The dilemma

Stephanie loves her 2004 Holden Commodore wagon. However, with one of her three children out of the family home, the other two not far behind and the Holden now well and truly outdated, a replacement family car beckons. More up-to-date safety and better fuel economy are big priorities, and it still needs to be practical enough for four bods and their gear. Would a Mazda CX-5 work?

The budget

$20,000

The shortlist

Stephanie is on the right track with the CX-5. The first-generation models that populate the $20k used bracket were still amongst the very best medium-SUV options right up to their replacement only months ago.

However, while the Mazda has the talents to please a whole lot of buyers in the middle of the bell curve, it's not all things to all punters. Here are three alternatives that skewer it in some key ways.

2010-16 Kia Sportage, from $10,900*

This Kia serves up similar fundamentals to the CX-5, from its cabin space and five-star ANCAP safety artillery (six airbags, stability control, reversing camera widely available) to its extensive drivetrain choice (two petrols, one diesel).

However, it has the bigger boot (564 litres versus 403) and more convenient spare tyre (a full-sizer, not a space-saver). It's covered by a longer warranty (seven years versus three years) and asks for less frequent servicing (yearly/15,000km versus yearly/10,000km).

Escaping the underwhelming open-road performance of a 2.0-litre petrol CX-5 will be tough for $20k without an age, condition or kilometre penalty. A tidy 2.4-litre petrol or diesel Sportage, contrastingly, is a realistic goal.

But the Kia, while good to drive, isn't great like the Mazda and none of its drivetrains are as thrifty. Its cabin feels cheaper, its back seat has a more cave-like ambience and Kia's fixed-price servicing regime runs out after seven years (versus lifetime).

Read Drive's Kia Sportage reviews:

• Used-car review: Kia Sportage
• Road-test comparison: Medium SUVs

2014-on Nissan X-Trail, from $17,200*

This Nissan is a more practical beast than the Mazda and Kia, serving up a roomier back seat, mandatory 40/20/40-split bench (the CX-5 has one but only on upper level models) and big 550-litre boot with a very handy reconfigurable floor.

It's a quieter, more cushy drive than its rivals here and ticks the same basic five-star ANCAP safety box. The bigger, more open-road friendly of its two petrol engines (2.5-litres) is standard fare for all but the base ST manual model and an realistic $20k goal.

But the Nissan isn't as surefooted through the bends as a CX-5 or Sportage and its petrol drivetrains aren't benchmarks of thrift. Getting a diesel for $20k will be tough.

Its warranty, fixed-price servicing and service-interval numbers (three years/100,000km, six years/120,000km, yearly/10,000km respectively) are collectively lukewarm, and it has a space-saver spare.

Read Drive's Nissan X-Trail reviews:

• Road test: Nissan X-Trail Ti AWD
• Road-test comparison: Medium SUVs

2013-on Subaru Forester, from $17,800*

If using your SUV to actually expand your physical horizons matters then this Subaru should be added to the list.

It's no hard-core bush-basher but with its cushy rough-road ride, generous ground clearance, full-size spare and mandatory all-wheel-drive (not the case with the other cars here) it'll go further than all of its rivals here.

It ticks other key boxes, too, with its spacious cabin, quality build and five-star ANCAP safety artillery.

Strong Subaru resale, however, means a 2.5-litre petrol or a diesel model – both of which are preferable to the base 2.0-litre petrol if open-road work is on the agenda – could be hard to pin down for $20k.

It's not an economy or handling benchmark, its boot is almost as small as the CX-5's (422 litres) and it has this group's least enticing ownership deal (three-year warranty, three-year/75,000km fixed price servicing and six-monthly/12,500km intervals).

Read Drive's Subaru Forester reviews:

• Road test: Subaru Forester diesel
• Road-test comparison: Medium SUVs
• Road-test comparison: Medium SUVs

Drive recommends

In a contest where different criteria are all weighted equally the CX-5 scores higher than its alternatives here. It's a particularly well-rounded used $20k medium SUV and a safe choice.

Why wouldn't you buy one? Well, there aren't a lot of reasons, to be honest, but our trio of alternatives cover most of them. If value and easy, secure ownership sit higher on your priorities list than polish and driving appeal, get the Sportage. If you need more practicality than a CX-5 offers, get the X-Trail. If off-tarmac work of any substance is on the agenda, get the Forester.

* Values are estimates provided by Redbook based on an example averaging up to 20,000km per annum and in a well-maintained condition relevant to its age.