01The four cars, and why these four
We took every MPV and SUV in our corroborated retention set that asks under RM100,000 near new. Four qualify, and between them they cover the two ways Malaysians solve the family-car problem: a seven-seater used flexibly, or a five-seat SUV.
| Model | Body | Seats | Near-new ask | 5-year retention | Value lost per year | Road tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perodua Alza | MPV | 7 | RM60,409 | 77.2% | RM3,191 | RM120 |
| Perodua Aruz | SUV | 7 | RM56,877 | 71.4% | RM2,539 | RM120 |
| Honda HR-V | SUV | 5 | RM95,387 | 65.8% | RM7,163 | RM360 |
| Proton X70 | SUV | 5 | RM77,823 | 65.4% | RM6,067 | RM360 |
The retention spread is 11.8 points, which on these prices is the difference between losing RM2,539 a year and RM7,163. Over five years of family ownership that is roughly RM23,000 — more than a third of what an Aruz costs near new.
02The boot space nobody quotes correctly
Boot figures for seven-seat cars are almost always published with all three rows upright, which is the configuration a family of five never uses. Measured the way you would actually drive it, the ranking inverts.
| Model | Boot with all seats up | Boot with five seats in use | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perodua Aruz | 216 litres | 1,004 litres | Third row folds into the floor; the largest space here by a wide margin |
| Proton X70 | 515 litres | 515 litres | Five-seat car, so the published figure is the figure you get |
| Perodua Alza | 137 litres | 514 litres | Nearly matches the X70 once the third row is down |
| Honda HR-V | 304 litres | 304 litres | Five-seat car and the smallest boot of the four |
The Alza makes the same trick work in a smaller footprint: 137 litres with all three rows up is close to useless, but 514 with the third row folded puts it level with a dedicated five-seat SUV. Both cars are effectively two vehicles depending on how the rear bench is set, and only one of those configurations shows up in most comparisons.
03The safety scores, and why you cannot compare them
All four carry a five-star ASEAN NCAP rating, which is where most family-car articles stop. The more useful point is that the scores behind those stars were awarded under different rules and cannot be put side by side.
| Model | Rating | Protocol generation | Published score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proton X70 (2018) | 5 stars | 2017–2020 | 89.24 points overall |
| Perodua Aruz (2019) | 5 stars | 2017–2020 | 86.49 overall; 43.25 adult occupant, 21.01 child occupant |
| Perodua Alza (2022) | 5 stars | 2021–2025 | 81.64 overall; 36.20 adult, 16.88 child, 18.57 safety assist, 10.00 motorcyclist safety |
| Honda HR-V (3rd gen) | 5 stars | 2021–2025 | Five-star result published by ASEAN NCAP |
What you can take from this is narrower and still useful: every car in this comparison cleared the top band of the test it actually sat. Where you want a genuine comparison, compare cars assessed under the same protocol, and check the specific variant — safety equipment often differs between trim levels of the same nameplate.
04What each one costs to keep
Running cost separates these four more sharply than anything except boot space. Using the same basis as our five-year ownership analysis — 15,000 km a year, subsidised RON95 at RM1.99 per the official series, and the JPJ road-tax schedule — the gap is large.
| Model | Depreciation over 5 years | Fuel over 5 years | Road tax over 5 years | Five-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perodua Aruz | RM12,693 | RM9,552 | RM600 | RM22,845 |
| Perodua Alza | RM15,954 | RM8,955 | RM600 | RM25,509 |
| Proton X70 | RM30,336 | RM11,343 | RM1,800 | RM43,479 |
| Honda HR-V | RM35,817 | RM9,701 | RM1,800 | RM47,318 |
The Aruz and the Alza cost roughly half what the X70 and HR-V do, and the largest part of that gap is depreciation rather than fuel. A family choosing the HR-V over the Aruz is paying about RM24,473 more across five years — and getting a boot a third the size when five people are aboard.
05What to actually buy
- The default answer is the Perodua Aruz. Cheapest to buy and run, second-strongest retention of the four, the largest usable boot for five people by a wide margin, and a five-star result in its protocol generation.
- Choose the Alza if the third row gets used often. It retains best of the four at 77.2%, has sliding-door-free easy access to the back, and its 514-litre five-seat boot is competitive — but with all seven seats occupied you have 137 litres, which is a shopping bag.
- Choose the Proton X70 if you want the boot without folding anything, and are willing to pay about RM20,600 more than the Aruz over five years for refinement and equipment.
- Choose the Honda HR-V on brand confidence and drive quality, understanding it is the most expensive to own here and has the smallest boot of the four.
- Check the variant, not the nameplate. Safety equipment and boot configuration both vary by trim, and our retention figures are model-level averages across every variant in the market.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best car for a family of five in Malaysia?
On the measurable factors, the Perodua Aruz. It is the cheapest of the four qualifying family cars to own at about RM22,845 over five years, retains 71.4% of its value, and offers 1,004 litres of boot space with its third row folded — more than three times the Honda HR-V's 304 litres. It also holds a five-star ASEAN NCAP rating with 43.25 points for adult occupant protection.
Should a family of five buy a seven-seater in Malaysia?
It is often the better value even if you never use the third row. Folding those seats turns a seven-seat car into a five-seat car with a much larger boot: 1,004 litres in a Perodua Aruz and 514 in a Perodua Alza, against 515 in a five-seat Proton X70 and 304 in a Honda HR-V. The seven-seaters here are also cheaper to buy and to run.
Which family car holds its value best in Malaysia?
Of the four family cars under RM100,000 near new that cleared our retention analysis, the Perodua Alza is strongest at 77.2% over five years, followed by the Perodua Aruz at 71.4%, the Honda HR-V at 65.8% and the Proton X70 at 65.4%. The 11.8-point spread is worth roughly RM23,000 across five years of ownership.
Can I compare ASEAN NCAP scores between cars?
Only if they were assessed under the same protocol. The Perodua Aruz scored 86.49 under the 2017–2020 protocol and the Perodua Alza 81.64 under the 2021–2025 one, which is harder, weights driver assistance more heavily and adds a motorcyclist safety category that did not previously exist. Both are five-star results; the numbers are not a league table.
How much boot space does a family of five actually need?
More than the published figure for a seven-seat car suggests, because that figure is measured with all three rows upright — a configuration a family of five never uses. With five seats in use, the cars here range from 304 litres in a Honda HR-V to 1,004 in a Perodua Aruz. Manufacturers measure boot volume differently, so treat these as bands and test-fit your own pram before deciding.
Sources and references
- Carvaly: Understanding your Carvaly valuation
- Carvaly Market Intelligence: Malaysia Used-Car Market Report · July 2026
- Paul Tan's Automotive News: Perodua Aruz SUV Gets Five-Star ASEAN NCAP Crash Safety Rating — Total Score of 86.49 Points
- ASEAN NCAP: The New Perodua Alza Achieved 5-Star ASEAN NCAP Rating
- ASEAN NCAP: Vehicle Safety Results
- JPJ Malaysia: Motor Vehicle Licence Rate Calculation Guide
- data.gov.my: Price of Petroleum and Diesel