Best used small SUVs for less than £15,000

Based on the cheap-as-chips hatchback C3, the Aircross mixes funky styling with flexible interior seating, and these attributes certainly set the car apart from its rivals. You can also get a really good nearly new example for our chosen budget here. It's just a shame that the driving experience is not quite a match for those eye-catching looks. 

We found: 2020 Citroën C3 Aircross 1.2 110 Puretech Flair, 7581 miles, £13,000

Versatile seating and a smart interior make the high-quality Honda HR-V an appealing buy, to which you can add a top-notch reliability record, too. Honda dealers also have an excellent record for customer service. Alas, earlier cars were a bit noisy and had a bumpy ride, and it's not the best value in this class.

We found: 2016 Honda HR-V 1.5 i-VTEC SE, 25,945 miles, £14,800

It’s rare to find a car in the small SUV class that’s both smart and engaging, but the CX-3 manages to pull it off. For starters, its mature design manages to be stylish without trying too hard to be fashionable. And on top of that, there's just enough of Mazda’s sporty DNA to make it satisfying to drive. Its ride is a little firm, though, and rear space is tight. 

We found: 2018 Mazda CX-3 1.5d SE Nav, 26,898 miles, £13,800

Thanks to its squared-off corners, raised ride height and the option of four-wheel drive, the Suzuki Vitara has some of the off-road abilities people associate with larger SUVs. On the road, the balance between ride and handling is well judged, it's spacious inside and it's even quite fun to drive; it's well equipped, too, and our budget buys you a 2016 car with a low mileage.

We found: 2016 Suzuki Vitara 1.6 SZ-5, 16,500 miles, £14,000

A bit of a wildcard, this; you can pick up a nearly new Ignis for this money, but the caveat is that it's smaller and less spacious than most of the other cars we've chosen here. Why is it here, then? Because it's great fun to drive, and to look at. It's a characterful city car, and about the only option if you need four-wheel drive or hybrid technology in a car of this size.

We found: 2020 Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dualjet 12v hybrid SZ-T, 1216 miles, £13,495

Let's face it, there are loads of used small SUVs out there, but very few have that extra panache to make them stand out from the masses. Apart from the Mini Countryman, which is stuffed with so many retro styling cues that you couldn't mistake it for anything else. It's fun and fashionable, but its ride is a bit firm, it's not the most spacious and it's still a little expensive. 

We found: 2015 Mini Countryman 1.6 Cooper S 190 [Sport Pack], 41,878 miles, £13,490

All Kias come from new with a transferable seven-year warranty, so buy a year-old Stonic as here and you'll have plenty of cover left. Not that you should need much of it, as the Stonic is one of the more reliable small SUVs, according to our surveys. It's also a fine and capable car with a long warranty and plenty of equipment, but its firm ride can be an acquired taste.

We found: 2018 Kia Stonic 1.0T GDi 2, 20,001 miles, £13,250

Alas, you only get the old model for this money;  you'll be very lucky to find example of the latest 2020 Captur below the top end of our budget here. Nonetheless, the first-generation Captur is a good car if you want small hatchback size and costs but with a slightly elevated driving position. The good news is you can pick up a good one for our budget, but the bad news is the quality's a bit poor and it's not as spacious in the back as some of its rivals here. 

We found: 2018 Renault Captur 0.9 TCe 90 Iconic, 11,680 miles, £13,000

Just pipped into second place here is the desirable Audi Q2. This is the car that proves that small doesn’t necessarily mean cheap, but it certainly takes all the good qualities of larger Audis and wraps them up in a compact and very attractive package. It has bold styling on the outside, a well-finished and sporty interior and tidy handling; on top of all that, it's excellent value too – though you may have to shop around at the moment, that's if you want one within budget.

We found: 2018 Audi Q2 1.0 TFSI Sport, 76,345 miles, £15,299

Victory for the Seat Arona, and no wonder. It's one of the very best small SUVs you can buy used thanks to its roomy interior, a comfortable ride and perky petrol engines. Add to that its value when bought used, and it's unbeatable. Indeed, if what you want above all is that your small SUV drives well, this is the one to choose; thanks to its compact size and relatively light weight, it has plenty of punch and can tackle corners with enthusiasm.

We found: 2018 Seat Arona 1.0 TSI SE Technology, 20,000 miles, £14,000