Best used family SUVs for less than £10,000

The Skoda Karoq just edges out its broadly similar sibling, the Seat Ateca, to the top spot. 

It's extremely practical (even more so than the Ateca), plus it's good to drive and excellent value for money. The ride is cosseting too, and it's decently refined in town and on a motorway.

The Karoq’s greatest asset, though, is its interior, which is flexible, smart and beautifully built, with loads of space for all your passengers. Be sure to go for a petrol version over a diesel for its superior reliability.

In our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, the Skoda Karoq performed well. It finished in 15th place out of 38 cars in the small SUV class with an overall score of 95.5%.

Prices for a used Skoda Karoq start at around £8000, this for a 2018 car with an above average mileage for the year. Up the budget to between £9000 and £12,000, and you'll find plenty of 2019 cars and some 2020 versions too. Spend around £14,000 to £18,000 on 2020 and 2021 Karoqs, £20,000 to £22,000 on 2023 cars and a little more on 2024 and 2025 models.

"You are spoilt for choice when it comes to engine options in the Skoda Karoq. I particularly like the 1.5-litre petrol engine, which produces 148bhp and provides flexible performance for everyday driving. It's even quite cheap to run." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2018 Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI SE, 72,000 miles, £9995

Read our full used Skoda Karoq review

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You'll have to shop around, but early examples of the award-winning Seat Ateca are into the sub-£10k category, giving buyers yet another reason to go for this great family SUV.

Even the base 1.0-litre petrol is remarkably capable, and the Ateca drives far better than everything on this list. What's more, it is incredibly practical with a huge boot that's perfect for family life.

While it didn't feature in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the Ateca ranked 17th out of 34 cars in the family SUV class in the previous year, with a good overall score of 93.1%. That ranked it above the Kia Sportage and the Volvo XC40, but below the BMW X1 and the Skoda Karoq.

Prices for the earliest Seat Atecas start at around £10,000 for a late 2016 or 2017 model. If you up the budget a bit more to between £11,000 and £14,000 you'll find a good selection of better-equipped SE and SE Technology Atecas, mostly 2017 and 2018 models. Spend between £11,000 and £15,000 on 2020 and 2021 cars, and more than £15,000 on 2023 and later cars. 

"I love the Ateca. It was the first family SUV that was good enough to please keen drivers. It was a deserved winner of our What Car? Used Car of the Year Award in 2019." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2017 Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI SE, 58,000 miles, £9995

Read our full used Seat Ateca review

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Citroen historically specialised in designing cars with a comfortable ride above all else. This is perhaps why the Citroën C5 Aircross has such supple suspension: to tie in with that tradition. 

Under its skin, you’ll find engines and mechanicals that are less radical, but that's not such a bad thing. It shares its underpinnings with the Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 5008 and Vauxhall Grandland of the same era.

An SUV needs a decent engine, and fortunately, the C5 Aircross has two petrol and two diesel options that are perfectly adept at hauling around a large car. 

The Aircross came in 23rd place out of 33 cars in the family SUV class of our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. It achieved a reasonable score of 90.7%, but it still finished below the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 petrol and Toyota RAV4

Prices for a used Citroën C5 Aircross start at around £8000 for high mileage 2019 1.5-litre diesel models in mid-spec Flair trim. Expect to spend around £9000 for a similar 1.2-litre petrol, while prices rise to around £14,000 for 2019, 2020 and 2021 examples

"You've got to love this car for its soft ride alone. The fact you can get one so new only seals the deal for me" – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross 1.2 Pure, 51,000 miles, £9750

Read our full used Citroen C5 Aircross review

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Some people just want a no-nonsense car to see them through, and the Dacia Duster delivers on that promise and more.

You can get into a top-spec Prestige example of the second-generation model for our budget, and it'll have below-average mileage too.

While it comes well equipped, don't expect interior quality to be as good as what you'll find in a Skoda Karoq.

"You gotta love the Duster. I do. It'll do all the practical stuff that all the other cars here do but at a lower cost, age-for-age." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2019 Dacia Duster 1.3 TCe Prestige, 68,000 miles, £8649

Read our full used Dacia Duster review

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The stylish Peugeot 3008 has always stood out in the family SUV class. It has a flair that few of its rivals can match. 

The interior is a little different from most, too, with that small steering wheel and a relatively high seating position. It works for most people, but worth checking out before you buy. 

On the road, the 3008 is good to drive, with a range of eager engines, it handles well, rides comfortably and is decently refined. It's not as practical or spaciou

In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the 3008 diesel finished in 12th place out of 76 family SUVs, with an overall score of 96.8%. The petrol version wasn't far behind, finishing in 18th place with a score of 95.8%. While those are good positions, it's worth noting the 3008 has done poorly in previous years.

Prices for the 3008 can start from as low as £9000, this for a 2017 car. Spend from £9000 to £11,000 for cars from 2019 and 2020. Up the folding to £15,000 or more and this should net you a 2021 or 2022 model, and not much more for a post-facelift 2022 or 2023 car. 

"For a car devoid of a premium badge, I found the 3008's interior pretty stylish and plush. I ran one long-term and really liked it." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found 2020 Peugeot 3008 1.2 PureTech 130 Active, 40,000 miles, £9900

Read our used Peugeot 3008 review

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Speaking of good fuel economy, diesel versions of the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai can embarrass much smaller cars when it comes to efficiency. Mid-range Acenta examples are the ones to go for because you get dual-zone climate control, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, along with Bluetooth connectivity. Reliability can be an issue, though. 

"The one that started the trend for family SUVs and still a good car today. This model I ran as a long-termer and found it spacious and comfortable for my family." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2021 Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Acenta, 38,000 miles, £9999

Read our full used Nissan Qashqai review

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The Mazda CX-5 is good to drive, decently practical and, above all, superb value for money.

Just £10,000 is your starting point and, for that, expect a 2017-2018 SE-L Nav or Sport Nav with the 148bhp diesel engine. We recommend a budget of at least £11,000 if you'd like a 2019 car (you probably will, seeing as it gets more safety kit than in previous years, as well as smartphone mirroring). A 2020 or 2021 car should be available within our budget here, though, and if you shop around maybe even a 2022 model.

Enthusiastic drivers will love it for its surprisingly agile handling, but it's worth noting this does come at the cost of ride comfort. Meanwhile, families will love it for its practical, spacious and exceptionally high-quality interior. The CX-5 is also handsomely equipped and exceptionally well screwed together, with a good reliability record. 

Indeed, the CX-5 petrol finished in sixth place out of 76 family SUV in the What Car? Reliability Survey, with a score of 96.8%. That places it above the Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008, but below the Toyota RAV4 and Porsche Macan. The diesel version finished in 24th place, which is still a respectable position, with a score of 94.9%.

Unfortunately, a range of lacklustre engines and average fuel economy leave it trailing behind rivals. This, ultimately, leaves it in a low position on this list. 

"The CX-5 is great to drive, especially if you don't mind an old-school driving experience as I do. For instance, the petrol engines need plenty of revs to really get going." – George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2019 Mazda CX-5 2.0 SE-L, 45,402 miles, £10,000

Read our used Mazda CX-5 review

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Family SUVs are the automotive equivalent of the Swiss Army knife in that they have to be spacious, comfortable, good to drive and classy inside, all at a reasonable cost.

Well, the Hyundai Tucson does a pretty good job of satisfying all of those criteria. Four tall adults will have plenty of room, five at a pinch, and the boot is absolutely cavernous, easily able to cope with a small family and all its clutter.

Its interior quality impresses, too. It's smart-looking and handles well. Its reliability record is very good. In the family SUV section of the What Car? Reliability Survey, it finished in 33rd place out of 76 cars, with a strong overall score of 94.3%.

You can buy a used Tucson of this generation for around £7000. Newer cars from 2017 and 2018 start from £9000, while £10,000 will get you a 2020 model. 

For the money, the Tucson is very well equipped. Entry-level SE Connect trim comes with 17in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control and cruise control, plus electrically adjustable lumbar support for the driver. But, for not a while lot more, you can pick up Premium trim car, which gives you larger 18in wheels (19in on hybrid and PHEV Premium models), a black two-tone roof, adaptive cruise control, an eight-speaker Krell premium sound system and additional safety features.

"Separating the Tucson from the likes of the similar Sportage is like choosing your favourite child but whichever you go for you'll get a highly competent and practical SUV. Tucson reliability looks better at the mo. I like the fact the Tucson looks rather butch, as its name suggests." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2020 Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDi SE Nav, 69,000 miles, £9950

Read our full used Hyundai Tucson review

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Car buyers do like a premium brand, and they don’t come much more blue-chip than BMW.

The BMW X1 is great to drive, comes with bags of room inside and has a quality interior that features the excellent iDrive infotainment system (that's aided by a handy rotary controller). It's well equipped, too.

Go for the later, post-facelift cars for subtle improvements and a really good reliability record. True, you'll pay a little more for that badge, but many will think it's worth it. 

There should be few things to worry about with the BMW X1. In our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, it placed 14th out of 76 cars in the family SUV class, achieving a great score of 96.8%. That was below the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, but above the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40.

Early versions of the BMW X1 begin at around £8000. We'd spend more on a cleaner 2018 or 2019 model, if you can. 

"If your budget can stretch to it, above our limit here, I think the 2020 facelift models are worth going for. These cars come with much improved in-car technology with Apple CarPlay and a larger 8.8in infotainment screen." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2019 BMW X1 2.0 18d SE sDrive, 67,000 miles, £9295

Read our full used BMW X1 review

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Compared with the Hyundai Tuscon it is closely related to, the Kia Sportage is a slightly better drive.

The Sportage delivers on what families demand from a mid-sized SUV and then some. It's an amazing all-round used family SUV that offers a generous amount of space front and rear, plus a large boot and one of the best interiors in its class.

Passengers of all sizes can fit comfortably in the front and back seats, plus the boot is vast, and you can fold the back seats in a useful 40/20/40 split. The Sportage also has a lofty driving position for a grand view ahead.

Petrol versions are more reliable than diesels (according to our Reliability Survey), so we'd advise choosing one of those.

Used prices for the Sportage start from a touch under £8000 for a 2016 model with high mileage. Expect to spend upwards of £10,000 on a 2020 model. 

"The Sportage is a car that has improved immeasurably over the years. This model was the first that was good to drive and really practical. I love the looks of it and at this price it's very desirable." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2018 Kia Sportage 1.6 GDi 2, 69,000 miles, £9995

Read our full used Kia Sportage review

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