Best used large SUVs for less than £20,000

The Skoda Enyaq may look rather conventional next to one or two of its modern electric SUV rivals, but don’t be put off: it’s the best around, new or used, regardless of size.

It's so good we had no hesitation in making it our What Car? Used Car of the Year this year. And no wonder. It’s good to drive, comfortable, practical, extremely refined and comes with a decent range. It's very well-equipped, too. 

The iV 60 version has a 58kWh battery and a decent official range of 256 miles and, for not much more cash on the used car forecourt, there's an 80 version that can go even farther, up to 333 miles. 

Bought used, it’s also great value, with prices starting from just £12k. You can check out the full list of used Skoda Enyaqs on our used car classifieds site here, but there's a good range available to suit nearly every pocket.

And it's reliable, too, with a good score of 91.3% in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. It could be all the car you’ll ever need. 

"The Enyaq was one of the first electric cars I ever got behind the wheel of. Still, even to this day, I find myself impressed with how practical, comfortable and well-priced it is (new and used)." – George Hill, used cars writer 

We found: 2023 Skoda Enyaq iV 60 63kWh Nav Suite, 45,000 miles, £17,485

Read our full used Skoda Enyaq review

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The Peugeot 5008 steals victory over all the MPVs and even its premium-badged SUV rivals if you're after a seven-seater car. 

Why? Well, for starters, it's stylish, practical and good to drive. In fact, it's the ideal used car for large families. 

Those rugged good looks cover an interior that's impressively flexible and will seat seven in comfort. The interior features a pleasing mixture of high-quality, tactile materials for a more upmarket ambience than you’ll find in a Seat Tarraco or a Skoda Kodiaq. What’s more, it provides a very civilised and flexible travelling environment for up to seven occupants.

Our preferred 1.2-litre Puretech 130 petrol engine is not only smooth but also has enough oomph for most owners’ needs, even when the car is fully loaded. It’s capable of impressive fuel economy, so there’s really no need to go chasing the more expensive engine options. 

Used 5008s are slightly more affordable than Kodiaqs of the same age and much cheaper than Hyundai Santa Fes. Prices can start from as little as £10,000. If you can stretch to one, post-2020 cars are worth the extra; they added LED headlights, a bigger infotainment screen and a clearer instrument panel. Expect to spend around £15,000 and upwards on one of these. 

"Whenever I've driven a 5008, I've always been impressed by the interior. It's wonderfully plush for a car of this price as well as being impressively stylish and more than spacious for a family of four or more." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2021 Peugeot 5008 1.2 PureTech Allure, 45,000 miles, £16,990

Read our full used Peugeot 5008 review

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The Skoda Kodiaq was the Czech firm’s first large SUV and its first stab at a seven-seater. It's been a huge success and, for families on a tight budget, it might just be the ideal transport, promising Skoda’s legendary value for money while delivering the practicality and flexibility needed by many used SUV buyers.

It's also classy, spacious and economical. It's extremely well-rounded and very easy to live with. It's available with a great range of petrol and diesel engines, two particular highlights being the smooth and efficient 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel unit and the punchy, economical 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol.

And if you need seven seats, you'll find examples with just that quota. The rearmost row has enough space for two children who don't require child seats, but adults will only be comfortable for very short journeys.

About £14,000 should get you into the driver’s seat of a Kodiaq from 2016 or 2017, though it may have a higher-than-average mileage. Spend between £16,000 and £20,000 on a good one from 2018 or 2019, and around £20,000 to £22,000 to find good 2020 and 2021 models, and more than £25,000 for 2023 and the last of the 2024 cars.

"Here's another wonderfully capable and very likeable seven-seater for not much money. Maybe not as stylish as the 5008 but buy a Kodiaq for the family and you'll grow immensely fond of it." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Skoda Kodiaq 1.4 TSI SE, 61,000 miles, £20,000 

Read our full used Skoda Kodiaq review

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The BMW X3 is for those who cast aside the more modestly sized family SUV BMW X1 as too small, and the seven-seat luxury SUV BMW X5 as too large. In other words, it's the happy middle ground between the compact and colossal, and now the model is in its third generation.

For the latest car, it really upped its game in terms of technology, improved refinement and greater interior space. It's especially tempting as a used purchase, because this SUV can now be had for what look like very reasonable prices.

It performs admirably and is supremely classy, comfortable and good to drive. It's practical, too, and comes with a great infotainment system. It would have finished even higher if it weren't for the fact it's quite a pricey used proposition. 

Prices for the X3 start at around £17,000 for an early version with a medium to high mileage. It'll most likely come with a diesel engine, too. Petrol models start at around £20,000.

"This is probably the one I'd buy here for its sheer class. Reliability looks good and its residual values are strong, thanks to its upmarket badge." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport, 50,000 miles, £19,000

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The Volvo XC60 is a great used buy. It's classy inside, roomy and well-equipped. Its well-proportioned design oozes class inside and out.

There's a Scandinavian-style feel to its lovely interior that’s flooded with light and loaded with leather, which gives the car a terrific upmarket feel. The driving position is superb, thanks to plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and the comfortable and supportive driver’s seat. 

There’s a good choice of engines and, on the optional air suspension, the ride is excellent. Reliability's good, too. 

You’re going to need around £14,000 to get into an XC60 of this generation. For that money, you’ll get a 2017/2018 car with 70,000-100,000+ miles on its clock. Spend around £16,000 on a good 2019/'20 model, rising to around £20,000 for 2022 cars. Spend over that on anything from 2023 onwards.

"What is so nice about the XC60 is that it embodies all the good things about Volvos and yet has a distinct character. I've had two long-term XC60s and loved them both." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2019 Volvo XC60 D5 Momentum, 30,000 miles, £19,500

Read our full used Volvo XC60 review

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The Kia EV6 is a brilliant and bang-on-trend electric car with a long range and the ability to charge up very quickly. 

As electric cars go, the EV6 is one of the best. For reasonable money when used, you're getting keen handling and a good range. There's lots of leg room inside, especially for rear-seat passengers, and the interior as a whole is classy and well equipped.

The EV6 isn't perfect (the ride is firm, and its reliability has proven a little mixed), but it still stands above most of its rivals.

The cheaper rear-wheel-drive versions make more financial sense than the faster four-wheel-drive models, especially used. Prices for a used Kia EV6 start at around £15,000 for the RWD version in Air trim, with GT-Line rising to around £17,000 and around £18,000 for GT-Line S. The full-on GT starts at around £22,000 – earliest examples are 2023 models. Spend between £22,000 and £30,000 on 2024 and 2025 models.

You'll also pick up the residue of Kia's excellent seven-year-from-new warranty, this being fully transferable between owners. 

"A previous What Car? Car of the Year, the Kia EV6 feels suitably futuristic. It makes a great family car, too, provided it fits into your lifestyle. I also like that the EV6 has a well-built, logically laid-out interior." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 Kia EV6 77.4kWh GT-Line, 62,000 miles, £19,995

Read our full used Kia EV6 review

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Few large SUVs are more practical than this previous-generation version of the mighty Honda CR-V.

Unlike most other large SUVs, this CR-V can't be had with a diesel engine. In the UK, we were only offered a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine with 171bhp or 190bhp if paired with a CVT automatic gearbox or a hybrid system comprising a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor for a combined power output of 181bhp.

All options were admirable, though, and the CR-V is punchy and economical, whatever's under the bonnet. It rides well, and its handling, though there's plenty of body lean in corners taken quickly, is safe and secure.

There's a huge amount of space inside, more than enough for the average-sized family, with a huge boot, and the interior quality is high. It's also very well equipped in all versions. 

Prices for the Honda CR-V start at around £12,000 for a 1.5-litre, or around £14,000 if you fancy a hybrid version. Spend between £14,000 and £16,000 on good late 2019 and 2020 cars. Up the price to around £18,000 for a hybrid version. Newer 2022 and 2023 examples start at around £20,000.

"One of the most solidly built cars on our list, and yet it's spacious and practical and even pleasant to drive. I love its high driving position too." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2022 Honda CR-V 2.0 Hybrid SE, 38,000 miles, £19,995

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Few cars here are as stylish and yet as practical as the Jaguar F-Pace. 

There's an engine to suit most needs, too, from a relatively frugal four-cylinder diesel with either 178 or 237bhp; a refined 296bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel, a perky 247bhp 2.0-litre petrol, a rapid 375bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol, and a bonkers 542bhp 5.0-litre V8 petrol in the F-Pace SVR.

But it's the way it drives that Jaguar hopes set the F-Pace apart. It has a lot in common with Jaguar’s XE and XF saloons, both of which have been applauded for having superb handling. The F-Pace doesn’t disappoint here either because it genuinely feels like a hot-hatch on stilts.

Although there have been concerns over its reliability in the past, its score of 94.2% in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey is respectable enough, and puts it above the rival Range Rover Velar.

Prices for a used F-Pace start at around £8000 for an early 2.0-litre diesel version with high mileage, either with a manual gearbox or a more luxurious version with an auto. Spend between £10,000 and £15,000 for an average mileage car from 2017 or 2018, while £20,000 will net you 2020 or 2021 cars.

"The interior is fabulous. The materials, infotainment and general build quality are noticeably better than most of its rivals here. I'd recommend going for a newer F-Pace if you can afford the post-facelift 2021 model." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2020 Jaguar F-Pace 2.0d Prestige auto, 57,000 miles, £20,000

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A game of ‘spot the difference’ between the BMW iX3 and the regular BMW X3 might be a challenge, but that’s partly why the iX3 is so appealing.

It takes some of the strongest elements from the X3, including its high-quality interior and user-friendly infotainment system, but wraps them in an electric SUV package. 

Like the regular car, it’s very good to drive, with the electric motors making it very quiet to travel in. It’s more fun down a twisty road than a Jaguar I-Pace, but without compromising on ride quality. It’s far more comfortable than the Tesla Model Y on a bumpy road. Meanwhile, even the base model with the smaller battery has an official range of 288 miles, while larger versions boast upwards of 300 miles. 

All of these factors, along with the iX3’s very good reliability record, make it a very tempting used choice, especially if it fits into your lifestyle. 

Prices? A 2021 BMW iX3 should set you back around £17,000. Expect a car in Premier Edition or Premier Edition Pro trim. Lower mileage examples cost upwards of £18,000, as do facelift models in M Sport trim. Prices for M Sport Pro models start from just a tad over £20,000.

"I was impressed by how much kit the iX3 gets as standard. All cars have three-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery and a heated steering wheel. The list is endless." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found 2022 BMW iX3 Premier Edition Pro, 77,277 miles, £19,944

Read our used BMW iX3 review

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Gone are the days of snooze-fest seven-seaters. In today’s world, style, sharpness and suavity are key ingredients in even the most practical cars, hence the uptake of large SUVs like this, the Kia Sorento.

Unlike previous Sorentos, this fourth-generation model is especially eye-catching inside and out; despite that, it doesn’t compromise on its more sensible attributes. It’s a compelling package and a desirable used buy.

The Sorento is mechanically very similar to the Hyundai Santa Fe, and that's no bad thing; it shares a lot of that car's plus points. 

It really shines when it comes to practicality, though; it's hugely spacious, with seven seats on offer and a large boot. In family life, it will take whatever you throw at it and cope admirably. 

Used prices for this latest version start at around £20,000, so you may have to shop around to get one of them within our budget. If there were more of them available for this budget, it would have finished even higher up this list.

The previous-generation 2015-2020 Kia Sorento is obviously cheaper and another very capable seven-seat car, so that's worth a look if you can't find this latest version at this budget.

"It's so close between the Santa Fe of this age and the Sorento, but we've just given it to the Kia here because it's a fraction cheaper. I like them both, so if you need a really useful SUV, you won't be missing out." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2020 Kia Sorento 2.2 KX-2, 64,000 miles, £19,700

Read our full used Kia Sorento review

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