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Best used luxury SUVs

A luxury SUV can make you feel like a millionaire, but if you follow the advice of this top 10 you won’t need a lottery win to afford one...

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by
Mark Pearson
Published25 April 2024

Used luxury SUVs

Whether you live in Chelsea or Chipping Norton, the chances are if you fancy yourself as one of the smart set and you've got a sizeable chunk of money burning a hole in your pocket you drive a luxury SUV

The good news for the rest of us is that fortunately, you don't need to have a huge income if you buy one used. So, to help you decide which model to go for, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 used luxury SUVs. 

Our list kicks off with the Audi Q7 — the best used luxury SUV you can buy — but read to see which other models should be on your shortlist.

Strengths

  • Smooth and powerful engines
  • Great ride on air suspension
  • Wonderful build quality

Weaknesses

  • Not as sharp to drive as some rivals
  • Plug-in hybrid loses seven-seat option
  • Expensive to run

The Audi Q7 has won multiple What Car? awards for the very reason that it is an impeccable family car, an excellent long-distance tourer and an outstanding luxury vehicle. Few cars this side of £100,000 have a plusher and quieter interior. It's reliable, too. Plus, you’ll get a much easier-to-operate infotainment system than the one found in later models and you'll be saving nearly half its original value, making a used Q7 an absolute bargain.

We found: 2019 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI S line, 58,000 miles, £28,500

Read our full used Audi Q7 review

Search for a used Audi Q7 for sale

Our pick: xDrive50e M Sport 5dr Auto

0-62mph: 4.8 sec
MPG/range: 313.9mpg
CO2 emissions: 20g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 500 litres
Insurance group: 49E

Strengths

  • Good to drive
  • Classy, well-designed interior
  • Class-leading electric-only range of the PHEV version

Weaknesses

  • Some models are expensive to run
  • Boot relatively small
  • Rivals have a more spacious third-row

The original BMW X5 rewrote the rule book on how big, tall and heavy SUVs should handle, and subsequent generations only added to its overall appeal. Now, this latest fourth-generation BMW X5 is a real class leader with a terrific ride and excellent refinement. Go for one of the excellent 3.0-litre diesels to get the best value used, or the plug-in hybrid model for its potential economy. 

We found: 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40d M Sport, 48,000 miles, £33,999

Read our full used BMW X5 review

Search for a used BMW X5 for sale

Our pick: T 5dr PDK

0-62mph: 6.2 sec
MPG/range: 28mpg
CO2 emissions: 229g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 488 litres
Insurance group: 44E

Strengths

  • Punchy performance
  • Superb handling
  • High-quality interior

Weaknesses

  • Rear seat space limited
  • Misses some safety kit
  • Expensive to buy and run

It might seem odd that the smaller sibling is so far ahead of the full-fat Porsche Cayenne in our top 10, but the Porsche Macan is an agile blast. It matches the Cayenne for luxury, and adds a whole extra dollop of driver enjoyment, thanks to it being smaller and lighter. It's not as spacious as some but it is more fun than most of them, and it's relatively good value used, too. It's also known to be rather reliable.  

We found: 2018 Porsche Macan S, 60,000 miles, £29,000

Read our full used Porsche Macan review

Search for a used Porsche Macan for sale

Our pick: 2.0 B5P [250] Core 5dr AWD Geartronic

0-62mph: 7.7 sec
MPG/range: 33.6mpg
CO2 emissions: 190g/km
Seats: 7
Boot: 302 litres
Insurance group: 36E

Strengths

  • Classy interior
  • Seven-seat versatility
  • Well equipped

Weaknesses

  • Ride slightly unsettled
  • Road and suspension noise
  • Audi Q7 is more refined

Here's another luxury SUV that’s practical, comes with loads of safety technology, has an interior that looks and feels wonderfully opulent, and can be found for very reasonable money. It doesn’t matter all that much which version you go for because all of the trim levels are very well equipped. You can pick up an early 2015 or 2016 car for as little as £25,000, but we'd spend a bit more and put a two or three-year-old low-mileage example on our driveway. 

We found: 2019 Volvo XC90 D5 Momentum Pro, 63,000 miles, £27,000

Read our full used Volvo XC90 review

Search for a used Volvo XC90 for sale

Our pick: xDrive40d MHT M Sport 5dr Step Auto

0-62mph: 5.9 sec
MPG/range: 36.2mpg
CO2 emissions: 205g/km
Seats: 7
Boot: 300 litres
Insurance group: 50E

Strengths

  • Class-leading refinement
  • Spacious interior
  • Comfortable ride

Weaknesses

  • Its size and weight can work against it
  • Noteworthy body lean in corners

The only thing bigger than the BMW X7’s gigantic front grille is the car itself, so if you’ve got a big budget for a used car and a big family, it should definitely be on your shortlist. As a bonus, the interior is as flashy as it is sturdy, and refinement is so impressive that someone in the third row can have a conversation with those up front without raising their voice.

We found: 2019 BMW X7 xDrive40d MHT, 55,000 miles, £51,950

Read our full used BMW X7 review

Search for a used BMW X7 for sale

Strengths

  • Comfortable ride
  • Very smooth and quiet
  • Spacious and luxurious interior

Weaknesses

  • Disappointing range
  • Fiddly infotainment system
  • BMW iX3 or Jaguar I-Pace is more fun to drive

Whether you choose the regular Audi E-tron or its coupé SUV sister the E-tron Sportback, or the later Audi Q8 e-tron, which effectively replaced this model, you'll be getting one of the quietest cruisers on the used car forecourts. What's more, the ride is comfortable and the interior lavish. It's excellent value, too, but just bear in mind that this is an electric car and the range between charges on the earlier cars is nothing special by modern standards.

We found: 2020 Audi E-tron 55 quattro Sport, 45,000 miles, £22,000

Read our full used Audi E-tron review

Search for a used Audi E-tron for sale

Strengths

  • Powerful engines
  • Sharp handling
  • Flexible rear seats

Weaknesses

  • Expensive to run
  • Stingy kit list
  • Firm ride

If the BMW X5 was the car to show the world how to make big SUVs handle like a well-sorted estate car, then the Porsche Cayenne was the one to make them feel like a sports car. Admittedly, its ride can be a bit firm, but the upside is that it can negotiate a country road far faster than any other off-roader. And it isn’t just quick in the corners; there’s a Turbo S version with 562bhp. We’d stick with the very impressive 3.0-litre diesel, mind. 

We found: 2019 Porsche Cayenne S 3.0 diesel Platinum, 51,500 miles, £39,995

Read our full used Porsche Cayenne review

Search for a used Porsche Cayenne for sale

 

Our pick: 300kW 55 Quattro 114kWh Sport 5dr Auto

0-62mph: 5.6 sec
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 569 litres
Insurance group: 49E

Strengths

  • Spacious interior
  • Fantastic build quality
  • Very quiet

Weaknesses

  • Limited engine choice
  • Expensive road tax
  • Fiddly infotainment system

These luxury SUVs aren't all about practicality; the plush Audi Q8 gives buyers in this class a more rakish shape at the expense of some interior space. It's also well equipped and rides well. It even shares components with the high-performance Lamborghini Urus, so the handling is pretty decent, plus the 3.0-litre diesel engine in the 50 TDI is very swift indeed. 

We found: 2019 Audi Q8 50 TDI Vorsprung, 45,000 miles, £35,000

Read our full used Audi Q8 review

Search for a used Audi Q8 for sale

Our pick: 4.0 V8 S 5dr Auto

0-62mph: 4.5 sec
MPG/range: 21.7mpg
CO2 emissions: 294g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 484 litres
Insurance group: N

Strengths

  • Luxurious interior
  • Strong performance
  • Well equipped

Weaknesses

  • Hugely expensive
  • High running costs
  • Only average interior space

The Bentayga is about as subtle as a Kardashian shopping in a Co-op. The short-lived 4.0-litre diesel V8 is the most economical engine, and we've highlighted one we found in our classifieds below, but the more numerous version is the 6.0 W12. Being a Bentley, the Bentayga is the priciest entrant on this list, but most were ordered with a considerable list of expensive options, making them better value than they first appear. 

We found: 2017 Bentley Bentayga V8, 59,000 miles, £75,995

Read our full used Bentley Bentayga review

Search for a used Bentley Bentayga for sale

Our pick: 294kW EV400 R-Dynamic SE Black 90kWh 5dr Auto

0-62mph: 4.8 sec
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 505 litres
Insurance group: 50E

Strengths

  • Good range
  • Entertaining handling
  • Futuristic looks

Weaknesses

  • Road noise
  • Poor rear visibility
  • Reliability is an issue

The Jaguar I-Pace was one of the first all-electric luxury cars. It was fun to drive and had a long range, travelling for more than 250 miles on a charge in real-world conditions. What's more, it's still a fast car and has the brand's classiest interior to date. There are electric car rivals that can be charged at a faster rate, and there are more reliable choices, but the I-Pace is still a very appealing used choice.

We found: 2019 Jaguar I-Pace EV400 S, 40,000 miles, £18,995

Read our full used Jaguar I-Pace review

Search for a used Jaguar I-Pace for sale


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