New & used SUVs

The best used SUVs appeal to both the heart and the head. Whether you want a tough, practical family car or something that's a bit more luxurious or sporty there’s something out there for you. Our favourites include the Audi Q5, BMW X5, Seat Ateca and Skoda Kodiaq.

The best used small SUVs combine the raised driving position and tough character of a full-size SUV with the compact dimensions, lower running costs and easy-to-park nature of a smaller car. Our favourites include the Peugeot 2008, Skoda Karoq and Vauxhall Mokka X.

The terms ‘crossover’ and ‘SUV’ are largely interchangeable but the consensus is that a crossover is a car that looks like an SUV thanks to its high ground clearance and rugged design but which has no more off-roading ability than your average hatchback due to the fact it has two-wheel drive rather than four-wheel drive.

The term ‘SUV’ stands for Sports Utility Vehicle. It often describes the same sort of car as the term ‘4x4’. Both describe high-riding cars with a chunky shape, but while all 4x4s have four-wheel drive, many modern SUVs don’t.

Some modern SUVs are two-wheel-drive only. This is because most are rarely used off-road and cars with four-wheel drive generally cost more to own. Other SUVs have four-wheel drive, however, and their higher ride height makes them better suited to any rough tracks than a conventional hatchback or saloon.