Drive Car of the Year 2024 – Best Large SUV Under $80K FINALISTS

Over the next few weeks, we'll be explaining all the categories and contenders for Drive Car of the Year 2024. Testing is currently underway, with the final winners to be announced early next year.

*Updated 1:30 pm, December 11, 2023

FINALISTS CONFIRMED

The first round of voting has concluded and the judges have selected the cars that will challenge last year’s winner, the Toyota Kluger, for the title of Best Large SUV under $80K. The GWM Tank and Mazda CX-90 beat out the Subaru Outback and Mahindra Scorpio to make it to the final round because they have more of what discerning Australians expect from a Large Family SUV, starting with commuting comfort during the week and lifestyle flexibility on weekends. 

The GWM Tank is like a Suzuki Jimny for grown-ups, or maybe it’s a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen for the budget-conscious. Whatever your take on this interesting new arrival, a characterful name is not the only thing this large SUV has going for it.

The GWM Tank is a pure five-seater so that may limit its effectiveness for larger families, and does count against it in a category dominated by seven-seaters. But it does have a lot of what active families need at a price that’s pretty much unbeatable. From less than $50K you’re getting retro-chic styling and a surprisingly polished SUV driving experience. 

As Judge Sam Purcell wrote when he tested the GWM Tank 300 in November, “It's dripping with value for money and is very well specced, but (crucially) doesn't feel like it has been built to a price. The interior, driving experience and inclusions all feel more cohesive than previous SUV offerings from GWM. For those keen to go off-roading, the Tank 300 is a promising explorer, too.”

Read more about the GWM Tank 300 here.

The Mazda CX-90 is the biggest, most powerful, most luxurious, and most expensive Mazda SUV ever. This six– or seven-seat successor to the old CX-9 has moved Mazda upmarket in the hopes of luring potential buyers down from even higher-priced European brands.

In terms of practicality, the CX-90 has the space and flexibility buyers desire. It is also brimming with technology and safety, and is an elegant cruiser available with a choice of potent petrol and economical diesel engines. The CX-90’s biggest challenge, it would seem, is overcoming existing perceptions of Mazda as an affordable brand. 

Read more about the Mazda CX-90 here.

The Toyota Kluger is going for three wins in a row in this class, having last year seen off a particularly tough group of rivals to retain this award.

Not only did it have a new hybrid Hyundai Santa Fe and all-new Nissan Pathfinder to beat; it also faced one of Australia’s most popular family adventure machines, the Ford Everest. The Kluger’s win was founded on its spacious yet versatile interior, easy driving dynamics, and its class-leading combination of equipment, safety and ownership affordability. 

The Kluger’s third row isn’t quite as accommodating as Nissan’s new-generation Pathfinder, but the availability of economical hybrid powertrains put the Kluger ahead of the thirsty Pathy overall. It will be interesting to see if either the classier Mazda CX-90 or the rough-n-tough GWM Tank can mount a more compelling case than the Kluger this year for active Aussie families.

Read our latest reviews of the Toyota Kluger here. 

It’s worth noting that, as this is a carry-over category, any vehicle that has challenged for the title in previous years and failed is not eligible to try again until it has been significantly updated or given a mechanical makeover. So, if you’re wondering why the Ford Everest, Hyundai Palisade, Toyota Prado and Nissan Pathfinder (among others) have not been considered for the Drive Car of the Year 2024 Best Large SUV Under $80K award, it’s because they haven’t changed in any substantive way since they last competed. 

That’s not to say these vehicles are not worth considering if you’re in the market for a Large SUV. Some, like the Toyota Prado and Ford Everest, are extremely popular with Australian buyers. But they all have one thing in common; they’re not as good overall as the current champ, the Toyota Kluger. For a full list of past challengers, see the table below. 

The below was first published November 16, 2023

The large SUV is the get-away wagon that many families aspire to own. It’s in this category, Drive Car of the Year Best Large SUV Under $80K, that you’ll find the best, value-laden, tough, roomy and practical large SUV for growing and active families. These are ideal machines for not only getting the family out in the country on holiday but also smoothly taking on the chores of daily urban transport needs.

We’ve been here before, of course. This award is essentially unchanged from 2023’s Drive Car of the Year; the only difference is we have capped the retail price to $80K, splitting the more luxurious large SUVs off into another category. 

The reigning champion here is the Toyota Kluger, which was not only the 2023 category winner but also the sales king in 2022. The ground-breaking Kia Sorento won in 2021, and the closely related Hyundai Santa Fe in 2020, but neither of them have changed significantly since losing their thrones.

The Toyota Kluger returns with its comprehensive safety equipment, low ownership costs, comfortable interior and familiar, consistent on-road experience. Will this be enough to make it three years running for the Toyota?

The Kluger will go against newcomers such as the GWM Tank and Mahindra Scorpio, both competing with their major advantage of strong value for money. 

The GWM Tank’s styling nails the retro rugged brief, it has a quality cabin for execution and storage, and the drive experience is impressive. 

There’s no doubt that for the Mahindra Scorpio, its sharp buy-in price is its biggest asset, backed by a decent diesel engine and, like the GWM, a long seven-year warranty. 

Then there are new models from established Japanese brands Mazda and Subaru: the Mazda CX-90 and Subaru Outback.

The CX-90 is Mazda’s attempt to shift upmarket with a more sumptuous offering. The CX-90’s choice of petrol and diesel six-cylinder engines are each strong in their own way, the way the CX-90 drives is enjoyable and the cabin quality is excellent across the range.

Then there’s the Subaru Outback, which scrapes into the FCAI’s Large SUV categorisation, although some might view it more as a Medium SUV. For now, at least, the new XT variant introduces a much-needed 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine into the proven Outback package. 

This is the car you buy if you’re staunchly against buying an SUV, but still require a reasonable towing capacity, practical interior features, and a spacious five-seater layout. Is that all enough to see the Outback take the honours this year? We will see very soon…

Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:

There’s a long list of popular models that also won’t return this year, such as the Ford Everest, Hyundai Santa Fe, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Prado. These and many others in the category are worthy of large SUVs in their own right but are not included because they have unsuccessfully competed in previous Drive Car of the Year assessments. 

The winner of the 2024 Drive Car of the Year Best Large SUV Under $80K will be announced in February 2024.

Before then, we will announce the finalists, all of which deliver on the buyer’s expectations for cost-effective urban motoring. One thing is certain: this category promises to be one of the toughest confronting our 11 experienced judges.

Read more: 

Drive Car of the Year 2024 is a go!
Drive Car of the Year Overview
Drive Car of the Year 2023 winners