Best Medium SUVs

Whether you’re looking for a high-riding 4×4 wagon or a comfort-focused roadgoing family car, there’s something here for everyone.

With the latest technology, competitive fuel efficiency figures and advanced new safety features, you’re sure to find the perfect medium SUV among these picks.

We’ve also tested eight of Australia’s most popular and compelling medium SUVs, which you can read via the button or big feature box below.

The Nissan X-Trail is one of Australia’s freshest mid-size SUVs having introduced an all-new fourth-generation model here in early 2023.

Now bigger, roomier and more premium than ever, the X-Trail offers the added flexibility of seven seats in some variants and includes a hybrid option to help reduce your fuel bills.

The Toyota RAV4 is an icon, sitting comfortably as Australia’s top-selling and most in-demand SUV, eclipsing the likes of Mazda’s CX-5, the Subaru Forester and the Mitsubishi Outlander.

The current generation Toyota RAV4 reached Australia in early 2019, loaded with hybrid options – which have all proven the most popular in the range.

Consistently one of Australia’s most popular mid-size SUVs, the Mazda CX-5 has been a huge hit since it first appeared in 2012 as a replacement for the CX-7.

Now in its second generation, which was introduced in 2017, Mazda treated the CX-5 to a mild update in early 2022 to ensure it still compares favourably with rivals like the Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage.

The Kia Sportage SUV is one of Australia’s most popular family cars, selling as a proven rival to other top sellers like the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson.

Over the years, the Sportage has graduated from ‘cheap and cheerful’ to semi-premium in its build quality, materials, technology and driving qualities. It has also rated well as a Wheels Car of the Year contender.

The Hyundai Tucson is a mid-sized SUV now in its fourth generation, with the current model having launched in Australia in 2021. It blends striking exterior design with a more restrained interior that deliver class-leading space, and is offered in three trim levels.

Three engines are available: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder, a 1.6-litre turbo four, and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel.

The Mitsubishi Outlander has been the Japanese brand’s midsized SUV offering since 2003.

Mitsubishi’s fourth-generation Outlander arrived in Australia in 2022, presenting as a roomier and classier offering than the third generation, and sharing a platform with the new Nissan X-Trail.