Best Large SUV Under $80K

It doesn’t seem that long ago that to transport seven people in a single vehicle required either a leaf-sprung minibus, or simply outright breaking the law.

These days, however, car makers are helping soothe the deeply troubling introspection that used to come with buying a Toyota Tarago, and offering a seven-seat SUV instead. The question instead now is which one to get.

To help answer this, we’ve assembled four of the best seven-seat SUVs we could muster – two hailing from South Korea, one from Japan, and the other, the Land of the Free – all asking under, or about, $80,000.

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The seven-seat Jeep Grand Cherokee Night Eagle couldn’t be more American if you found it gently rotating in a hot dog warmer while singing the Star-Spangled Banner.

Under the bonnet is the familiar Pentastar 3.6-litre naturally aspirated V6, producing 210kW and 344Nm at a lofty 6400rpm and 4000rpm respectively. At 5204mm long, the big GC also has a very American-sized price – $77,950 before on-road costs to make it the second-most expensive vehicle here.

Where the Jeep is imposing, the classy, new Mazda CX-90 is handsome. Much like the Grand Cherokee Night Eagle, our D50E Touring is a base grade, coming in at $76,400 before on-roads.

That's more expensive than even the flagship version of the CX-9 seven-seater SUV that is being discontinued at the end of 2023 (along with the CX-8). An all-new CX-80 SUV is set to be the CX-9's direct replacement.

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With its long wheelbase and gently pumped tracks, the CX-90 wears a little badge on its front guards that reads, delightfully, “Inline-Six”.

Under the long bonnet is a 3.3-litre turbo-diesel unit, cranking out 187kW and the most torque (550Nm) of any seven-seater here. With its 48-volt architecture, Mazda calls it a ‘mild hybrid’, and the CX-90 uses a new, in-house developed, eight-speed wet multi-clutch automatic transmission.

There’s no guessing which market the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Sorento have in their sights – especially when you consider they have 19 cup-holders between them.

The Hyundai Palisade Highlander we had for testing has since been replaced with the very poshly-named Calligraphy trim grade – a relatively minor update, but with just as much exterior chrome.

Pricing and Features

The Palisade Highlander is a car with which you don’t merely glance over the standard equipment list; make a cup of tea and set aside an afternoon.

At $79,900 before on-road costs, it’s either a very expensive Hyundai or a very cheap luxury car – one they could have easily put a Genesis badge on, too.

Powering the Palisade is a 2.2-litre turbodiesel inline-four producing 147kW and a stout 440Nm, peak torque available from just 1750rpm. There’s an eight-speed torque converter auto and, like all the other cars here, the Palisade is all-wheel drive.

Parked amongst the other three, the Kia Sorento looks a size smaller – and indeed it is 394mm shorter than the Jeep. But this car is a seven-seat packaging masterclass, and amazing value on-paper.

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At $68,990 – drive-away – it’s like Kia’s accidentally printed the Sorento’s cost price and the finance department hasn’t yet noticed. That’s for the top-spec, full-fruit GT-Line, too, which packs a similar turbo-diesel, eight-speed powertrain as the Palisade, although with one curiously cheeky extra kW (148kW).

While a major facelift is imminent, the fundamentals remain the same and, even as it stands today, this is firmly the SUV to beat, fresh from winning an earlier seven-seat SUV comparison conducted by Wheels in 2023.

On-paper value is where the Sorento extends an early lead, too.

For what it asks, you get quilted Nappa leather-appointed seats, giant full-length sunroof, heated steering wheel, head-up display, wireless phone charger, Bose 12-speaker stereo… it goes on, and on.

The Palisade’s standard equipment list is just as mighty. Suede headlining is standard, as are second-row Captain’s Chairs, although you can opt for a second-row bench if you want, granting seating for eight.

Compared with the Palisade, especially, the Jeep and Mazda look decidedly less generous. And that’s no surprise, as to get sort-of-similar standard equipment would require paying extra for at least the Grand Cherokee Limited and CX-90 GT grades.

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Cabin and Seating

Jumping inside, if it’s outright luxury you’re after, the Palisade spoils the most. We love that suede headlining and the perforated, Nappa leather appointed-seats, even if the switchgear all does feel a bit Hyundai – which is to say, perfectly functional and forgettable.

There’s lots of storage cubbies and, in the middle of the dash, you’ll spot a 12.3-inch central infotainment touchscreen – although points are deducted for needing a cable for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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Above: Kia Sorento. Click to scroll through each model's cabin in our gallery.

No such problem in the Grand Cherokee, which offers wireless connectivity of each.

We like the Jeep’s central 10.25-inch screen, which has a beautifully bright, crisp resolution; a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument display also lends the Jeep interior a high-tech feel.

Otherwise, this is a bit of a drab, base-model place. If you’re thinking of buying a Grand Cherokee, do not for the love of your chosen deity sit in a Summit Reserve – unless you have the extra cash to splash.

Even though it’s also a base model, the Mazda CX-90 makes a stronger first impression than the Jeep with its thoughtful design, classy user interfaces, slim 10.25-inch infotainment display and metal door inlays, although the initial delight fades when you notice the dash is a big slab of budget soft-touch trim.

There is also a notable dearth of storage space around the centre console, while the CX-90 is afflicted by Mazda’s irritating policy of forcing users to navigate Apple CarPlay using only the hand controller – even though the screen is within easy reach.

Compared with the Palisade and, to a lesser extent, the Mazda, the Kia Sorento’s current interior has become a chink in its armour.

It still works great with plenty of space, but there’s no escaping it’s a narrower cabin than the others.

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Above: Kia Sorento. Click to scroll through each model's cabin in our gallery.

An abundance of black gives it a dark vibe, while its 10.25-inch infotainment display now seems a bit small for the richest grade. The menu graphics look a bit last-decade and the lack of USB-C outlets further betray its age – as does wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The updated interior can’t come soon enough - and should be here by Christmas.

All four cars have spacious second-rows. The CX-90’s rear doors, which open extremely wide, are a highlight; the Palisade’s and Jeep’s are so long, to open them fully you’d almost need to park beside an empty car spot.

The Palisade, however, is the place to be, with its heated and cooled second-row Captain’s Chairs with adjustable arm-rests, while there’s both forward and ceiling air-vents.

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Above: Kia Sorento. Click to scroll through each model's cabin in our gallery.

If you owned one, you’d be tempted to pay someone to drive you around in it, as sitting in the back you feel like you’re the crown prince or princess of a small monarchical nation.

Each car has a decent third row – and all with third-row air-vents – although the spacious Jeep would be our pick if you often needed to transport seven people. The Kia’s is cosiest, and to seat seven in the Palisade would mean three in the third row, which would be a squeeze.

All four have enormous, deep boots – and all have standard electric tailgates – but if it’s ultimate luggage space you’re after, get the Palisade.

With the third row folded, gazing in from the rear it almost looks like you could load in a pallet with a forklift. The CX-90 gets an honourable mention for having a 220-volt outlet (like the wall at home), although a tut-tut for packaging a space-saver spare. All the others have full-size.

As for putting little tackers right up the back, it’s another win for the Kia which has two top tethers and, impressively, two third-row ISOFIX mounting points (for a total of five top tethers, and four ISOFIX points).

Next best is the Palisade with its single set of third-row ISOFIX points and two top tethers (for a total of four top tethers and three ISOFIX points).

While the Jeep has no third-row ISOFIX points, it has at least two top tethers (for a total of five top tethers) and redeems somewhat by granting three ISOFIX points in the second row.

The Mazda, meanwhile, makes do with two third-row top tethers (for a total of five) – and only two sets of ISOFIX points, both in the second row.

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Above: Kia Sorento. Click to scroll through each model's cabin in our gallery.

Driving and Performance

On the road in the city, the Palisade is the nicest car here to drive. While it’s not as quiet and plush-riding as the luxe-looking interior had us hoping, it’s still very refined, smooth, easy and comfortable. The diesel is muscular yet polite, the transmission beautifully refined and invisibly smooth.

While the CX-90 comes closest to the Palisade for cabin ambience, it’s not quite as nice to drive.

The turbo-diesel is an absolute torque-rich peach – one wanting for a better, more refined transmission. The ride is also a bit firmer at times than we’d like, and some of the fuel-saving technologies need more calibration. The brake pedal also feels a bit dead.

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Like the Palisade, the Sorento’s 2.2-litre powertrain is muscular and smooth. It’s surprising how hard it’s becoming to find modern transmissions that switch quickly and smoothly from drive to reverse and back – as does the Sorento’s.

While the Kia’s ride quality, on 45-profile, 20-inch wheels, is merely good – we’re hard to please – it’s comfortable enough. Otherwise, the Kia is hard to fault, inoffensively so.

It’s much the same story in the Jeep. Ride quality and refinement is good, and there’s a lovely eagerness as you tip into the throttle – without feeling hyper. It’s just an easy car to drive around the city, even despite its size.

Break out of the urban jungle and find yourself on a winding road, and it’s curious how they all differ again, particularly the Mazda.

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Select Sport mode and the digital tacho turns red, and the diesel straight-six pulls hard from 1300rpm right to its 5125rpm redline. Select pseudo-manual mode and it’ll even bounce off the limiter, while the other cars here shift up. The inline-six even sounds kind of good, complemented by a little artificial noise.

The Mazda has the most natural-feeling controls of all the cars here, and easy-to-trust handling that seems to pivot around the middle of the car.

While it’s a big, heavy vehicle, the weight feels well located and it’s got that mysterious quality of inviting you to push it harder, where it seems to get better. There’s loads of grip from the 265-section tyres, and it feels quite fast for what it is – likely the fastest here in a straight line. Of this bunch, for hardcore dynamics, the CX-90 is the driver’s pick.

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It’s a different story in the Palisade which, when presented with a winding road, is ultimately disinterested. There is a flaccid Sport mode, and a manual mode, but the engine is too quiet, making it hard to know when to change up gears.

The handling is good up to about eight tenths, where it starts feeling its two-tonne weight and near three-metre wheelbase. It’s much happier cruising.

After driving the Palisade and CX-90, the Kia Sorento feels delightfully smaller, lighter and nimbler. The handling is sharp, even if it rolls more and feels bouncier than the well-composed Mazda. Unexpectedly, it turns its nose up at the world of understeer, preferring to feel ‘on-the-nose’ and loose.

One of our testers, Alex, experienced the rear-end starting to step out on one slippery, moss-covered corner, necessitating a big steering correction – with no apparent ESC intervention.

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While the Sorento and Palisade powertrains feel very similar – they both have a curiously narrow power-band, giving their best from 2000rpm before deciding to shift at 4000rpm, despite a 4500rpm redline – the 2.2 certainly feels livelier in the lighter Kia.

As for the Jeep, we’re sure that, in isolation, if you were coming out of an older car, it would feel amazing, the V6 having a good bit of sting around its 6500rpm redline and the 265-section tyres enabling an impressive amount of mid-corner grip. But swap into it from any of the other cars here and push it a little, and the Jeep feels huge, flustered and overwhelmed, neither of you having much fun.

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There’s plenty of incentive to wind things back and enjoy life at a more relaxed pace.

Away from the fantasy world where SUVs are driven like sports cars, for ownership costs it’s another win to the Sorento. At $2427, it’s the second-cheapest to service over five years; while its claimed combined fuel economy of 6.1L/100km is also really good. Its killer blow, however, might be its seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and the very positive effect it would have on depreciation.

Value has always been a Korean hallmark, so it’s not surprising the Palisade is the next most affordable car to run.

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It will cost you $2445 to service over five years while it has a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and claims 7.3L/100km over the combined cycle.

The Jeep, meanwhile, is quoted at 10.6L/100km and will whack you the least at $1995 for five years of servicing, although you get slighted dudded on the warranty at five years or a limited 100,000km.

The CX-90’s $3217 for five years of servicing is pretty steep, although the five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty is about right. Its 5.4L/100km claimed combined consumption seems amazing, although it must be noted all these fuel figures are the questionably reliable ADR 81/02 test.

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WINNER: Kia Sorento

Price has a lot to do with picking a winner from this four.

With its $68,990 drive-away price-tag, the Kia Sorento makes us feel like we’re back in 2019, that heady time when a $16 pint was a fanciful proposition and everybody was blissfully unaware of that thing that would happen a year later.

While even in GT-Line grade it’s nowhere near as swanky as the Hyundai, nor as stylish as the Mazda, the Sorento does a lot with less and is amazing value. It’s our winner today – and it’s only going to get better with the facelift.

Second place would be a sort-of-tie between the Hyundai and Mazda. While it doesn’t quite drive as luxuriously as it looks, the Hyundai feels like a bit of a treat at $79,900.

The Mazda would have pipped it, but the engineers need to polish some aspects of its calibration and refinement.

As for the Jeep, the Night Eagle feels like a base model yet costs almost the same as the Palisade Highlander we have here, and offers less. While it’s got more space than a C-130 Hercules, the engine is thrashy in a bit of an uncouth, old-school way, the interior isn’t a patch on richer Grand Cherokee grades, and it’s dynamically a solid fourth in this test. You’d have to be a committed off-roader to buy it.

Although it’s night-and-day better than a Tarago.