Used Vauxhall Crossland X 2017-present review

The trend for small SUVs is big at the moment. They’re popular because they have similar running costs to that of a family car, yet have the desirable look of an off-roader. Manufacturers cannot build them fast enough; that's why Vauxhall brought out the Crossland X, a small SUV that seats five, has a jacked up ride height but doesn’t have a complicated four-wheel drive system that saps fuel.

Alternatives in this growing market include the Nissan Juke with its quirky styling, the practical Renault Captur, the sporty Mazda CX-3 and the reliable Suzuki Vitara.

The engine range consists of a 1.2-litre petrol (with or without a turbo) and a 1.6 diesel with either 98bhp or 118bhp. The entry-level 80bhp petrol doesn’t have a turbo and therefore can struggle moving the Crossland X around. The turbocharged 108bhp and 128bhp 1.2 versions are preferable. The diesel engines are better on fuel, but they’re not as refined as their petrol counterparts.

To drive, the Crossland X is certainly not the driver’s choice. There’s plenty of body roll, the ride fidgets over small imperfections, even at higher speeds, and potholes send a noticeable thump through the car. Road noise and wind noise are also present at motorway speeds, so the Crossland X isn’t the best long-distance cruiser. The steering is light, though, so town driving is easy.

Inside, there are lots of hard plastic surfaces across the doors and centre console. The dashtop is treated to some soft-touch plastics; that's more than in some of its rivals. You also get quite a lot of kit, with all models featuring dual-zone climate control, cruise control, hill start assist, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition. However, the feeling of luxury is undone somewhat by major touch points such as the indicator and wiper stalks, which feel cheap and flimsy.

Vauxhall does equip every Crossland X with its OnStar service. This brings online connectivity, a 4G wi-fi hotspot and a connection to its dedicated call centre. This service is free for 12 months when the car is new, but you can extend it for an annual fee.

Prices for a Vauxhall Crossland X at the time of writing start at £11,500 for a 2017 1.2-litre SE version but, since this is a fairly new model, prices are still changing relatively rapidly. To keep up to date with used Crossland X prices, use our free valuation tool to make sure you are getting the best deal.

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Fuel economy compares favourably with the figures of the Crossland X’s rivals, despite most models having only a five-speed manual gearbox.

The entry-level 80bhp petrol model has a combined figure of 55.4mpg, but the 108bhp 1.2 turbo petrol does better with 60.1mpg. The 128bhp version of that engine, reserved for higher-spec versions, isn’t quite as good at 55.4mpg.

The diesels should go further between fill-ups because the 98bhp unit has a combined average of 78.5mpg and the 118bhp engine gets 70.6mpg.

All models will set you back £140 per year to tax and servicing costs are very competitive. Insurance is on a par with rivals, too. There's one thing to consider, though; if you want to keep the benefit of OnStar and on-board wi-fi so you and your passengers can conserve mobile data, it’ll set you back a yearly fee that, at the time of writing, is £89.50.

If you do lots of miles and you really need a diesel, then we’d suggest going for the 118bhp 1.6 diesel because it has more low-down grunt than the 98bhp version. But, on the whole, the 108bhp 1.2 turbo petrol is flexible and economical enough to make it our engine of choice.

SE Nav features all the standard kit of SE trim, but includes a larger 8.0in colour touchscreen and sat-nav. However, if you go for Tech Line Nav, you get rear parking sensors and a height-adjustable boot floor to remove the annoying load lip. This improves the practicality of the car and makes it our favourite version of the Crossland X.

Our favourite Vauxhall Crossland X 1.2T 110 Tech Line Nav

Sadly for the Vauxhall Crossland X, there’s some very accomplished competition out there.

The Mazda CX-3 would be the one to go for if you value handling in your small SUV. It comes at the expense of ride quality, but there isn’t anything this side of a BMW X1 that can beat it.

The Suzuki Vitara also drives well and adds a bit more practicality to the mix. You will find the interior plastics a bit worse than in the Crossland X, but the Vitara is reliable, coming near the top of the small SUV category in our most recent survey.

The Renault Captur is impressively refined for a car of its type, comes with plenty of standard equipment and you have the benefit of sliding rear seats to either increase boot space or passenger comfort.

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