Best small SUVs 2023

As good as some of the other cars on this list are, it's the Volkswagen T-Roc that's the best all-round small SUV you can buy today. 

Stick to the cheaper engines and trims, and the T-Roc is an even better buy than its Volkswagen T-Cross sister. In fact, it’s the cheapest engine – badged 1.0 TSI 100 – that we recommend.

The T-Roc’s cosseting ride, superb refinement and practical boot will appeal to families, plus it has one of the best driving positions of any car in the class. 

Recent updates have given it a fine interior, too, with soft materials on the surfaces you touch regularly, and the option of some bright finishers to further lift the ambience.

Thanks to agile handling and surprisingly nippy performance, the Ford Puma will put a bigger smile on your face than most rivals. 

However, it’s also a car you can buy with your sensible hat on, thanks to its low CO2 emissions and excellent real-world fuel economy, which comes courtesy of clever fuel-saving mild hybrid technology.

Your family will like it, too, because they’ll have lots of room to stretch out, plus space to store their muddy boots thanks to an 80-litre storage box hidden in the boot floor, which even contains a plug in the bottom so you can hose it out.

The Puma is so good, in fact, that it’s a former What Car? Car of the Year.

If you’re after something that’s stylish, comfortable and practical, the Taigo could be a great option for you. That’s because it matches the space of an SUV with the svelte shape of a coupé.

True, it's not as fun to drive as some rivals, but that’s forgivable given its superb ride, generous rear passenger space and the fact that you get plenty of toys with even the entry-level version.

There are no hybrid or electric options, but the 108bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine we recommend shouldn’t cost you a lot to run. Indeed, it should average more than 50mpg according to official figures.

In contrast to the T-Roc, the Skoda Kamiq puts you quite low to the ground; in fact, its driving position is barely any more elevated than that of the Skoda Scala family hatchback. 

However, in every other respect it's a brilliant choice, with a supple, well-controlled ride and a remarkably spacious interior being particular highlights. That interior feels classier than that of the Volkswagen T-Cross, too.

If you’ll mainly be driving alone in town, then the entry level 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is peppy enough and keeps costs down, but if you’re going to be filling every seat and driving farther regularly, then you’ll appreciate the extra power of the 108bhp 1.0-litre option.

Volkswagen's T-Cross is exactly what many small SUV buyers are looking for: it’s comfortable and easy to drive, without feeling like a wallowy barge. 

It’s surprisingly roomy, too. A couple of six-footers will find they have more space in the back than in some rivals, and, if you slide the rear bench forwards, there’s almost as much boot space as in some larger, family SUVs.

Despite that space, the T-Cross is compact enough to be easy to handle in town. 

The T-Cross is also competitive on running costs, whether you’re a company car driver or a private buyer, yet it comes loaded with safety kit.

Audi's Q2 was one of the first small SUVs to combine its compact dimensions with a premium badge. 

The handling is tidy and most of its engines are peppy, but it’s the quality of the interior that will really blow you away. 

Indeed, no other small SUV offers you a more luxurious feel – the materials are plush, and all of the buttons and switches move with satisfying precision.

The Q2 also has one of the best infotainment systems around – better than those in bigger, more expensive Audi SUVs, in fact.

You’ll pay more for the Q2 than you would for most other small SUVs, but the upshot is that the Q2 holds its value extremely well.

The Toyota Yaris Cross makes a strong case for itself against the crowd of small SUVs if your top priorities are reliability and low running costs. 

Indeed, the Yaris Cross is the most efficient car we've ever put through our True MPG fuel economy test, while Toyota is consistently a strong performer in our annual Reliability Survey. 

Inside, the Yaris Cross has a well built interior, and while seeing out of the back isn't the easiest, all models come with a rear-view camera to help with parking.

Just bear in mind that there are more spacious and practical alternatives.

Not only does the Peugeot 2008 look the part (both inside and out), it's well equipped and has a range of punchy, efficient petrol engines. 

The 129bhp 1.2 Puretech 130 is particularly good; in fact, it's strong enough to make the pricier Puretech 155 feel pointless, yet also returned an impressive average of 47.3mpg in our real-world tests.

Boot space is about average for the class, but all models come with a height-adjustable boot floor, allowing you to separate the space into two compartments.

Instead, it's the comparatively high price and weak resale values of the 2008 that stop it finishing higher on this list.

If you’d rather go green, there’s a fully electric version called the Peugeot e-2008.

Once the class leader among small SUVs, the Arona remains an appealing choice, thanks to precise handling, good practicality and affordable PCP finance deals. 

The engine range kicks off with a 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol, but we think it’s worth upgrading to the more powerful 108bhp 1.0-litre option, which doesn’t cost a lot more but brings welcome extra pulling power.

Our recommended SE Technology trim gets you an upgraded 9.2in infotainment system as well as rear parking sensors.

You have to put up with some dynamic compromises if you choose the Dacia Duster, but with a low starting price, plenty of kit and decent resale values, it still represents good value.

There’s also plenty of space inside the Duster – you can fit the same amount of luggage into its boot as you can in rivals which cost a lot more.

Our favourite engine is the 128bhp 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol (badged TCe 130) because it offers good mid-range pull and a pleasing briskness when you rev it out. 

There’s also a more powerful 1.3-litre petrol option, an entry level 1.0-litre petrol, a version of that engine which can run on petrol and cheaper natural gas (LPG) fuel, and a 1.5-litre diesel if you’re covering lots of miles.

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