Best used SUVs for less than £25,000 (and ones to avoid)

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 features a 58kWh battery and an official range of 256 miles. For not much more on the used car forecourt, there's an 80 version that can travel 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

Search for a used Skoda Enyaq for sale

 

The Volvo XC40 mixes style, space and comfort with cutting-edge safety.

It's a highly desirable used choice, a car that oozes style both inside and out. It's a smooth and hushed performer, too, with a low level of wind and road noise, helping to make the interior a noticeably refined place in which to spend time.

When it comes to interior quality, the XC40 is exceptionally classy. All the surfaces feel suitably upmarket, thanks to plush, soft-faced materials, and everything feels robust, too.

So, the XC40 might not be the youngest car here, but it's still a mightily good one. It's reliable, too, if its results in our latest reliability survey are anything to go by. Prices start at just £12,000 for an early one, but we'd spend more on one of the later models if you can afford to. Check out the full range of Volvo XC40s on our used car classifieds site here. 

"For a family SUV, I thought the XC40 felt like it had quite a low centre of gravity, helping it corner well but without the need for super stiff, ride-damaging suspension to control its body movements." – George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2022 Volvo XC40 T3 Momentum, 31,100 miles, £18,950

Read our used Volvo XC40 review

Search for a used Volvo XC40 for sale

 

 

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

Search for a used Peugeot 5008 for sale

 

The Kia Sportage understands and delivers on what families demand from a mid-sized SUV.

Passengers of all ages and 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 configuration. The Sportage also has a lofty driving position that gives you a great view ahead.

There are fuel-sipping hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions available, but even the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol model is a good performer, offering affordable running costs and strong performance.

Running costs and parts costs are very reasonable. The seven-year warranty is fully transferable, and reliability is looking good. If you're looking for the 2026 version of that original Nissan Qashqai, this is probably it. 

Prices for this latest generation of Sportage start at around £14,000 for a 2022 model. Expect to pay around £15,000 to £20,000 on a good one from 2022 or 2023, a little more than £20,000 for a 2024 or later model. Check out all the prices on our used car classifieds site here. 

"The Sportage can cater for my family of four and, what's more, I'm left with space and practicality to spare." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi 3, 41,766 miles, £19,514 

Read our full used Kia Sportage review

Search for a used Kia Sportage for sale

 

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, we think none of them do it as well as the Hyundai Tucson. 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. Few cars in this price range feel so plush inside. It's smart-looking, handles well, and it should come with the residue of its generous five-year-from-new warranty. Not that you should need it, hopefully, because its reliability record is very good. 

The Tucson can now be had easily within our budget, too, such that you should pick up a 2024 nearly new car for £20,000. That's cheaper age-for-age than nearly every car here, and especially its closely related sibling, the Kia Sportage. 

"The Tucson feels quite classy inside – the recent facelift has made the interior noticeably more modern – and you can't argue with the space on offer. I like the looks, and I like driving it. " – Oliver Young, reviewer

We found 2024 Hyundai Tucson 1.6 GDi SE Connect, 16,000 miles, £19,950

Read our used Hyundai Tucson review

Search for a used Hyundai Tucson for sale

 

---

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

If you're after a really premium-feeling, upmarket SUV with a spacious and classy interior, look no further than the BMW X3.

This plush SUV is a great used buy – it's good to drive, beautifully finished inside and refreshingly comfortable to ride in. There's plenty of space inside for a family to lounge, and you'll find a slick, class-leading infotainment system here, too. There's also plenty of other desirable tech, to go along with its more practical elements.

If prices weren't higher age-for-age than some of the other cars in this list, it would have finished even higher. However, reliability is looking good, and residual values are strong, so running costs should be manageable. 

"All the driver appeal of the smaller and more agile BMWs wrapped up in a highly practical package. This is one of my favourite SUVs." - Oliver Young, used cars reporter

We found: 2022 BMW X3 2.0 30e SE, 52,000 miles, £25,000

Read our full used BMW X3 review

Search for a used BMW X3 for sale 

 

Land Rover knows a thing or two about building luxurious SUVs, and the Range Rover Sport is a prime example of the firm’s expertise.

Like the full-size Range Rover, you get a high driving position that gives you a great view of the road. And yet, the centre console is raised to give it a slightly sportier feel. The ride is also smooth and supple, making it the ideal companion for long journeys.

Our favourite version is the entry-level engine, the D300 diesel, because it blends impressively punchy performance with silken refinement. Indeed, its 296bhp is officially enough to get you to 62mph in 6.6sec, and that feels plenty quick enough despite being the least powerful option in the line-up. Every Range Rover Sport feels stable and relatively agile, but the BMW X5 offers even more grip through corners. 

Even taller passengers won't struggle for space in the rear seats, but unlike older Range Rover Sports, the latest model only has room for five – if you want a seven-seat Range Rover, you'll need to spend more on its bigger brother.

For years, reliability has been an issue with Land Rover products, making it difficult for us to recommend them as used buys. However, in our most recent reliability survey, the Range Rover Sport finished in third place out of 16 cars in the luxury car class with a good overall score of 94.9%. 

This generation of Range Rover Sport goes all the way back to 2103, so you'll find plenty of high-mileage cars that look wonderfully cheap, with prices starting at around £15,000. However, we'd always recommend going for a car with an average mileage for the year, and the newer the better. One of the last 2021 cars will set you back around £28,000, which is good value for something that was expensive new. 

“I found that my holiday luggage fit with ease inside the Range Rover Sport's boot – and even better, there's no penalty in terms of space if you go for the plug-in hybrid model.” – George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2021 Range Rover Sport P400e, 55,000 miles, £25,000

Read our full used Range Rover Sport review

Search for a used Range Rover Sport for sale

 

A consummate all-rounder like this seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq may not stand out from the crowd visually, especially when compared with the distinctive Peugeot 5008 and one or two of the others on our list here, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't put one on your driveway.

It's a classy and highly capable car that's good to drive and comfortable to ride in. It's got a large interior and seven good seats, and on top of that, there's a huge boot.

Buy one used and you can make big savings, which only adds to the appeal of this likeable and practical Skoda. It's proving to be reliable, too, with good results in our most recent reliability survey. 

"This is one big bear of a car, highly practical and one that has enough character that your kids will probably give it a name." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2020 Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 TSI SE (7 Seat), 38,000 miles, £17,270

Read our full used Skoda Kodiaq review

Search for a used Skoda Kodiaq for sale

 

The Range Rover Evoque was a trendsetter when it arrived in 2012, and it continues to be a very popular choice in this second-generation version.

You can opt for plug-in hybrid power in the Evoque, or a traditional petrol or diesel engine – the latter being especially useful if you plan on towing a caravan. But whichever you choose, ride comfort impresses, and the Evoque can take you farther off the beaten track than the rival Audi Q3 and BMW X1.

The Evoque is quiet, comfortable and economical. The driving experience is terrific on-road and even pretty good for some light off-road paddling. It's a stylish, compelling and great value choice with a terrific interior that oozes class.

Only its questionable reliability in our previous reliability surveys, and Land Rover's poor performance as a brand, have pushed it out of contention, but in recent years, its reliability record has improved considerably, making it something we can once again recommend (see our latest What Car? Reliability Survey).

"Leather might be associated with Range Rovers these days, but the original 1970 car actually had fabric upholstery, and the Evoque harks back to those days by giving you the option of plush wool seats." – Steve Huntingford, Editor

We found 2021 Range Rover Evoque D165 R-Dynamic S, 49,000 miles, £18,995

Read our used Range Rover Evoque review

Search for a used Range Rover Evoque for sale

 

The Volvo XC90 is a luxury SUV that combines everyday practicality with top-tier safety tech and a very luxurious interior.

It's comfortable, too, and spacious, with plenty of room for seven. It doesn’t matter all that much which trim you go for, because all of them are very well equipped.

We would recommend going for one of the D5 or B5 diesels, though; we've heard reports of poor reliability (and big repair bills) on early T8 plug-in hybrid cars. That's one of the reasons it finishes at the bottom of our list rather than up at the top. 

The XC90 has been on sale for many years now, and, although its residual values have always been strong, there are now some cheap cars to be had, with used prices starting from less than £18,000. Check out the full list of XC90s for sale and plot prices against age on our used car classifieds site here. 

"If you love that Volvo feel, and I do, you'll love the XC90. It's like spending the afternoon driving round in the World of Leather showroom." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2019 Volvo XC90 D5 Momentum Pro, 51,000 miles, £25,063

Read our full used Volvo XC90 review

Search for a used Volvo XC90 for sale