Used Car of the Year Awards: SUVs
With living costs on the rise, getting a good deal on your next car is more important than ever. That's where our Used Car Awards come in. These are our favourite SUVs...
Volvo XC40
Price from £16,000 Our pick T3 R-Design
The success of the original Nissan Qashqai may have prompted a long line of imitators that took the basic formula and (in some cases) improved on it, but what was missing for years was a family-friendly SUV that offered all the refinement and quality of a larger, more expensive car, wrapped up in a modern, chic design. That need was met in 2018 with the arrival of the Volvo XC40.
Of course, there were already other family SUVs that did specific things just as well, but the XC40 was the supreme all-rounder. We were so impressed that we named it our Car of the Year that year. Buyers liked it, too, and its popularity
means there are now plenty of good used examples to choose from. Initially, both petrol and diesel engines were offered. Post-2020 models dropped the diesels but added mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology to the petrol line up, as well as a fully electric version. It’s in any of its petrol forms that the XC40’s refinement shines, though, and it’s this overall sophistication. that ultimately gave it the edge over other shortlisted contenders such as the Ford Puma
and Kia Sportage this year.
The interior is as stylish as the exterior. It’s well designed and solidly constructed, with swathes of plush, soft-touch materials; it’s a step up from rivals such as the BMW X1 and Mini Countryman. There’s plenty of space inside, plus a capacious, easily accessible boot with a usefully square shape.
As you’d expect from a Volvo, there’s a suite of safety equipment, while the XC40’s reliability record is excellent. In the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, it ranked seventh out of 48 models in the family SUV class with an impressive overall rating of 97%.
To seal the deal, the XC40 is terrific value, with petrol examples being cheaper than diesels. You can buy an early T3 petrol in our preferred R-Design trim for just £16,000. That’s less than you’ll pay for an equivalent BMW X1, Range Rover Evoque or Volkswagen Tiguan. The sweet spot for us would be a 2021 car for around £18,000, which is remarkably good value for something so suave and polished.
Also consider...
Best for value
Ford Puma (2019-present)
Price from £10,000 Our pick 1.0 Ecoboost 155 mHEV ST-Line
The Ford Puma is another former What Car? Car of the Year, scooping the title in 2020. Not only is it much more fun
to drive than rivals such as the Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq, but it’s also family-friendly, with plenty of room inside and a bigger boot than nearly all of its rivals.
Running costs are reasonable, thanks to the Puma’s gutsy yet fuel-efficient engines, while its reliability record is commendable. And because it’s been such a huge sales success, there are now plenty of Pumas on the used market. Prices start at just £10,000, making it something of a bargain and a terrific used buy for those on a budget. It’s much cheaper than an Audi Q2, Seat Ateca or Volkswagen T-Roc of the same age. True, the Puma isn’t as comfy or classy inside as the Volvo XC40, but it’s the SUV to go for if money is tight.
Read our full used Ford Puma review >>
Find a used Ford Puma for sale >>
Best nearly new buy
Kia Sportage (2022-present)
Price from £19,000 Our pick 1.6 T-GDi 3
The fact that this generation of the Kia Sportage is relatively new means you can’t pick up used examples as cheaply as older (yet more refined) Volvo XC40s yet, but it’s still great value at a year or two old. The Sportage’s smart-looking and solidly built interior beats those of rivals such as the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq for quality. It’s immensely practical, too; passengers can stretch out comfortably in the back seats, and the boot is bigger than those of the Nissan
Qashqai and Karoq.
You can put a 2023 example on your driveway now for around £21,000 – a great saving on the price of a new one and less than you’d pay for an equivalent Hyundai Tucson or Volkswagen Tiguan. It’ll still have the majority of its long, transferable warranty left, while the Sportage’s 96% rating in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey is testament to its dependability.
Read our full used Kia Sportage review >>
Find a used Kia Sportage for sale >>
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