You can put a practical and desirable family SUV on your driveway for less than £10,000 if you buy used, but which one should you choose? Here are our top 10 favourites.....
Thanks to the popularity of family SUVs there’s now more choice than ever on the second-hand car market, even if your budget is limited to a maximum of just £10,000.
But with so much on offer, which ones should you go for? To help you decide, we’ve collated a list of our top 10 favourites. We’ve even linked them to our used cars classified site so if you’re tempted by one of our 10 you could actually put it on your driveway.
The MG ZS has many strengths, including its relatively classy interior, decent handling and roomy rear seats. It’s available from new with a choice of two petrol engines, a 1.0-litre and a 1.5, and you should be able to find an early example of either for our budget now. Safety ratings are only average and some rivals are more practical but there’s plenty to like here.
We found: 2018 MG ZS 1.5 VTi Excite, 20,000 miles, £9995
Another good family SUV choice and one that shouldn’t misbehave is the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross because it comes with an excellent reliability record. Go for an SZ4 model like we have and you’ll get everything you’ll need, plus a perky 1.0-litre turbocharged engine that certainly doesn’t have a drinking problem. It’s understated and overlooked but definitely worth a gander.
We found: 2018 Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.0 Boosterjet SZ4, 53,000 miles, £9999
The Volkswagen Tiguan is one of the most sophisticated choices on this list and it still holds up well dynamically against its rivals, despite our money only buying you the previous generation car. Look for an example in Match trim, because this adds a number of worthwhile extras such as auto lights and wipers, dual-zone climate control, and front and rear parking sensors. It would have come higher in this list were it not for its age.
We found: 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI Match, 51,000 miles, £8500
Speaking of good fuel economy, diesel versions of the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai can embarrass much smaller cars when it comes to efficiency. Mid-range Acenta examples are the ones to go for because you get dual-zone climate control, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, along with Bluetooth connectivity. Reliability can be an issue, though.
We found: 2017 Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Acenta, 38,000 miles, £9999
Despite being essentially the same underneath as the aforementioned Qashqai, the Renault Kadjar is a fraction more practical than its sibling thanks to its bigger boot. Fuel efficiency is slightly better if you go for the diesel, but we’d suggest you go for the entry-level petrol that’s much more refined.
We found: 2017 Renault Kadjar 1.2 TCe Dynamique Nav, 30,000 miles, £8995
Some people just want a no-nonsense car to see them through, and the latest Dacia Duster delivers on that promise and more. You can get into an entry-level example of the much improved latest model for our budget, and it’ll have below-average mileage too. Plus, it isn’t as basic as you might expect – this one even has a stereo and air-con thrown in.
We found: 2019 Dacia Duster 1.6 SCe Essential, 21,000 miles, £9500
The much-loved Skoda Yeti is an excellent family SUV; its only real downside is that its infotainment technology is a little dated now compared with more modern rivals. The Yeti isn’t the biggest SUV on the outside, but thanks to its boxy exterior it’s remarkably roomy inside, and versatile seating makes the most of that space. It’s chunky, still funky and remarkably practical.
We found: 2017 Skoda Yeti Outdoor 1.2 TSI Elegance, 30,000 miles, £8550
You could apply the Ronseal tagline of ‘Does exactly what it says on the tin’ to the Hyundai Tucson because it gives you everything you’d expect of a family SUV: lots of space, plenty of equipment and an easy drive. Go for a front-wheel-drive 1.7-litre diesel over a four-wheel-drive 2.0-litre and it’ll be inexpensive to buy and to run.
We found: 2017 Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDi SE Nav, 40,000 miles, £9495
Compared with the Tuscon it is closely related to, you can get a slightly newer Kia Sportage within our budget, and that – coupled with its longer (seven years from new as opposed to five) manufacturer’s warranty – gives it the edge, because if you shop around you might find one with some warranty left. It was a popular new choice too, so there are loads of examples out there to pick from.
We found: 2017 Kia Sportage 1.6 GDi ISG 2, 18,000 miles, £9995
You’ll have to shop around, but early examples of the award-winning Seat Ateca are just starting to fall into the sub-£10k category, giving buyers yet another reason to go for this great family SUV. Even the base 1.0-litre petrol is remarkably capable, and the Ateca drives far better than everything on this list. What’s more, it is incredibly practical with a huge boot that’s perfect for family life.
We found: 2017 Seat Ateca 1.0 TSI SE, 50,000 miles, £9999