Top mid-size SUVs to consider before you buy

Is the Kia Sorento a good SUV?

Yes, the Kia Sorento is a good midsize SUV. Following a total redesign for the 2021 model year, this crossover boasts an upscale interior with comfortable seating and a user-friendly infotainment system. Under the hood, you have a choice between a fuel-efficient but mediocre-powered base engine or a peppier turbocharged variant. The Sorento rides comfortably and has composed handling.

The main knock against the Sorento is how it compares to other three-row SUVs when it comes to cargo room and third-row passenger space: Both are lacking.

Pros

  • Good fuel economy
  • Refined interior
  • Peppy optional turbocharged engine

Cons

  • Poor cargo space behind third row
  • So-so third-row seating space

Specs

  • Engine size – Displacement – Engine capacity: 2151 cm3
  • Number of valves: 16 Valves
  • Aspiration: Turbo
  • Maximum power – Output – Horsepower: 149 kW @ 3800 rpm
  • Maximum torque: 440 Nm @ 1750 – 2750 rpm
  • Drive wheels – Traction – Drivetrain: FWD
  • Transmission Gearbox – Number of speeds: 8 speed Dual clutch Automatic

Is the Hyundai Santa Fe a good SUV?

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe is a good midsize SUV at a great price. It comes packed with standard features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and Apple CarPlay. The interior is spacious, both for passengers and cargo, and it’s trimmed with quality materials. The Santa Fe also handles nicely and can return an efficient 9 litres per 100kms in mixed city/highway driving.  For its superior combination of overall quality and value, we named the Santa Fe our 2022 Best 2-Row SUV for the Money. It was also a finalist for our 2022 Best 2-Row SUV for Families award because of its solid combination of cargo and passenger space, safety and reliability ratings, positive reviews from automotive journalists, and available family-friendly features.

The only snags are with the Santa Fe’s performance. The standard engine feels lively around town but lethargic at higher speeds. The available turbocharged engine is muscular across the board, but its dual-clutch automatic transmission can be jittery in stop-and-go traffic. Also, the ride is a bit firmer than you’d expect from a crossover SUV, though not excessively so.

Pros

  • Spacious, premium interior
  • Loads of standard tech and safety features
  • Great gas mileage
  • Low starting price for class

Cons

  • Underwhelming base engine
  • Firm ride

Specs

  • Engine size – Displacement – Engine capacity :1598 cm3
  • Number of valves :16 Valves
  • Aspiration: Turbo Intercooler
  • Maximum power – Output – Horsepower: 132 kW @ 6000 rpm
  • Maximum torque: 265 Nm @ 4000 rpm
  • Drive wheels – Traction – Drivetrain: AWD
  • Transmission Gearbox – Number of speeds: 6 speed Automatic Transmission relations

Is the Haval H6 a good SUV?

The Haval H6 has become the darling of affordable SUVs that offers luxury and tech at a price that is palatable. If you are after an SUV that offers these things and more, here is everything you need to know about the Haval H6

Haval made quite a splash when they arrived in Zim a few years back. The first generation Haval offered consumers a quality-built vehicle at a very affordable price. The second gen H6 never made it to Zim but the third-gen did. The recipe hasn’t changed though with the H6 still offering a premium product at a very affordable price.

The Haval H6 is a good car for families or anyone who is seeking a quality SUV that is packed with tech and features. The H6’s exterior dimensions may deter some new drivers but if they are comfortable with the size it will make a brilliant first car.  The H6 boasts seating for 5 with substantial leg head and shoulder room for all. Driver and passengers alike have access to climate control and device charging and road trips will be super easy with 600l of boot space for all that luggage.

The drive is smooth and soft almost too soft at times. The engine and transmission are perfectly mated, delivering power efficiently and quietly while the suspension laps up undulations in the road beautifully.

Pros

  • Spacious cabin
  • Punchy engine
  • Great value for money

Cons

  • Over-reliance on touchscreen is a usability nightmare
  • No embedded satellite navigation

Specs

  • Engine Capacity: 1998cc
  • Number of cylinders: T4
  • Fuel type: Premium Unleaded Petrol
  • Fuel consumption: 9.8L/100km (combined)
  • Maximum torque: 320Nm/1500-4000
  • Maximum power: 150kW/ 6000-6300

Is the Corolla Cross a good SUV?

The Corolla Cross’ level of overall specification is excellent, with the flagship derivatives boasting the latest in semi-autonomous safety tech and all the modern connectivity that the younger generation desires/demands. While the model’s powerplants perform adequately, they’re not class-leading, but the rest of the package certainly ticks a multitude of those proverbial boxes, especially at the price.

The engines offer workmanlike, rather than punchy, performance. In this segment, quite a few models have small, turbocharged motors (including Toyota’s own C-HR, with its 1.2-litre turbo), but the Corolla Cross doesn’t. The outputs of the 1.8-litre naturally-aspirated motor and its hybrid equivalent seem sufficient, but they’re not going to deliver that satisfying low-rpm punch many have grown used to getting from, say, the Volkswagen T-Cross and Kia Sonet GT Line. Bear in mind, however, that turbo motors tend to deliver better in-gear performance at the expense of fuel efficiency; the Corolla Cross, by contrast, is all about efficiency.  

Pros

  • Comfortable cabin
  • Stylish design
  • Efficient engine

Cons

  • Less boot space

Specs

  • Engine: 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder, petrol
  • Power: 103kW
  • Torque: 172Nm
  • Transmission Type: CVT
  • Driven wheels: Front
  • Boot space: 440-litres
  • Fuel Consumption: 6.8 L/100
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