Best 4x4s and SUVs of 2013

Mazda CX-5

Best SUV less than £25,000

Mazda's latest small SUV has some headline-grabbing figures, including remarkable CO2 emissions of just 119g/km that help it into a low company car tax band.

Performance is just as impressive thanks to a 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine. This really is one of the finest you can buy. It has walloping low-down torque, yet it's supremely flexible and happy to rev.

Mazda's engineers have also worked hard to make the CX-5 as practical as possible, with impressive results. There's bags of room for four tall adults, the boot is huge and should you need to lower the rear seats, they fold down easily to give you an almost-flat load area.

The CX-5 isn't perfect - cabin refinement could be better and a few of the plastics look drab - but the low running costs and the strength of that engine are hard to resist. Throw in the generous standard equipment that comes with SE-L trim and you end up with an unbeatable buy at (much) less than £25,000.

Read the full Mazda CX-5 review