The best bargain used SUVs

And you can find one to suit every budget on the used market. Here’s our pick of the best SUV bargains out there, including those which can travel into ULEZ charging zones without the need to pay extra. The list is arranged alphabetically.

For half the price of the most basic new Audi Q7, you could be driving a used version of this current generation. £20,000 will net you a 2015 model with slightly higher than average miles, but given the Q7’s granite-like build quality this is not something to worry about. The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel is the most commonly found model and it’s exempt from ultra-low emissions zone payments thanks to it meeting Euro 6 regulations.

Inside, the Q7 offers masses of space with the option of seven seat capacity, and refinement is top drawer. The only drawback is the Audi is not as sharp to drive as a BMW X5, but that’s not a major concern when a private number plate will have the neighbours convinced it’s brand new.

A relatively short five-year lifespan for the third-generation X5 introduced in 2013 narrows your hunting ground slightly, but you can easily find these cars from £15,000. For that sum, you can pick between the 2.0- and 3.0-litre diesel model, both exempt from ULEZ charges courtesy of their Euro 6 emissions ratings.

What you get for this sort of money is a handsome, large SUV with plenty of space, equipment, and high grade build quality. The X5 is also among the best to drive in its class, though M Sport models have a ride that tends towards the very firm on grizzly road surfaces.

For less than £3000, you could be driving one of the most distinctive SUVs out there in the shape of a Dodge Nitro. Granted, there are caveats such as the Nitro’s mediocre on-road handling and only the thirsty 3.7-litre V6 model gets past ULEZ charging. However, if you need a sturdy, off-road able SUV, the Dodge is a funky alternative to a Land Rover Freelander.

Introduced in 2007, the Nitro’s bold looks are a big part of the appeal. The 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine is a solid workhorse of a motor, which makes the Dodge an intriguing alternative to a battered pick-up for anyone needing a useful, capable, affordable 4x4.

Introduced in 2016, the Ford Edge had a short life in the sales charts as it disappeared in 2019. However, there’s a good number for sale and for anyone who doesn’t need the added practicality of seven seats, the Edge is a sound choice. From £13,000, you can find tidy examples of this well-equipped five-seat SUV.

All Edges are exempt from ULEZ charges and the diesel engines are hushed. The drive is not Ford’s most engaging effort and the cabin doesn’t feel quite up to the same standard as the latest Kuga’s, but comfort is a big part of the appeal of this spacious SUV.

There’s a small irony in a car seen as one of the most conspicuous emblems of motoring consumption is also exempt from ULEZ charges. Welcome to the wacky world of Hummer H3 ownership, then, as this 3.7-litre V6 petrol-powered beasty sidesteps this charge while looking like it’s escaped from a Transformers film set.

The H3 is big and unwieldy in town, so it’s better as a car for the open road, where you might see more than 20mpg combined economy. The bargain bit with the Hummer is, once you’ve bought one from around £12,500, it simply won’t lose value as there are so few around and there’s a small but keen following for them.

Always big on value, the Hyundai Santa Fe is rightly very popular with families as a hugely versatile, comfortable SUV with the option of seven seats. With prices from £6,000 for cars from early in this model’s life that was launched in 2013, you can have a generously kitted out car with mid-40s combined economy and a smooth driving experience.

For anyone venturing into an ULEZ zone, you’ll need to spend from around £13,00 for a 2016-on Santa Fe with the Euro 6-compliant diesel engine and average miles for the year.

Finding an Infiniti QX70 will be the biggest hurdle to ownership of this short-lived SUV. On sale between 2013 and 2018, it tried to rival the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Macan, and the petrol 3.7 V6 and 5.0 V8 models offered similar pace. However, almost every new customer for a QX70 chose the far more economical 3.0 V6 turbodiesel, which is not allowed in ULEZ zones without paying a charge.

If that’s not an issue for you, the QX70 provides a vast amount of equipment in its cabin, as well as strong performance from the diesel engine. Fuel economy is on a par with similarly powered rivals. Prices from £11,000.

SUVs don’t come much more full-sized than the Jeep Commander. Launched in 2006, it pitched itself as an alternative to the Land Rover Discovery and came with seven seats as standard. The third row is a bit cramped, but the Commander has other virtues such as its impressive equipment count and off-road prowess.

If you want to avoid ULEZ charges, you’ll need the fuel-hungry 5.7-litre V8 model. For anyone else, the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel makes much more sense and you can find this with surprisingly low mileages from £5000.

Kia took the Sportage from frumpy to funky with the third-generation model that arrived in 2010. Sharp looks were matched by a well-made, comfortable and roomy cabin, allied to a decent drive and plenty of standard kit in every trim level. Choose one of the higher grade models and it was positively opulent compared to most rivals.

An early Sportage of this generation can be yours from £3000 for one with around 100,000 miles on the clock. That gets you either the more frugal 1.7-litre diesel engine or a choice of 1.6- and 2.0-litre petrols, which are the ones to have if you regularly drive into a ULEZ area as both are exempt.

High mileage Land Rover Freelander 2s cost from around £3000 in good working order, but one with less than 100,000 miles will cost around twice that. For the money, you get a very comfortable ride and roomy cabin, albeit with only five seats instead of the option of seven like some rivals.

As a car for country folk, the Freelander 2 continues to make sense thanks to its excellent ability on rough tracks and for towing. However, only the thirsty 3.2-litre six-cylinder model avoids paying any ULEZ charges. Even so, for the money, the Freelander 2 remains a hugely capable and good value 4x4.

If you don’t mind a higher mileage, a used Lexus RX300 could be yours from around £3000 and it will happily slip in and out of ULEZ charging areas without having to pay anything. The RX300’s petrol-electric hybrid set-up sees to this and also blesses the Lexus with a smooth, laid-back driving nature. The interior is very well made, so high mileage isn’t a concern here.

If you fancy something a bit newer, the later RX450h offers all the same virtues as the RX300 but with prices from around £11,000 for a car with less than 100,000 miles under its belt.

MG occupies the value for money segment with its new cars, and a used GS operates in the same area. Prices for good used examples start at less than £8,500 for one made in 2016 or 2017, while even late examples from 2019 with minimal miles come in at £8,500. For this sort of money, you get a generically handsome SUV with lots of standard kit and decent cabin space.

All GS models use a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine that is exempt from ULEZ charging and delivers decent economy and performance. The driving manners of the MG are nothing much to write home about, but it’s still very keen value for the money.

A half-price Maserati sounds like a very tempting offer and that’s just what you get if you go used rather than new with the Italian firm’s Levante. From half the £60,000 price tag for a new Levante, you could have a 2016 model that looks identical and has around 40,000 miles on the clock. This gets you one from a reputable independent dealer with the 3.0 V6 turbodiesel engine, which gives strong performance and near-40mpg combined economy.

For those who would rather go down the petrol route, reckon on spending a further £5000 for a Levante of the same age and mileage to a diesel. Happily, both versions are ULEZ-exempt.

Try to find a more engaging, copiously well equipped, and quick SUV for less than £3000 and we reckon you won’t better the Mazda CX-7. It ticks almost all of the boxes, with the only downside being the 256bhp 2.3-litre turbo petrol engine can only manage a combined economy of 27.7mpg. It is, however, exempt from ULEZ charging.

Opt for the CX-7 in diesel form and you will be liable for any ULEZ payments, but that’s offset by its superior fuel economy that delivers an extra 10 miles of driving for every gallon consumed.

The 2006 GL was Mercedes tilt at the Range Rover, and it did a very good job of taking on the luxury Brit while offering an extra row of seats so it could carry seven people. Most were powered by the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine, which is reliable but can suffer from oil leak that is pricey to put right. This motor won’t let you travel into ULEZ areas free of charge, but you can if you find a GL with either the petrol 3.0 V6 or 5.5 V8, though neither is gentle when it comes fuel economy.

Prices start at £5000 for the diesel GL or £12,000 for the petrol, both with less than 100,000 miles on the clock. Or you could find a second-generation GL – renamed GLS from a 2016 facelift- from 2013-on from around £20,000.

£3000 doesn’t seem like a lot to own and enjoy one of the best driving small SUVs that also has more style to its looks than any other in its class. This is the what the Mini Countryman delivers and that money gets you a car with less than 100,000 miles from early in the first-generation model’s life that started in 2010.

This sum also gives you choice of the frugal 1.6-litre diesel engine or the ULEX-exempt 1.6 petrol that still turns in a combined 47mpg fuel consumption. Look for a Cooper model over the entry-point One to get more standard kit and the 121bhp engine for a bit more pep.

The fourth-generation Mitsubishi Shogun pitched up in 2006 and was on sale in the UK all the way up to 2019. This means there are plenty to choose from, with prices beginning at just £4500 or £10,000 for cars with less than 100,000 miles on the clock. For that, you get a full-size SUV with seating for seven, excellent towing and off-road abilities, and decent pull from its four-cylinder turbodiesel engine.

If you need to head into town often, reckon on spending from £15,000 for a 2016-on Shogun with the Euro 6 diesel engine that avoids ULEZ costs, though they can found from £4500.

The Nissan Murano was a left-field choice when new and remains so now. Much of this is due to the Murano’s looks, which certainly stand out from the herd of other SUVs. Divided opinions on the looks mean suppressed used values, so you can find an 80,000-mile Murano for £3500 in fine fettle.

For that money, you get a 3.5 V6 petrol engine that’s ULEZ-exempt and a CVT (continuously variable transmission) auto ’box that dulls the driving experience but is fine for cruising. Average fuel economy of 23.0mpg is something to consider when looking at the Murano. However, there is the temptation of a long list of standard luxury kit with every Murano.

The styling of the first Porsche Cayenne was a cause of much debate when the car arrived in 2003. Age and a mid-life facelift have mellowed this to some extent, so the original Porsche SUV now looks like a real bargain, even a modern classic. Prices start at £4500 for Cayennes with less than 100,000 and that gets you a 3.2 V6 or 4.5 V8 model. The truly rapid Turbo costs from £12,000 in fair condition.

All of the petrol engines avoid paying any ULEZ charges. If you want a diesel-powered Cayenne that does the same, you’ll need a second-generation version from 2014-on, and that will cost from £24,000.

£3500 will put you in the driver’s seat of Skoda’s brilliant, quirky Yeti SUV. A car at this price will have 100,000 miles on the clock or more, but with a full service record and still with plenty of life in it. High mileage drivers will prefer the diesels, especially the 1.6-litre Greenline that offers up to 61.4mpg combined consumption.

City dwellers will be better served by the 1.2 TSI petrol that offers 44.1mpg average economy and is ULEZ-friendly. Whichever engine suits you, the Yeti has a comfortable, roomy cabin, decent ride and handling, and solid build.

Toyota’s Land Cruiser is an SUV that will just keep on going with nothing more than routine servicing. As a result, you can find perfectly usable examples from £4500, which gets you a 15-year old car with around 150,000 miles on the clock. Look for something newer with fewer miles and you’ll spend from £20,000 for a 2012 model with 90,000 miles to its name.

For a Land Cruiser that meets Euro 6 emissions to avoid paying ULEZ charges, you need one from 2016-onwards. This requires a spend of £30,000, but Land Cruisers hold their value like little else, which makes it a sound financial decision.

Volvo got the original XC90 absolutely right straight out of the box, which accounts for why this model remained in production largely unchanged from 2002 until 2015. Almost all have the five-cylinder turbodiesel engine, which is a good workhorse, if not the most refined motor. Early high milers cost from £1800 in fair condition all the way to £18,000 for the last of the line. However, £8,000 is sufficient to find a well looked after 2010 example with full history and less than 80,000 miles under its wheels.

If you want to sidestep ULEZ charges in an XC90, you’ll need to find either the 3.2-litre six-cylinder model or rare but appealing 4.4 V8 version. However, neither of these options is easy on fuel, though the V8 does at least reward with strong performance.