendanm on 18/08/2025 - 16:37
    +13

    Santa Fe is one of the ugliest things I've seen in at least the last 10 years.

    • askbargain on 18/08/2025 - 16:43
      +9

      It looks like every range rover

      • brendanm on 18/08/2025 - 16:48
        +4

        Negative.

    • pharkurnell on 18/08/2025 - 16:55
      +6

      Most cars look like a breadbox these days…

      • askbargain on 18/08/2025 - 17:05
        -1

        Don’t upset car guys

        • joka on 19/08/2025 - 05:46
          +3

          Or bread box guys

    • Euphemistic on 18/08/2025 - 17:13
      +6

      I dont mind the front, but the lights on the back look like they are too far down making a saggy bum look.

    • buddysayshi on 18/08/2025 - 17:59
      +2

      Couldn't agree more. It's not bad looking car from the front but the back area design is ugly in my opinion.

    • 87percent on 18/08/2025 - 19:03
      +3

      It actually looks imbalanced. Like it would do a wheelie if you accelerated

    • boomramada on 18/08/2025 - 20:48
      +1

      Still better looking than Tesla lol

      • brendanm on 18/08/2025 - 22:06
        +1

        The y looks like an obese beluga whale.

        • LFO on 19/08/2025 - 13:31

          Mimicking who is sitting inside …

    • DGrayson82 on 19/08/2025 - 09:57

      Someone on here (or maybe it was reddit) said it looks like a hearse and thats all I see now

    • V2L on 20/08/2025 - 16:35
      +1

      the new santa fe is impressive. it's like someone tried to design the ugliest car imaginable

      • brendanm on 20/08/2025 - 16:47
        +1

        Old SsangYong design team would be devastated.

  • Jaduqimon on 18/08/2025 - 16:45
    +10

    Kia Carnival. no other car comes close in terms of space and utility for a pure passenger vehicle… unless you go import JDM route

    • spackbace on 18/08/2025 - 17:12

      I'd agree!

    • Broos on 20/08/2025 - 00:32

      Which JDM imports stack up favourably with the Kia Carnival?

      • Jaduqimon on 20/08/2025 - 07:40
        +1

        Alphards and vellfires but will be used ones

        • smartProverble on 20/08/2025 - 10:02

          Alphards

          Just can't get over the name. Also the "vellfire" 🤣

        • ThadtheChad on 29/08/2025 - 17:37

          They are incredible vehicles. Travelled in multiple variants and trims of both (taxis, private hires, hotel drop offs, etc), and I'm completely in love with them. I really wish Toyota would officially launch either over here (instead of the incredibly expensive Lexus variant LM - which are well over 150k).

          • Excelsior on 13/09/2025 - 20:15
            +1

            @ThadtheChad: Not the right market for it I reckon, high end MPVs are far more prevalent in Asian countries especially where having personal drivers/chauffeurs is common. Our market is geared towards SUVs.

            • ThadtheChad on 14/09/2025 - 08:43

              @Excelsior: I guess there is a segment of the market that is evolving towards MPVs, the Carnival is incredibly popular now and is within a similar price point (especially the GTLine).

              I like the ID buzz too, but not at that price point.

  • shxhshzhz on 18/08/2025 - 16:47
    -2
    Suggested Chery Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid

    Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV $45990 driveaway

    • Checkmate3023 on 18/08/2025 - 18:56
      +2

      in fairness this is 'really' cheap i dont know how they drive but for sub 50k i mean im pretty sure the warrenty is 10 years …you cant 'really lose' as long as they stay in Australia

      • brendanm on 20/08/2025 - 16:48

        Yeah, chery would never just up and abandon the market 😂

    • ParkingFine23 on 19/08/2025 - 16:32
      -1

      For (profanity) sake. They can't even spell Cherry correctly, how good do you think their cars are going to be?

      • Mortin on 20/08/2025 - 06:32
        +1

        It was named to be a Chevy rip off
        They just replaced the v with r

        • smartProverble on 20/08/2025 - 10:04

          Chery was born from a join venture between Chevy and a Chinese state run company. They ripped off the car, including the name.

          • ParkingFine23 on 20/08/2025 - 10:15

            @smartProverble: Thanks for the explaination - it makes sense. However, it is still a marketing disaster. IMO, without the explanation that you have just provided, it is plain stupid.

    • pragmaticguy on 20/08/2025 - 09:09
      +1

      I have had a tiggo 8 for 3 months or so. Abysmal customer service, but the car has been good so far.

      • retailsaver on 09/10/2025 - 04:19

        Bad customer service by the dealer? The Chery online team?

        • pragmaticguy on 10/10/2025 - 15:03

          both. chery just completely ignores emails. dealer is rude af and dodgy as

          • retailsaver on 10/10/2025 - 22:36

            @pragmaticguy: Were there issues with the car which they are not addressing, or they're just ignoring your general enquiries?

            Also care to share which dealer (so we can avoid)?

  • jv on 18/08/2025 - 16:58
    -2

    Best 7-Seater Car

    🚗

  • pharkurnell on 18/08/2025 - 17:02
    -3

    What a horrible selection..

  • Checkmate3023 on 18/08/2025 - 17:32

    VW Tigua All Space ?
    Skoda Kodiaq ?

    id even add Mitsubishi Outlander you could get one of these drive away for 55k if you find the right dealer -if you service them with Mitsubishi you get a 10 year warrenty as well

    Regardless….

    Kia Carnival - this is probably the best option on the list you have given although i probably would go the Sorento, i think the New Santa Fe is 'prettier' then most large SUVs but they have had a 'few' issues so i'd probably avoid till the fix the bugs with the new design

  • plmko on 18/08/2025 - 18:09
    +1

    Really goes to show how dire the choices for Australian family cars are.

    • gakko on 20/08/2025 - 08:27

      We dont buy em basically. We buy SUV's thats why our market is saturated with those. Doesn't explain why they (SUVs) all look identical though. That's probably because we are boring.

  • Slinky0111 on 18/08/2025 - 19:37
    +1

    Comes in 7 and 8 seater. Still feels like a suv and not a minibus. Best part about the 7 seater is the captain chairs, 2 2 3 configuration. Enough room for an adult to get through to sit in the 3rd row.

    • Far Cough on 18/08/2025 - 20:22

      good choice

    • brendanm on 18/08/2025 - 22:07
      +2

      Where does one get a palisade under $60k?

      • pharkurnell on 19/08/2025 - 11:38

        Pickles Auctions, but they are repairable.

  • apaul on 18/08/2025 - 20:57

    We wanted an all-rounder that could handle 4x4 driving, so we decided to go with the MU-X LSM 3.0 for $54K drive-away. The third row is surprisingly spacious.

  • Tried and Tested on 18/08/2025 - 21:13
    -2
    Suggested Nissan Pathfinder

    VQ35 with 9spd ZF auto, no hybrid / electric. Epitome of reliability.

  • Brainwhacker on 18/08/2025 - 22:31

    Outlander serious contender,

  • hashtagbargain on 19/08/2025 - 01:06
    Suggested Skoda Kodiaq

    The Skoda Kodiaq has been a popular option, comes with 7 years warranty.

    • mattmel96 on 20/08/2025 - 11:48
      -1

      Have one and the vehicle is great however Skoda Australia and Sydney Skoda dealerships are crap for aftersales support

  • Ebisu on 19/08/2025 - 09:03

    LDV D90
    the D90 is a true 7-seater with plenty of space for seven adult passengers.
    Adults fit better than Sorento/Kodiaq/Tiggo, closer to Santa Fe.

    but Sanfe and palisade for 7 seats starts at over $75k

    • supersabroso on 19/08/2025 - 15:47
      -1

      Yep, value for money this 7 seater can't be beaten by any car except the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Super Hybrid. However, given Chery's horrible reputation in the past, I'm not sure if it's smart to roll the dice with that one.

  • pharkurnell on 19/08/2025 - 11:43

    I'd hate to be a kid older than 5 in the back row of some of these suggestions.. you'd have to have surgery to get in and out of them.

  • thatOtherGuy on 19/08/2025 - 15:05
    +4

    +1 for the Kia Carnival, it's literally the only actual 'people mover' on the list. Don't sleep on the rear sliding doors, compared to standard hinge doors on an SUV - that alone is worth it, allowing you to park in narrower spaces and not worry too much about the kids dinging cars.

    Lastly, there are a tonne of them around - so if/when you get into a bingle and need a repair, parts will be readily available and affordable. I learned this lesson the hard way; a cheap, niche car up-front comes with significant drawbacks down the line.

  • navshaf on 19/08/2025 - 15:34

    Toyota kluger hybrid: Fuel consumption of a small car, reliable, strong resale value environmentally friendly and excellent smooth driving

    • supersabroso on 19/08/2025 - 15:49
      +2

      The Kluger doesn't qualify as the cheapest one is $68k and the most expensive one is $93k driveway, absolute rip off. You can buy 2x 7 seater cars for that price lol!

      • brendanm on 19/08/2025 - 18:00

        Palisade also starts at $68k and is still an option for some reason.

      • stewy on 19/08/2025 - 23:58

        I've been getting dealer ads for the Kluger on Facebook. Gives me a good chuckle seeing Toyota want $90k+ for a Kluger. No wonder they are resorting to FB ads…

  • johnfuller on 20/08/2025 - 13:03

    poll option

    • V2L on 20/08/2025 - 13:12

      not a 7 seater

      • johnfuller on 20/08/2025 - 13:23

        sorry lol

        • V2L on 20/08/2025 - 15:07

          i wish it was though

  • yokel on 20/08/2025 - 14:15

    4x2 1.9L MU-X

  • TheBean on 20/08/2025 - 15:39

    These are pretty comfortable as well and give that aisle down the middle like the Carnival and even with back seats being used there's still a usable bootspace which is a problem for some of the otehr options.

    • V2L on 20/08/2025 - 16:27

      which one? the middle aisle makes a huge difference to row 3 usability

      • TheBean on 20/08/2025 - 16:59

        The 7 seater, it has two captain chairs as the second row, then a 3 seater at the back.

        • V2L on 20/08/2025 - 17:02

          sorry not sure what you are referring to by 'these', which car is like the carnival with middle aisle access?

    • scrimshaw on 20/08/2025 - 19:50

      Poll is for cars under 60K. The Hyundai Palisade starts From AU$66,800+

      • Scoobth on 21/08/2025 - 08:17

        We went Hyundai Palisade 8 seater as we needed to use the back row.

        With two child seats in 2nd row you cannot tilt the seats to climb into the back 3rd row. The Palisade swing open doors allowed better room to squeeze into the 3rd row over the Kia where the sliding door was still partially covering the small opening to get into the back.

        7 seater with Isle does semi fix this access to the third row issue but you do lose a seat, and the middle 2nd row seat is far roomier than the middle 3rd row seat.

      • Scoobth on 21/08/2025 - 08:35

        Second hand we got a top spec 2 year old highlander for under $60k

  • Hansi on 20/08/2025 - 18:20
    +1

    Which one do people choose for occasional 7 seat? Ideally also electric. KIS?

  • RandomDealHunter on 21/08/2025 - 12:34
    Suggested Mazda CX80

    Mazda CX80 pure petrol 3.3 AWD Mild Hybrid.
    Bought it last weekend. Great car with large engine, good efficiency, very quite and connectivity.

    Pros:

    • AWD for price where others are offering FWD
    • Sporty ride with good damping (individual preference)
    • Good driveway deals.
    • Mazda build quality and reliability (petrol engines only).
    • In built Sat Nav as standard.
    • Loads of Safety tech that comes as standard.
    • 3.3l engine never feels stressed even when loaded and moving uphill.

    Cons:

    • Transmission can be notchy but nowhere as bad as a DCT.
    • Not as flashy inside with more reserved look.
    • No touchscreen option (but the dial works better and I love my tech).
    • Hard plastics on the door and dash compared to other offerings.
    • Only 5 years warranty.
    • Is relatively low with only 175mm clearance. Has a little lip under front bumper that lowers it further and scratches on our roll kerb driveway.

    Steering away from Hyundai and Kia products due to GDI engine and DCT ongoing issues. Had personal issues with previous Hyundai DCT car. In the US, Hyundai is moving away from DCT to Torque converter for Santa Fe petrol while Kia is still persisting with it.

    Consider DPF/EGR issues with Diesel engines if used predominantly as a kids/family local hauler.

    I have driven quite a few cars (previously and when searching for this one) and this came up as the best one based on our requirements. Diesel is good as well but PHEV has known issues as per the forums.

    Other options:

    • Pajero Sport with the current driveway deals.
    • KGM Rexton - outlier but a proven workhorse with good looking interior. Can be had for less than $45K new.
    • SeanConnery on 16/09/2025 - 14:35

      How much did you pay for yours?

  • RandomDealHunter on 21/08/2025 - 14:28
    Suggested Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

    Good driveway deals right now. Can be had in 5 seater or 7 seater with RWD or 4WD.

  • RandomDealHunter on 21/08/2025 - 14:29
    Suggested KGM Rexton

    Same as Pajero Sport - good driveway deals right now. Can be had in 5 seater or 7 seater with RWD or 4WD.

  • johnfuller on 22/08/2025 - 11:51
    Suggested MG QS

    MG QS

  • peachhead101 on 26/08/2025 - 12:37
    Suggested Hyundai Staria

    8 seater with keyless sliding doors, auto steering tech that's pretty decent and the HUD is good. AWD option too on the diesel.

  • thomalfa on 08/09/2025 - 23:02

    I thought it was a pretty good option… the ultra has pretty much got anything you would need. The ventilation seats at front and 2nd row, can’t complain, except rather thirsty on fuel. If only there’s diesel option like tank 300

  • Chicken feed on 30/09/2025 - 10:56
    Suggested BYD Tang L

    2025 hasn't finished yet and you are calling the Kia Carnival as the best 7 seater. I beg to differ.

  • Thiefsie on 30/09/2025 - 17:20
    Suggested Nissan X-Trail ST-L

    7 Seats, 10 year warranty, under $50k
    https://www.nissan.com.au/vehicles/browse-range/x-trail/vers…

  • Thiefsie on 30/09/2025 - 17:27
    Suggested Mitsubishi Outlander GLS

    Mitsubishi Outlander GLS

    Available in this trim under $60 or a little more for Aspire spec.

  • RocketSwitch on 01/10/2025 - 18:12

    Got a Kia Carnival 2023 for $42k. Best decision ever. Those sliding doors are a game changer.

    Tip, take Drive Mode off ECO.

  • AnirudhD on 02/10/2025 - 17:14
    Suggested Mahindra XUV700

    Maybe Mahindra XUV700 7Seater

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