People-movers under $60K: Australia’s Best Value Cars

For moving the family on a budget. Introducing the Kia Rondo Si, Citroen C4 Picasso, and Kia Carnival S.

Kia Rondo Si

Kia’s Rondo is a class act as far as budget big-family transport goes. There aren’t many cheaper ways to shift seven people, and the Korean wagon’s cash-saving credentials don’t end there. The Rondo is also decently economical for a petrol; to do better you’d have to bear the costs of a diesel, which our analysis suggests doesn’t stack up from a value point of view (at least within our three-year timeframe). The budget-beating bus is also the least costly of the podium finishers to insure, only needs a service every 12 months and has Kia’s seven-year warranty. The fact its three-year retained value of 48 percent is not brilliant hardly matters considering the low initial $31,490 outlay.

Citroen C4 Picasso

Citroen’s second-placed C4 Picasso comes as a refreshing Gallic interlude in an otherwise Korean affair. The artful wagon’s best work is in delivering 5.6L/100km and a six-years warranty.

Kia Carnival S

Entry-level party bus makes most sense in $2500-costlier turbo-diesel form given the petrol V6’s relative thirst, and offsets some of the $14K extra outlay over Rondo with a more respectable 59 percent three-year retained value.

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