Best used family SUVs for less than £15,000

The Nissan Qashqai was a trendsetter when it arrived and it continues to be a very popular choice. However, in its old age, the second-generation Qashqai has been overtaken by many competitors, especially in the driving department, which is one of the reasons it goes no higher in this list. The other is its poor reliability, according to the latest What Car? Reliability survey. 

We found: 2018 Nissan Qashqai 1.2 DiG-T Acenta, 15,926 miles, £14,995

Perhaps a little overshadowed by the more popular Nissan Qashqai (a shame, really, considering that the two are basically identical under the skin), the Renault Kadjar is a bit of a bargain. It has a big boot for all your pram and/or weekly shopping requirements, plus it can be had with a smooth 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine. It’s hardly exciting to drive, but it is refined and comfortable.  

We found: 2018 Renault Kadjar 1.2 TCe Dynamique S Nav, 49,974 miles, £14,200

A premium badge and a high-quality interior make the Audi Q3 a desirable used proposition.  It also comes with a fine choice of punchy and efficient engines, decent refinement and tidy handling. It's a popular car so holds its value well which means our budget only buys you a 2015 version of the first-generation model, otherwise it might have finished higher in our list.

We found: 2015 Audi Q3 2.0 TDI Quattro S Line, 75,956, £14,400

The C-HR handles sweetly, is swift enough for most needs and looks just as interesting inside as it does on the outside. All in, it's quite a departure for a conservative brand like Toyota. It's not as practical as one or two of the other cars on this list, though. Otherwise, this would have come much higher, because it's good to drive, comfortable and reliable. 

We found: 2019 Toyota C-HR 1.2T Icon, 65,000 miles, £13,990

The recent facelift of the Tucson means that the values of earlier examples have dropped, meaning you can get a well-specified example easily within our budget. And we do mean well-specified because SE Nav comes with rear parking sensors, heated front seats, climate control and a reversing camera. Oh, and sat-nav. It's also comfortable, spacious and practical. 

We found: 2018 Hyundai Tucson 1.6 GDi Blue Drive S, 34,000 miles, £13,995

Go for your Sportage in mid-spec ‘2’ and you’ll get sat-nav, rear parking sensors, heated front seats, power-folding door mirrors, climate control, auto lights and wipers and privacy glass. Also, the Sportage, according to our latest reliability data, is one of the most dependable family SUVs. On top of that, it comes from new with a seven-year warranty, so there should be plenty of it left. 

We found: 2018 Kia Sportage 1.6 GDi 1, 36,902 miles, £14,495

Car buyers do like a premium brand, and they don’t come much more blue-chip than BMW. The current X1 is a fine family SUV that's great to drive and comes with bags of room inside, and a quality interior that features the excellent iDrive infotainment system. It's well equipped, too, and according to our most recent reliability survey it's one of the most reliable family SUVs. 

We found: 2016 BMW X1 sDrive 18d M Sport auto, 83,856 miles, £14,999

The Volkswagen Tiguan has regularly been one of the most popular family SUVs around. In this second-generation version, it's beautifully made and finished and a solid performer, particularly the torquey 2.0-litre that has no trouble carrying a car-load of people around, or towing a caravan. It's also refined, practical and spacious. 

We found: 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI Bluemotion Tech Match Edition 150, 33,299 miles, £15,000

Another great family SUV, the Seat Ateca is one of the very best of its kind to drive – feeling sure-footed on a challenging B-road, nimble in the city and refined on the motorway. It’s also backed up by a cracking range of engines. Practicality is still a top priority because the doors open wide to make putting a child car seat in easier, the boot is big and its interior is spacious, too. 

We found: 2017 Seat Ateca 1.0 TSI Ecomotive SE, 14,000 miles, £14,000

The Karoq just edges out its broadly similar sibling the Seat Ateca to the top spot. It's extremely practical, for starters, even more so than the Seat, and it drives well and is excellent value for money. The ride is cosseting, too, and it's decently refined in town and on the motorways. The Karoq’s greatest asset, however, is its interior. It's flexible, smart and beautifully built, and there’s loads of space for all.

We found: 2017 Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI SE L, 44,396 miles, £13,999