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HI there, Please could you recommend a 7 seater vehicle that is fuel efficient, has a good to great safety rating and is good for towing a carvan or light boat. We are interested in a new or not to old 2nd hand vehicle, and don't want to spend more than about $55,000. Thanks so much.

Hi there,
One vehicle that immediately springs to mind is the latest Mazda CX9 late 2016 onwards. This has a an engine designed to be efficient (skyactive) and has the torque of a diesel but is 2.5turbo petrol, has a 2,000kg braked tow capacity, 7 seats, and 5-star ANCAP safety rated. Our small launch review can be found here: https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/motoring-blog/the-new-mazda-cx-9-is-arriving-in-new-zealand/

Thanks so much for that. Any other recommendations? It would be great to look at a few vehicles. I have heard the Hyundai Santa Fe 7 seater is very fuel efficient - how does it compare?

Hi there,
I personally favoured the CX-9 over the Santa-Fe, but every tester is different. There are a lot of other new or near new options in 7-seater but you would need to see if they physically suit your personal preference. They have good safety ratings, designed with fuel efficiency in mind, 7-seats, and can tow. Santa-Fe, VW Tiguan Allspace, Mitsubishi Pajero, and Kia Sorrento to name a few common ones.