People movers under $60K: Australia's Best Value Cars 2017

Got a crowd to move? People movers may have fallen out of fashion, but this bunch provides excellent value for money.

1st: Kia Rondo Si

A proper three-row MPV for mid-spec hatchback money – that’s the Kia Rondo in a nutshell. The underpinnings are familiar from a hatch too, with an atmo 2.0-litre allied to a six-speed auto driving the front wheels. At 1520kg, the 122kW/213Nm Rondo is a modest performer that manages decent 7.8L/100km official economy.

The Kia family wagon’s three-year resale forecast is nothing special, at 46 percent, but that matters little in the context of its $31,490 sticker, which is $6K less than the Odyssey and undercuts its Carnival sibling by more than $10K. Elsewhere, the Rondo’s value vitals look healthy, including a 12-month service interval, low $740 insurance bill and, of course, the brand’s superb seven-year warranty.

2nd: Kia Carnival S CRDi

Kia’s other podium player settles on silver thanks to keen pricing ($43,990), stout resale (59 percent), and a strong turbo-diesel that delivers 7.7L/100km economy and a meaningful 440Nm.

3rd: Honda Odyssey VTi

A sharp price and sound resale saw the dowdy Odyssey VTi charge ahead initially by shedding less value than its nearest rivals, but then it stumbled with a relatively short three-year warranty and a six-month service interval.

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