Best used small SUVs (and one to avoid)
Small SUVs are some of the most popular new and used cars in the UK right now. Here are our top 10 used picks of the bunch...
How long does a trend last? Is there a set time limit? Well, if there is, the immense popularity of small SUVs has likely surpassed it, so maybe it's time to stop calling it a trend and just concede that it's the norm. The Nissan Qashqai (though a family SUV by our class system) is largely considered to have kicked off the craze and that car first appeared in 2006.
So, the demand for high driving positions and butch, big-car styling (despite most being similar in size to traditional small cars) is as strong as ever and there are plenty of options to choose from, especially used. It can be overwhelming, but we've put together this list of the top 10 best used options to take the edge off. What's more, all of these cars are easy to find via our used cars for sale pages.
Kicking things off, the very best small SUV is the Ford Puma.
Strengths
- Excellent to drive
- Practical, flexible boot
- Quick and economical
Weaknesses
- Passenger space isn’t outstanding
- Reliability isn’t rock-solid
- Visibility could be better
The Ford Puma was an instant success, earning our overall What Car? Car of the Year award and becoming one of the best-selling cars in Britain soon after its release. The recipe is simply brilliant, though. You take the tried-and-tested Ford Fiesta as the basis, retain the class-leading, super-sharp driving experience and add a higher driving position and welcomed layer of practicality.
You can fit six carry-on-sized suitcases in the Puma's main boot compartment – that's one more than the Fiesta can manage. The Puma has a trick up its sleeve, though: if you lift up its 'false' boot floor, you’ll find a large well underneath that can swallow two more cases.
Due to its popularity when new, there are plenty of Pumas on the used market, plus used prices are very reasonable. Running costs are reasonable, too, thanks in part to good fuel economy.
We found: 2022 Ford Puma 1.0T Ecoboost MHEV Titanium, 38,270 miles, £13,095
Read our full used Ford Puma review
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Our pick: 1.0 TSI 115 SE Technology 5dr DSG
Strengths
- Good ride comfort on standard suspension
- Big boot for class
- Excellent 1.0-litre petrol
Weaknesses
- Average interior quality
- Reliability could be better
- Some road noise
The Seat Arona of the very best small SUVs you can buy used, thanks to its roomy interior, a comfortable ride and perky petrol engines. And like the Puma borrows parts from the Fiesta, the Arona's DNA is shared with the Seat Ibiza – a small car that's a very composed and capable handler, even if it doesn't quite reach Fiesta heights of fun.
Indeed, if what you want above all is that your small SUV drives well, this is another good one to choose. Thanks to its compact size and relatively light weight, the Arona has decent performance and can tackle corners with enthusiasm.
We found: 2022 Seat Arona 1.0 TSI SE Technology, 14,920 miles, £12,050
Read our full used Seat Arona review
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Our pick: 35 TFSI Sport 5dr
Strengths
- Classy and user-friendly interior
- Tidy handling
- Excellent infotainment
Weaknesses
- Not as spacious as rivals
- Firm ride
- Four-wheel drive reserved for top models
- Reliability mixed
The Audi Q2 is the car that proves that small doesn’t necessarily mean cheap, because it essentially takes all the good qualities of larger Audis and wraps them up in a compact, stylish package. It has bold, chunky styling on the outside and a well-finished, sporty interior inside. It has tidy handling too.
It may be a bit more expensive to buy than your average car in this class, but the Q2 remains great value. In other words, this premium small SUV is worth the premium price.
We found: 2022 Audi Q2 1.0 TFSI 30 Technik, 33,305 miles, £17,799
Read our full used Audi Q2 review
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Strengths
- Comfortable ride
- Impressive safety
- Good boot by class standards
Weaknesses
- Low-rent interior on earlier cars
- Only top spec gets sat-nav
- Lumbar support is an option
- Reliability mixed
Stick to the cheaper engines and trims, and the VW T-Roc is an even better buy than the rival Skoda Kamiq and the VW T-Cross. 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. Later models have a much-improved interior, with soft materials and bright plastic finishes where you’d want them.
We found: 2022 Volkswagen T-Roc 1.0 TSI Design, 38,495 miles, £17,399
Read our full used VW T-Roc review
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Strengths
- Remarkably roomy interior and large boot
- Better-finished inside than many of its rivals
- Comfortable ride
Weaknesses
- No sliding or reclining rear seats
- Not especially well equipped
- Other small SUVs have a higher driving position
- Reliability mixed
In contrast to the Cross and T-Roc, the Skoda Kamiq sits 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 little SUV that makes for a great used buy, with a supple, well-controlled ride and a remarkably spacious interior. The interior feels classier than that of the T-Cross, too.
If you’ll mainly be driving in town, then the entry-level 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is peppy enough and the cheapest on the used car forecourt.
We found: 2022 Skoda Kamiq 1.0 TSI SE, 39,034 miles, £13,106
Read our full used Skoda Kamiq review
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Our pick: 1.0 TSI Match 5dr
Strengths
- Spacious, flexible interior
- Impressive for safety
- Good to drive
Weaknesses
- The older T-Roc is still a superior purchase
- Interior is hardly plush
- SEL and R-Line trims don't offer good value for money
The Volkswagen T-Cross is comfortable and easy to drive, and surprisingly roomy, too. A couple of six-footers will have plenty of space in the back, and, if you slide the rear bench forwards, there’s almost as much boot space as in some larger family SUVs. Despite that, the T-Cross’s compact dimensions make it easy to handle in town. The T-Cross also comes loaded with safety kit.
We found: 2022 Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI SEL, 44,248 miles, £14,800
Read our full used VW T-Cross review
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Our pick: 1.4 Boosterjet 48V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr
Strengths
- Good driving manners
- Spacious and practical interior
- Well equipped
- Reliability
Weaknesses
- High emissions on some petrol models
- Diesel engines can be noisy
- Some of the trim feels flimsy
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 you can pick up a good 2022 car for less than £15,000.
We found: 2022 Suzuki Vitara 1.4 Boosterjet MHEV SZ-T, 31,253 miles, £13,998
Read our full used Suzuki Vitara review
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Strengths
- Neat handling
- Strong engines
- Luxurious interior and large boot
- Reliability
Weaknesses
- Firm ride
- Average rear space
- There are larger SUVs available for similar money
Few small SUVs bank on retro style, but the Mini Countryman is one of them. The model pulls it off, too, thanks to its looks being met with a plush interior and good performance. Moreover, there's a variety of engines to choose from, including a plug-in hybrid version. All of this does demand a premium, but again, it's fairly reasonable given the luxury.
We found: 2022 Mini Countryman 1.5 Cooper Classic, 21,000 miles, £19,749
Read our full used Mini Countryman review
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Our pick: 1.2 Dualjet 12V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr
Strengths
- Spacious for a city car
- Most models well equipped
- Agile in corners
- Top-notch reliability
Weaknesses
- Jiggly ride quality
- Vague steering
- Fiddly touchscreen system
A bit of a wildcard, this: the little Suzuki Ignis is about as small as SUVs come, resembling a city car in most measurements. That has its advantages, though. The Ignis is easy to manoeuvre around town, great on fuel and it goes for relatively cheap money – it's certainly more affordable to buy (and run) than many small SUV rivals. It's pretty practical for such a small car, too, thanks in part to sliding and reclining rear seats.
We found: 2022 Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dueljet SZ3, 14,500 miles, £11,490
Read our full used Suzuki Ignis review
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Our pick: 1.0 TCE 90 Techno 5dr
Strengths
- Well equipped
- Affordable to buy and run
- Sliding rear seats are standard from new
Weaknesses
- Engines are relatively weak
- Rivals have more rear seat space
- E-Tech PHEV is disappointing to drive
The Renault Captur fails to blow any class leaders out of the water in any area, but it's a comprehensively good package and a reasonably priced one at that. It delivers on what many buyers want from their small SUV, too. You sit noticeably higher up than you would in a regular hatchback, for instance. You also have handy, sliding rear bench and a good-sized boot. It's just nothing special to drive, unfortunately, plus a fair few rivals have punchier, more varied engine ranges.
We found: 2022 Renault Captur 1.0 TCe Iconic, 41,586 miles, £12,000
Read our full used Renault Captur review
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That's right, the car maker behind our favourite used small SUV is also responsible for one of the worst small SUVs of recent times. Like the Puma, the Ford Ecosport is Fiesta-based, but it's somehow devoid of that car's strengths. It's disappointing to drive, wit... Read our review