Compare the best used SUVs

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Last updated January 13, 2025 by Tom Wiltshire

Best used SUVs to buy in 2025

These days if you’re searching for a spacious and practical car then chances are you’re not hunting for a saloon or an MPV - you’ll be looking for an SUV. The meteoric rise in popularity of the SUV is easy to see by the sheer numbers on the roads, as well as sales figures - eight of the 10 best-selling cars in the UK in 2024 were SUVs.

SUVs come in all shapes and sizes but with a few exceptions, they’re pretty pricey. An SUV is usually a good few thousand pounds more than a hatchback or an estate car of equivalent size, which makes saving a few quid by buying one on the used market all the more appealing.

Buying a used SUV is much like buying any other used car, but there are a few extra considerations. They’re likely to have had hard lives as family cars, so scuffs and scrapes inside and out are likely. If they’ve got four-wheel drive or off-road pretensions, you’ll want to make sure they’ve not been damaged by rough driving. And their greater weight and bulk means more wear and tear on items such as tyres and brakes.

However, buy carefully and you’ll find a glut of great used SUVs for sale. Our expert reviews team has rounded up 10 of the best, which all have strong reliability records and in many cases will still be under a good degree of warranty cover. 

Toyota Yaris Cross
2025
Urban Living Award

1. Toyota Yaris Cross

9/10
Toyota Yaris Cross review

What's good

  • Hybrid engine is economical
  • Generous standard equipment
  • Raised ride height gives excellent visibility

What’s not so good

  • Engine can be noisy
  • Fidgety over bumps
  • Slightly dour interior
Best for: running costs

If you had a checklist for desirable features of a second-hand small SUV the Toyota Yaris Cross would tick just about all of them. A roomy interior? Tick. Super-low running costs courtesy of a hybrid engine? Tick. Up to ten years of warranty cover, transferable to the second owner? Double tick.

The updated Yaris Cross is so good that it won the Urban Living category in the 2025 Carwow Car of the Year awards - but you aren’t missing out on much by opting for the pre-facelift model, other than slightly improved infotainment. The tech offering is the low point of the Yaris Cross, as its touchscreen is pretty small, slow and awkward to use - but plug in your phone and you can use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead. The rest of the interior is pretty roomy, with good rear legroom and a really deep boot - not bad for a small SUV.

When it comes to driving, the Yaris Cross won’t pluck at your heartstrings - but its hybrid engine is peppy around town and the high driving position gives you a great view out. It’s just like driving a taller Yaris hatchback. And though the hybrid system can feel a bit dull, you won’t care when you get to the pumps and realise that averaging over 60mpg comes easily.

Even if the Yaris Cross wasn’t pleasant to drive and efficient, the aftercare would make it easy to recommend. Toyota’s dealers have a great reputation for service, there are loads of them across the country, and you get the market-leading ‘Relax’ warranty as standard. This gives you three years of basic cover, but up to seven more years after that as long as you service at a Toyota dealership. 

You can activate the Relax warranty on any used Yaris Cross, even if the previous owner has let the cover lapse. The Yaris Cross didn’t appear in the 2024 Driver Power survey, but the Yaris supermini it’s based on finished in third place - a great result. All these factors mean the Yaris Cross is a fantastic used SUV, as long as you don’t want too much space.

What's good

  • Hybrid engine is economical
  • Generous standard equipment
  • Raised ride height gives excellent visibility

What’s not so good

  • Engine can be noisy
  • Fidgety over bumps
  • Slightly dour interior
Kia Sportage

2. Kia Sportage

8/10
Kia Sportage review

What's good

  • Spacious interior
  • Smooth hybrid engine
  • Clever climate controls

What’s not so good

  • Not the most comfortable family SUV
  • Pretty dull to drive
  • Divisive front-end styling
Best for: looking sharp

The Sportage has had about as big a glow-up as any model, going from a dowdy off-roader in the 90s to one of the most stylish SUVs on the road today in the Mk5 model. Its sharp lines and insectoid detailing stand out from the crowd, and it’s a fantastic ownership experience too - so it’s a great used buy.

The Sportage has been a best-seller for several years so there’s acres of choice in the market, and there’s a wide range of engines and trims to suit your needs - from cost-effective petrol engines up to really economical hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

The engines are all pretty smooth, and though it’s a little bit bouncy over bumps it’s a really good motorway cruiser and the automatic gearboxes in particular are nice and responsive around town.

The interior is really lovely too - it’s solidly built, and if you avoid the Spartan entry-level model you get two big screens which look really glitzy but crucially are still very easy to use. There’s loads of storage, a huge boot, and plenty of space in the rear - the Sportage is a fantastic family SUV, well up to the rigours of family life.

Better yet, all Kias come with seven years and 100,000 miles of warranty cover, which means you can buy a four-year-old Sportage and still have more warranty remaining than most alternatives. An 11th-place finish in the 2024 Driver Power survey isn’t to be sniffed at either.

What's good

  • Spacious interior
  • Smooth hybrid engine
  • Clever climate controls

What’s not so good

  • Not the most comfortable family SUV
  • Pretty dull to drive
  • Divisive front-end styling
Skoda Kodiaq (2017-2024)

What's good

  • Good value for money
  • Loads of space inside
  • Smart-looking interior

What’s not so good

  • Over-the-shoulder blindspots
  • VW Tiguan has more tech
  • A little bumpy at low speeds
Best for: family-friendly practicality

The Skoda Kodiaq has always been a firm favourite at Carwow - the current model is the best yet, but stepping back a generation isn’t a hardship as the Mk1 Kodiaq is almost as good - and a real bargain.

The Kodiaq is the Swiss army knife of the family SUV market, being based on the same underpinnings as a Volkswagen Tiguan but offering more seats and a smarter interior. It’s packed throughout with ‘Simply Clever’ touches that just make life easier - like a waste bin in the door pocket, an ice scraper under the filler flap or umbrellas in the front doors. 

You can have the Kodiaq with a petrol engine but the diesels are the best - they’re dependable, great to drive and superbly efficient. Paired with an automatic gearbox, they make effortless long-distance cruisers. There’s even a Kodiaq vRS available - with a more powerful diesel and a sporty makeover, it won’t give the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio a run for its money but is still pretty enjoyable.

Most Kodiaqs come with seven seats, making them a super-flexible family bus. You can have a version with five seats and a bigger boot if you’re sure you won’t need the extra, but you don’t lose too much space having the extra row - and while they’re a bit cramped for adults they’re great for kids.

Skoda’s a top performer in the Driver Power survey, and the Kodiaq came in sixth out of 75 cars in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 polls. An impressively consistent showing.

What's good

  • Good value for money
  • Loads of space inside
  • Smart-looking interior

What’s not so good

  • Over-the-shoulder blindspots
  • VW Tiguan has more tech
  • A little bumpy at low speeds
Peugeot 2008

4. Peugeot 2008

8/10
Peugeot 2008 review

What's good

  • Stylish exterior design
  • Fun and cheap to run
  • 3D dashboard display

What’s not so good

  • Adults cramped in the back
  • Sluggish automatic gearbox
  • Infotainment system can be a pain to navigate
Best for: a great interior

The fashionable Peugeot 2008 is a great-looking small SUV inside and out. It’s essentially a taller version of the 208 hatchback, with more room in the back and a really big boot, making it a great option for a young family who doesn’t need the vastness of a larger SUV.

The 2008 was updated in 2023 with a new look, but even the pre-facelift cars look sharp - and if you opt for a high-spec one, you get a cool 3D-effect digital driver display and large touchscreen infotainment system.

The interior in general is a real highlight of the 2008 - while alternatives like the VW T-Cross have lots of hard, scratchy plastic, almost every surface inside the Peugeot is soft-touch and feels high-quality. It’s really nicely designed, too - the row of piano-style keys under the central touchscreen are particularly cool.

There are a few engines to choose from - a 1.2-litre petrol in various states of tune, and available with a great eight-speed automatic gearbox. There’s also a super-efficient diesel ideal for long journeys.

The 2008 returned an impressive eighth place finish in the 2024 Driver Power survey - just two places behind the 208 with which it shares its engines and mechanicals, a reassuring verdict to anyone considering this handsome SUV - or its hatchback sibling.

What's good

  • Stylish exterior design
  • Fun and cheap to run
  • 3D dashboard display

What’s not so good

  • Adults cramped in the back
  • Sluggish automatic gearbox
  • Infotainment system can be a pain to navigate
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

5. Toyota RAV4

8/10
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid review

What's good

  • Practical cabin with good passenger space
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Hybrid comes as standard

What’s not so good

  • Some scratchy cabin plastics
  • Awkward and noisy CVT gearbox
  • No through-loading from boot to rear seat
Best for: dependability

The RAV4, like the Yaris Cross (above) gets Toyota’s brilliant ten-year warranty, and actually came fourth place in the 2024 Driver Power survey which is an amazing result, especially as it came first overall in the reliability sub-category.

It’s like owning a Yaris Cross but on a bigger scale - the RAV4 has room for the whole family and a larger, more powerful 2.5-litre engine paired up to a hybrid system.

You get good, repeatable fuel economy - the RAV4 is as efficient on short journeys as it is on longer runs, so even if you’re upgrading from a diesel SUV you’re unlikely to suffer in terms of running costs. There’s even a plug-in hybrid model, so if you’re able to charge at home you could really see some fuel savings.

The RAV4 has a roomy interior and a big boot, and the chunky dashboard feels built to last the nuclear apocalypse. As with the Yaris Cross, it’s let down a little bit by outdated infotainment, but this is far from a dealbreaker. This is an SUV you could buy used and keep for many years to come.

What's good

  • Practical cabin with good passenger space
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Hybrid comes as standard

What’s not so good

  • Some scratchy cabin plastics
  • Awkward and noisy CVT gearbox
  • No through-loading from boot to rear seat
Dacia Duster (2019 - 2024)

What's good

  • Very cheap to buy
  • Roomy cabin
  • Efficient engines

What’s not so good

  • Feels pretty basic inside
  • Doesn't handle all that well
  • Disappointing safety score
Best for: value

The Dacia Duster is a bargain to buy new - it’s less than many used alternatives. This means that if you buy a used Duster, you’ll see remarkable savings on a car which, while a little outdated in some ways, really feels more expensive than its price.

The Duster is rare among small SUVs in that you’ve always been able to buy a version with four-wheel drive, so if you need a used SUV that can handle the occasional bit of off-roading it’s a fantastic option. You can also get petrol or diesel engines, and an automatic gearbox, so all the bases are covered - and trim levels range from truly Spartan with very little to go wrong right up to models with as much kit as you could reasonably want from a cheap car.

Despite its outdated underpinnings - you might recognise several of its components from mid-2000s Renault products - the Duster drives well, with suspension that handles bumps brilliantly and a general feeling of solidity and ruggedness.

Warranty cover is only average, but the Mk2 Duster was voted the best car to own in the 2024 Driver Power survey, with drivers really rating its value for money, the simplicity of its interior and its spacious boot.

What's good

  • Very cheap to buy
  • Roomy cabin
  • Efficient engines

What’s not so good

  • Feels pretty basic inside
  • Doesn't handle all that well
  • Disappointing safety score
Hyundai Santa Fe (2018-2024)

7. Hyundai Santa Fe

9/10
Hyundai Santa Fe (2018-2024) review

What's good

  • Roomy cabin
  • Lots of standard kit
  • Comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have bigger boots...
  • ... and cost less to run
  • Not as fancy inside as some alternatives
Best for: big families or towing

The latest Hyundai Santa Fe is an amazing car - it’s so good we named it Carwow Car of the Year for 2025. But don’t discount the outgoing model as a great used buy - it has plenty going for it and is a relative bargain.

The previous Santa Fe was quite an old-school SUV, and that means it’s great for slightly more heavyweight work. Most models have four-wheel drive and are actually quite decent off-road, while a muscular diesel engine and high towing capacity mean it’s a fantastic tow car if you have a caravan.

The diesel was only available prior to 2021, so after that you can choose between hybrid or plug-in hybrid engines which return decent if not exceptional fuel economy. Regardless of which Santa Fe you go for, the interior’s fantastic - superbly easy to use but much more premium than you’d imagine from something with a Hyundai badge on the front.

It’s also really roomy with seven seats as standard and a big boot, while storage for smaller items is fantastic too.

You get a five-year warranty, which is slightly shorter than Kia offers on the mechanically-similar Sorento, but still very good - it means that even the oldest Santa Fe will be at most a year or two out of cover.

What's good

  • Roomy cabin
  • Lots of standard kit
  • Comfortable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have bigger boots...
  • ... and cost less to run
  • Not as fancy inside as some alternatives
Kia e-Niro

8. Kia e-Niro

8/10
Kia e-Niro review
Battery range up to 282 miles
Best for: going electric

You might have some uncertainty about buying a used electric car, as horror stories of expensive battery replacements abound. But the Kia e-Niro should put that to rest, as it’s proving to be a fantastically dependable car - as excellent service as a taxi in cities across the world goes to show.

There are two battery sizes available, a 39kWh model which can do about 140 miles on a charge and a 64kWh version capable of more than 250 miles real-world. That’s a figure that even some brand-new EVs can’t match, and makes for a fantastically usable everyday EV.

You also get a nice roomy interior with Kia’s trademark build quality, and a seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty covers both the car and its battery, kicking in if capacity reduces below a certain threshold.

The e-Niro also ranked highly in the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, which is an added level of reassurance.
Mazda CX-5

9. Mazda CX-5

8/10
Mazda CX-5 review

What's good

  • Loads of equipment
  • Fun to drive
  • Hushed petrol engine

What’s not so good

  • Quite expensive
  • Boot isn’t particularly roomy
  • Feels unsettled on rougher surfaces
Best for: driving pleasure

Mazda’s great at injecting a little of the magic of the MX-5 sports car into its more humdrum offerings, and it’s done just that with the CX-5. Though it’s a practical, spacious family SUV, the CX-5 is a pleasure to drive whether you’re taking a long motorway drive or winding down a twisting B-road.

Engines available include a muscular diesel or smooth and quiet petrol, and you can have automatic or manual gearboxes.

The CX-5 has a lovely interior, with great build quality and a sense that Mazda didn’t simply add in more tech just to follow the crowd. The most obvious example of this is that the infotainment screen isn’t a touchscreen - you interact with it via a central scrollwheel, which is safer when you’re on the move.

An impressive seventh place result in the 2024 Driver Power survey is another feather in the CX-5’s cap, with owners particularly rating its quality, safety and infotainment.

What's good

  • Loads of equipment
  • Fun to drive
  • Hushed petrol engine

What’s not so good

  • Quite expensive
  • Boot isn’t particularly roomy
  • Feels unsettled on rougher surfaces
Ford Puma

10. Ford Puma

8/10
Ford Puma review

What's good

  • Eye-catching looks
  • Comes loaded with kit
  • Large boot is impressively versatile

What’s not so good

  • Back seats a bit tight on space
  • Interior feels very cheap
  • You sit higher up in other SUVs
Best for: a big boot in a small package

The Ford Puma was the best-selling car in the UK in 2023 and 2024, and was in the top 10 in 2020, 2021 and 2022, too - so there are a plethora of used examples to choose from. The good news is that all of them are great to drive, really practical for a small SUV and even look pretty good.

The Puma came 10th in the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, with owners rating its acceleration, design and driving dynamics highly. Sharing its mechanicals with the (now-departed) Ford Fiesta certainly helps in this regard, as that was always a fantastic car to drive.

Unlike the Fiesta, though, the Puma is super-practical. The back seats are pretty good but the real story is in the boot, where a big main compartment is boosted by a massive underfloor storage area called the ‘Megabox’. This gives you hidden, waterproof storage for items, or can be used to extend the height of the boot enough for you to carry a set of golf clubs upright.

What's good

  • Eye-catching looks
  • Comes loaded with kit
  • Large boot is impressively versatile

What’s not so good

  • Back seats a bit tight on space
  • Interior feels very cheap
  • You sit higher up in other SUVs

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More advice about second-hand SUVs

How to choose the best used SUV for you

Reliability

With any used car, you want to be sure that you're getting a reliable example. Check out reliability surveys such as the Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, and read owner's reviews for anecdotal data. If you can't find much info on the specific SUV you're looking at, look at similar reviews for closely-related models - for example, much of the pertinent information about the Ford Puma also relates to the Ford Fiesta.

Buy carefully

Don't think that just because a particular model has a great reputation for reliability that it's guaranteed to be a good used buy. Put in the work of checking over any potential purchase carefully, especially if it's lived a hard life as a family car or gone off-roading. Sometimes, even a model that wasn't fantastic when it was new can be a good used purchase if you find one at the right price.

Compare pricing

Don't overpay for your used SUV, and if something's too much of a bargain, listen for those ringing alarm bells. A valuation service such as Carwow can let you know if you're set to pay over the odds for any used car, and don't forget to check out similar used models on Carwow to see whether your'e in the right sort of neighbourhood.

Used SUVs FAQs

The small SUV market is booming, with lots of competitors to choose from. The Volkswagen T-Cross, Skoda Kamiq and Ford Puma are up there with the best, and any of them would make for a great pick.

Also consider the Audi Q2 if you want a more premium badge, or the Toyota Yaris Cross for impressively low fuel costs.

When considering a large SUV, the Skoda Kodiaq offers great value for money and fantastic practicality while the SEAT Tarraco (which uses the same mechanical bits as the Skoda) is also worth a look. However, if you’re on a slightly bigger budget, the Volvo XC90 offers plenty of space and a high quality cabin while a used Lexus RX hybrid would make a luxurious and reliable choice.

It’s always a good idea to search out ownership surveys before buying a car to get an idea of its practicality and repair costs, but it’s impossible to know for sure whether a particular vehicle will go wrong or not.

That’s why models that have long warranties are a good place to start, because you’ll be covered if there are any issues. Toyota’s warranties can be extended up to 10 years if serviced at approved dealers, Kia offers seven years and Hyundai up to five, though all of these also have mileage limits.

If you check out the Auto Express Driver Power ratings — which quizzes actual owners on their experience with cars in the real world — then the best-performing SUV models are the Mazda CX-5, Ford EcoSport, Subaru Outback, Dacia Duster, Lexus RX, and Kia Sorento.

When looking for a used SUV, it’s important to research the car’s reliability record, but also (as with any used car) make sure the example you’re buying has a good service history and has been well looked after.

Many SUVs get used in the city, so look out for any bumps and scrapes that come from encounters with other traffic. Their popularity with families means you should also check for interior wear and tear such as broken air vents or loose trim. But also look out for damage beneath the car in case the previous owner has tested its off-road abilities.

As with any used car, there are reliability risks that typically increase with age and mileage, though if a car has been looked after it reduces the risk of something going wrong. Despite this, some models have a higher risk than others.

For example, luxury SUVs can become temptingly cheap as they age, but this is typically because repairs can be frequent and expensive.

The mid-sized SUV market is probably the busiest of all, as these cars will appeal to a broad cross-section of buyers. Some of our favourites include the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4, particularly because they come with excellent warranties while the Mazda CX-5 has an excellent reliability reputation.