If you’re searching for a new car, practicality is likely to be near the top of your criteria, if not the most important feature. That’s understandable… life is busy and we all need our cars to be capable of carrying whatever we throw into them. With that in mind, if you’re searching for a car with a large boot for under $50,000, what are your best options?

Here’s the WhichCar by Wheels guide to the 10 biggest car boots under $50,000:

1) Isuzu MU-X

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Price: From $49,900 plus on-road costs
Boot size: 311 litres (all rear seats up), 1119 litres (third row of seats folded) 2138 litres (all rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 2.2-litre or 3.0-litre turbo-diesels, RWD or 4WD, six- or eight-speed automatic

If you’re searching for the largest boot in a car for under $50,000, the Isuzu MU-X is the car for you. Uniquely in this list, the MU-X is a seven-seater across the range, and if you’re willing to move up the range away from the entry-level model and spend over the $50k mark (as most MU-X buyers do), you’ll find a four-wheel drive system with features like low-range gearing for proper off-road ability.

But regardless of the model chosen, the MU-X’s basic practicality remains the same. Behind the third row of seats is a reasonable 311 litres of space, but fold them down and a massive 1119 litres is available, or more than double the capacity of most other options on this list. But fold the second row as well, and a humungous 2138 litres of space is available, which is definitely more than large enough for helping friends move or trips to buy flat pack furniture.

2) Volkswagen Tayron

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Price: From $48,950 plus on-road costs
Boot size: Seven seat: 345 litres (third row up), 850 litres (third row folded), 1905 litres (all rear seats folded); five-seat Tayron 150TSI Life: 885 litres (rear seats up), 2090 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 1.4-litre or 2.0-litre turbo-petrol, FWD or AWD, seven-speed dual-clutch

Replacing the former Tiguan Allspace, the Volkswagen Tayron is a new addition to the brand’s line-up and is available in both five- and seven-seat layouts with big space on offer. Choosing the seven-seat models gives you two whole litres more than the Hyundai Tucson with the rear seats folded, but the five-seat Tayron Life 150TSI is even larger at 2090 litres.

But even the seven-seat models are hugely capacious with 345 litres behind the third row, a massive 850 litres with the third row folded and the five-seater offers even more at 885 litres behind the second row. Importantly too, the Tayron offers features such as remote-folding second row seats, hooks to hang bags and a quick electric tailgate that can be activated by waving your foot.

3) Hyundai Tucson

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Price: From $38,350 plus on-road costs
Boot size: 582 litres (rear seats up), 1903 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 2.0-litre petrol or 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid petrol, FWD or AWD, six-speed automatic

Our reining Best Medium SUV, the Hyundai Tucson is a great all-rounder that also just happens to offer the overall largest boot in the mid-size SUV class, and the third largest boot available for under $50k. More than just numbers, the Tucson‘s boot is deep and square and features include a dual-level boot floor, a small loading lip and remote releases for folding the rear seats.

With the hybrid drivetrain – which you should definitely choose if you’re considering a Tucson – the Tucson’s boot measures up to 1903 litres with the rear seats folded, which is larger than any other mid-size SUV. Choosing the petrol engine actually reduces the capacity to 539 litres with the rear seats up and 1860 litres with them folded because it features a full-size spare wheel. That is 43 litres less than the hybrid, but still quite large.

4) Kia Sportage

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Price: From $38,490 plus on-road costs
Boot space: 586 litres (rear seats up), 1872 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 2.0-litre petrol, 1.6-litre turbo-petrol, 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid petrol or 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, FWD or AWD, six- or eight-speed automatic

The Kia Sportage is the Tucson’s twin-under-the-skin – both models use the same platform and mechanicals. The Sportage’s different dimensions mean that it’s slightly less practical in numbers, with its 1872-litre capacity officially 29 litres less than its Tucson cousin, but still large enough to place third in this company.

Like the Tucson, the Sportage’s boot is at its largest with the hybrid drivetrain because that employs a space-saver spare wheel that robs less space than the full-size spare of other drivetrain variants and non-hybrid variants instead pack 543L/1829L of available space in. Like the Tucson, the Sportage’s boot offers extra practicalities such as a dual-level floor, remote releases for rear seat folding and a deep square space.

5) Mazda CX-60

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Price: From $44,240 plus on-road costs
Boot space: 477 litres (rear seats up), 1726 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 2.5-litre petrol, 3.3-litre turbo-petrol, 3.3-litre turbo-diesel or 2.5-litre plug-in hybrid, RWD or AWD, eight-speed automatic

Surprisingly given Mazdas usually sacrifice some practicality for style, the CX-60 mid-size SUV is the fifth most commodious car you can buy for under $50k. Offering 1726 litres of space with the rear seats folded, the CX-60 eclipses most of its rivals but also its smaller – and more popular – CX-5 sibling by 386 litres.

While its 477-litre boot with the rear seats up is eclipsed by some rivals, it’s still a practical and well-finished space with a 40:20:40-split rear seat, high quality carpeting, remote rear seat releases, some under floor storage and Mazda’s innovative cargo blind that connects to the boot and automatically opens with it.

6) Subaru Forester

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Price: From $43,490 plus on-road costs
Boot space: 496 litres (rear seats up), 1719 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 2.5-litre petrol or 2.5-litre hybrid petrol, AWD, CVT automatic

Subaru is a brand that’s synonymous with practicality and the latest-generation Forester does not disappoint. Just look at it: It has tall and box-like styling, and with 1719 litres of space with the rear seats folded; that styling clearly helps with practicality. Unlike a lot of others on this list, the Forester’s rear seats lie completely flat, making loading longer items a breeze.

There are also a lot of practical extra details that help further, like the lack of a step from the boot entry to the boot floor, bag hooks, remote releases for the rear seats and both side- and under-floor storage. We also appreciate the details such as mountain scapes etched into the boot opening, while they don’t add to the practicality, they do add an extra layer of design flair and show that Subaru is definitely considering practicality when designing its products.

7) Skoda Octavia wagon

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Price: From $43,990 drive away
Boot size: 640 litres (rear seats up), 1700 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 1.4-litre or 2.0-litre turbo-petrols, FWD, eight-speed automatic or seven-speed dual-clutch

The Skoda Octavia is the only wagon on this list – it’s actually the only new wagon available for under $50k (disappointingly) disappointingly but it’s a great reminder that although wagons don’t have the ride height of their SUV siblings, they’re still extremely practical. Its 640-litre boot with the rear seats up is the third largest on this list, while 1700 litres with the rear seats folded is certainly nothing to sneeze at. It also has length on its side, as it’s quite a long space disappointingly longer than many SUV rivals, so flat pack furniture will fit easier.

Unlike every other rival here, the Octavia also fits a number of small ‘Simply Clever’ features into its boot like side storage, various hooks and nets, a double-sided boot cover (one side with carpet and one side plastic that can be washed more easily), remote releases for folding the rear seats, a ski pass through and even plastic dividers so that precious cargo can be secured.

8) Renault Koleos

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Price: From $34,990 plus on-road costs
Boot size: 458 litres (rear seats up), 1690 litres (rear seat folded)
Drivetrains: 2.5-litre petrol, FWD or AWD, CVT automatic

It may be almost 10 years old, but there’s still plenty of life – and practicality – left in the Renault Koleos. It’s been the brand’s strongest-selling passenger car locally for a long time and with good reason: it’s good value for money, it’s well equipped and with a boot that opens up to 1690 litres, quite capacious as well.

The 458-litre boot (with the rear seats up) is a good size, with side and under-floor storage as well and remote releases to fold the rear seats. Once done, the boot floor is nice and flat, making it easy to push longer items to the front.

9) Honda CR-V

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Price: From $41,900 drive away
Boot size: Five-seat: 589 litres (rear seats up, hybrid: 510L), 1671 litres (rear seats folded); five-seat hybrid: 581 litres (rear seats up), 1636 litres (rear seats folded); seven seat L7 variants: 150 litres (third row up), 510 litres (third row folded), 1450 litres (second and third rows folded)
Drivetrains: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol or 2.0-litre hybrid petrol, FWD or AWD, CVT automatic

As it’s always been since its 1995 inception, the Honda CR-V is one of the most practical mid-size SUVs you can buy with its large boot and extra practicalities such as side storage and hooks to hang bags off. Up to 1671 litres of space is available with the rear seat folded, which is large, and its height also helps with loading in taller items.

Fairly uniquely in the segment, Honda sells the CR-V with both hybrid and petrol seven-seat options, both of which reduce overall space. For example, the hybrid offers a bit less than the petrol five-seater with the rear seats up, at 581 litres, and the seven-seater reduces that further to 510 litres. Behind the seven-seat model’s third row is just 150 litres, though it does have a large under-floor section.

10) Volkswagen Tiguan

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Price: From $45,650 plus on-road costs
Boot size: 652 litres (rear seats up), 1650 litres (rear seats folded)
Drivetrains: 1.4-litre or 2.0-litre turbo-petrols, FWD or AWD, seven-speed dual-clutch

In its previous generation, the Volkswagen Tiguan was one of the most spacious mid-size SUVs you could buy – especially in extended Allspace form – and the latest-generation that launched locally in 2025 is even more practical thanks to a growth spurt. With the rear seats folded, up to 1650 litres of space is available, but even with the rear seats up, 652 litres is on offer and that’s the largest amount for a five-seater on this list.

Helping practicality further are the Tiguan’s sliding and reclining rear seats, which is helpful for increasing available boot or rear seat space, and details such as a ski pass, remote releases, under-floor storage and hooks to hang bags off.