Best Small Suv Cars
Jan 20, 2021 Acura’s sporty RDX is smaller than its three-row MDX but pulls more weight on the leaderboard as the brand’s top-selling model and has been a segment top seller for five years straight. View the top-ranked 2021 Compact SUVs at U.S. See how the 2021 Honda CR-V, 2021 Mazda CX-5 & 2021 Kia Sportage compare with the rest. Sep 17, 2020 Perhaps the most direct competitor to the aforementioned CR-V is the Toyota RAV4. Another trusted name in small SUVs, the RAV4 has many strengths like rock-solid reliability, a roomy interior with a massive cargo hold, and some impressive tech features.
- Looking to buy a new compact SUV?
- We choose our favourite models
- Everything from upmarket choices to budget bargains
There's been no escaping the meteoric rise of the compact SUV over the last decade or so. There's barely a manufacturer now that doesn't sell one or more of these dinky family-friendly cars, and it's easy to see why they're so popular - especially in the UK.
2016 Honda CR-V There are a lot of reasons the Honda CR-V is one of the most popular new SUVs, and all those same virtues hold true when it comes to a 2016 for less than $20,000. Grab the EX trim level for the best value, or look for a higher-specification one with Honda’s suite of collision-avoidance tech. Find a Honda CR-V for sale. Compact SUVs tend to offer a high seating position, which provides a vast view of the road in addition to an easier step-in height than smaller cars or larger SUVs. These SUVs can be equipped with a variety of powertrains to fit your driving priorities, be they fuel economy, daily comfort, or rugged off-roading.
Compact SUVs aren't perfect, but they're beloved by many owners because of how effortlessly they combine the manoeuvrability, ease of driving and fuel economy of a supermini with the high driving position, rugged styling and desirability of an SUV.
In many ways, these little cars have replaced the once-popular mini-MPV as the go-to car for those with a growing family or just after a little more space.
This market segment was popularised more than a decade ago by the Nissan Juke and since then, it’s grown and grown until just about every mainstream manufacturer offers a small SUV. That means there’s truly something for everyone, whether it’s practicality, sportiness, comfort or style you prioritise.
What makes a good small SUV?
Buyers of small SUVs generally don’t want their cars to drive like a large off-roader. In fact, the best models feel very much like a regular hatchback to drive – with tidy handling, a composed ride and light, easy controls.
The advantages usually come in the form of a higher driving position – we like compact SUVs that feel commanding on the road and aren’t too difficult to get into and out of – and increased practicality. Larger boots, greater rear legroom and more clever touches aren’t just nice things to have, they’re necessities. Otherwise, why wouldn’t you just save your money and go for a cheaper hatchback?
The reality of a larger, heavier car means fuel economy is usually affected, but the best small SUVs still return impressive numbers, often aided by hybrid or plug-in hybrid systems that their smaller siblings can’t quite squeeze in to their daintier frames.
And of course, many of the same qualities we look for in any car also need to be present here – such as a high-quality, well laid-out interior, enough performance and the ease-of-use to make them effortless to own and run.
With all this in mind, here are our favourite small SUVs on sale in 2020. You can click on the links below to jump straight to the ones you’re interested in, or scroll down to read the full list.
The best small SUVs on sale 2020
Ford Puma
Renault Captur
Volvo XC40
Peugeot 2008
Honda HR-V
Volkswagen T-Cross
Ford’s given us a compact SUV before, in the form of the disappointing EcoSport. We’re happy to report that the Puma is a totally different beast, and combines all the best aspects of the Fiesta on which it’s based to make a car that’s somehow even greater than the sum of its parts.
Thanks to its Fiesta underpinnings, the Puma is the best car in its class to drive, bar none – it’s comfortable yet handles like a dream, with steering that wouldn’t feel out of place on many cars with much more sporting pretension. At the same time, its range of mild-hybrid engines are both an emotional choice and a pragmatic one – they’re powerful, yet frugal.
Better yet there’s no real sacrifice in terms of practicality, as the Puma offers plenty of space in the back seats and a simply cavernous boot with a clever waterproof Megabox underneath the floor. The divisive styling is the only sticking point, in our eyes – if you can get past that, the Puma is a very easy sell.
Price new: From £21,640
Lease this car: From £203 per month
Find a used Ford Puma for sale on Parkers here
The Renault Captur is based on the Clio supermini, a car we rate very highly at Parkers – so highly, we gave it our First Car of the Year award for 2020. With such impressive beginnings, it’s no surprise that we think the Captur’s every bit as good as its smaller sibling.
It’s roomy inside, with a big boot and sliding rear seat to make the most of the available space. It shares the Clio’s impressive dashboard, too, with a portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen, lots of safety equipment and high-quality materials all round.
We like the Captur’s petrol engines, even the entry-level 100hp model feels peppy enough – but we’d opt for the more powerful 130hp unit, which is more relaxing to drive on the motorway and feels more muscular in everyday use.
Better yet, the Captur’s available on some impressively good-value deals, as with all Renault products. You can get your hands on this impressive SUV for much less than you might expect.
Price new: From £18,295
Lease this car: From £229 per month
Find a used Renault Captur for sale on Parkers here
If it’s a taste of the premium you’re wanting in your small SUV, the Volvo XC40 has you covered. It’s every bit as solid-feeling and stylish as Volvo’s larger cars like the XC60 and XC90 and instantly recognisable thanks to distinctive ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights.
Yet there’s a little element of fun to the XC40 that’s missing from a lot of SUVs. You can specify it in a range of nice two-tone paint finishes and, if you’re particularly bold, lurid orange carpets.
The interior’s also incredibly clever, with a boot floor that folds up to offer bag hooks or loadspace dividers, a hook on the glovebox to carry a takeaway bag, and massive door bins capable of accommodating a laptop with ease.
Whether you opt for one of the smooth petrols, efficient diesels or high-tech hybrid models, the XC40 is great to drive – biased towards comfort rather than sportiness. And, of course, you can count on Volvo to keep you safe – the XC40 is loaded with safety kit right from the entry level.
Price new: From £25,295
Lease this car: From £340 per month
Find a used Volvo XC40 for sale on Parkers here
The 2008 is certainly one of the most eye-catching compact SUVs around. With Peugeot’s trademark ‘sabre-tooth’ daytime running lights, sharp edges and a healthy dose of class, the 2008 really shows Peugeot’s shift into the more premium end of the family car market.
This is best shown off in the 2008’s interior, which is, for want of a better word, spectacular for a mainstream car. It’s high-quality, well-designed and features some really space-age touches, like ‘3D’ digital dials.
It’s also great to drive – a range of peppy 1.2-litre petrol engines are joined by a super-efficient diesel as well as the all-electric e-2008, giving buyers loads of choice. We’re particularly fond of the mid-range 130hp petrol engine paired up to a super-smooth eight-speed automatic transmission – we think it’s the sweet spot in the range.
Practical, good-looking and great to drive, the 2008 is an excellent small SUV and one well worth considering on your shortlist.
Price new: From £20,190
Lease this car: From £211 per month
Find a used Peugeot 2008 for sale on Parkers here
If you're looking for maximum practicality, nothing touches the Honda HR-V. Though this little SUV is a bit narrow to carry three adults on the back seat, that's the only area where it struggles - it offers excellent legroom, plenty of room up front and one of the cleverest boot areas on the market.
Not only is the HR-V's boot square, wide and super-deep, the rear seats fold totally into the floor, leaving an area that would make even a small van wince. Have taller loads to carry? The seat bases flip up, leaving an uninterrupted space in the back for items such as pot plants, excitable dogs, multi-tier wedding cakes...
Opt for the Sport model and the HR-V is also far more fun to drive than it has any right to be. Add in the promise of Honda reliability (always a strong point) and a straightforward interior, and the HR-V might just be the hidden gem of Honda's range.
Price new: From £20,735
Lease this car: From £276 per month
Find a used Honda HR-V for sale on Parkers here
The T-Cross is the smallest in Volkswagen's SUV line-up, but don't let that make you think it's the worst. In fact, it's a really practical and quite likeable little car.
Far from being just a clone of its larger siblings, the T-Cross has its own look thanks to a full-width styling element across the rear. It's not particularly adventurous, but it's smart and distinctive.
Even less adventurous is the interior of the T-Cross, but what it lacks in flair it makes up for in practicality. There's space for five adults in here thanks to a sliding rear bench which allows you to trade luggage space for legroom, and like all Volkswagens the interior design is no-nonsense and feels built to last.
Efficient, peppy petrols and even a super-frugal diesel are on offer, and the T-Cross excels at comfortable cruising.
Price new: From £18,360
Lease this car: From £208 per month
Find a used Volkswagen T-Cross for sale on Parkers here
The Kamiq is Skoda's answer to the VW T-Cross - it's based on the same underpinnings but in typical Skoda fashion, it's bigger and more spacious, with a whole host of 'Simply Clever' features to make life easier for the occupants.
With loads of rear space and a cavernous boot, the Kamiq's the ideal small SUV for families who don't travel light - yet it handles like a hatchback, with a slightly raised driving position that makes it easy to get into and out of, perfect for older drivers.
Opt for a high-specification or well-trimmed Monte Carlo spec and the Kamiq also looks just great, thanks to posh scrolling LEDs for the indicators and attractive alloy wheels. The same range of capable and efficient engines as the T-Cross also feature.
Price new: From £18,295
Lease this car: From £174 per month
Find a used Skoda Kamiq for sale on Parkers here
The CX-30 is Mazda's smallest SUV, based on the same mechanical underpinnings as the excellent 3 hatchback, endowing it with a brilliant chassis. That means ride and handling are some of the CX-30's highlights.
The exterior styling is another, as is the interior design and quality - this is a pretty car, by SUV standards, and the interior's beautifully screwed together.
It's not as practical as some rivals, and the engines lack a bit of punch - but otherwise we're smitten with this slinky SUV. We even ran one as a long-termer - you can read our thoughts on it here.
Price new: From £22,940
Lease this car: From £241 per month
Find a used Mazda CX-30 for sale on Parkers here
Further reading:
Small SUVs are some of the most popular used cars in the UK right now. Here's our pick of the best...
Best used small SUVs (and the ones to avoid)
The soaring sales of SUVs are testament to the fact that almost everyone wants one these days. And the chances are if you’re reading this, you do too.
We don’t blame you – today’s best SUVs combine a high driving position that gives you a vantage point to see out clearly; while the practical and versatile interior space of these vehicles means there’s room for the whole family. But, of course, you’ll probably also want a car that’s light and easy to drive, and not so large that it’s impossible to park – which is where smaller SUVs, like the ones we’ve featured here, come in.
Now, we know that not everyone wants to buy brand new, especially when there’s a plethora of great options on the used market. Thanks to booming sales, there’s now a massive choice, which can be a bit confusing – which is why we’re here, and why we’ve rounded up our 10 best used small SUVs to help you work out which one’s best for you.
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Best used small SUVs
10. Kia Soul
Aimed at the sort of person who likes to stand out but needs a practical vehicle, the Kia Soul is a likable vehicle that’s spacious, well equipped and distinctive to look at. Its average ride quality and so-so handling mean the Kia Soul isn’t great to drive, but if you can live with that, you get a small SUV that offers huge amounts of room in every seat, and, thanks to its boxy profile, a large boot.
We found: 2015 1.6 CRDi Connect, 27,107 miles, £9000
Best used small SUVs
There’s also plenty of equipment, and it all comes backed up by a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty – so even if you buy a three-year-old example, you’ll still have four years’ warranty left to run. And with seriously low prices, the Soul looks like fabulous value too.
Best used small SUVs
9. Suzuki Vitara
Thanks to squared-off corners, a raised ride height and the option of four-wheel drive, the Suzuki Vitara at least has some of the off-road abilities people associate with SUVs; abilities that many of its rivals seem to have forgotten. That doesn’t mean to say that the Vitara drives like an old-school 4x4, because it doesn’t. The balance between ride and handling is well judged and is even quite rewarding, which is quite unusual for a small SUV. The brilliant 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol is a very nipply engine, but, it’s only available with four-wheel drive and higher spec car, so can be expensive. This makes the 1.6-litre petrol a better buy financially, and it’s as economical as the smaller engine.
We found: 2017 1.6 SZ-T, 11,000 miles, £12,991
Best used small SUVs
The Vitara is well equipped, but we’d suggest going for the SZ-T because you get an integrated sat-nav and media system, 17in alloy wheels and rear privacy glass. The interior isn’t particularly stylish, but there are some thoughtful touches, such as an attractive analogue clock and gloss black trim. Suzuki also has a good reputation for reliability, so there shouldn’t be anything to trouble you.
Best used small SUVs
8. Audi Q3
As you might expect from a car with four rings on its nose, the Audi Q3 is quite pricey for what is essentially quite a small SUV with reasonably limited space in the back. But, what you’re paying for is a comfortable ride, and a great choice of engine options to suit all budgets, and all offer impressive fuel economy and useful punch. There’s even the option of quattro four-wheel drive for slippery conditions.
We found: 2013 2.0 TDI SE, 33,000 miles, £14,992
Best used small SUVs
You also get an interior that feels like it’s constructed solidly from top-quality materials. It isn’t the best in terms of layout, and the infotainment system is very dated now. But it holds its value well, which means you shouldn’t lose too much money during ownership.
Best used small SUVs
7. Citroen C4 Cactus
Stylish, softly sprung and quite characterful, the Citroen C4 Cactus is more of an on-road bias small SUV because it cannot be had with four-wheel drive. The upside is that all engines offer excellent fuel economy which means running costs are rather low. It’s also quite big, so if you need to regularly carry four or five people, there will be fewer complaints in the C4 Cactus than there will be in some of its rivals.
We found: 2016 1.2 PureTech 110 Flair, 16,000 miles, £9617
Best used small SUVs
The interior has been de-cluttered of buttons thanks to a touchscreen infotainment system. It takes a little getting used to, but it does help with the simple design theme. One word of warning, the back windows don’t roll downt, but merely pop out a little to aid ventilation. But, on the whole, it’s a pleasant small SUV that’s very cheap to buy and run.
Best Small Suv Cars 2010
Best used small SUVs
6. Peugeot 3008
Comfortable, spacious, and equipped with one of the most flexible boots in the business – there are lots of reasons to like the Peugeot 3008. True, in its most popular form – without the Dynamic Roll Control suspension that came on larger-engine versions – it isn’t all that much fun to drive. But it’s still comfortable enough for most people, and what’s more, it’s fantastic value as a used buy, costing a great deal less than many of its rivals.
We found: 2015 1.6 HDI 115 Active, 13,000 miles, £9792
Best used small SUVs
The 1.6 diesel is the best engine to go for because it feels just as responsive as the larger 2.0-litre diesel, but is much more economical and slightly more refined too. The interior is covered in soft-touch materials and looks rather classy, even if some of the stereo controls are a little hard to read on the move. The 3008 has a big boot and it has a split-tailgate that’s a great place to perch if you’re having a picnic.
Best used small SUVs
5. Renault Kadjar
Based on the Nissan Qashqai, the Renault Kadjar is a small SUV for those who value practicality, because the Kadjar actually has a slightly bigger boot than its sibling. It also scores well with families since the doors open nice and wide, which helps when putting a child in their car seat. On the road, the Kadjar is no firecracker, but it is quite comfortable and rather economical when it’s paired with the 1.5-litre diesel engine.
We found: 2016 1.5 dCi Dynamique Nav, 7,000 miles, £12,197
Best used small SUVs
As mentioned before, the Kadjar is a little more spacious inside than a Qashqai, but it does have a transmission tunnel that robs the middle seat passenger of leg space. Make sure you find a Kadjar with ‘Nav’ tagged on the end of its specification name, because that means you’ll have a car with sat-nav.
Best used small SUVs
The Nissan Qashqai is great to drive, comfortable, and feels like a high-quality product inside. Its compact dimensions and easy controls make it a doddle to drive in town. As it was always one of Britain's best-selling cars, there are plenty around, too, so finding a good one shouldn't be too tricky, and it's terrific value, too.
We found: 2013 1.5 dCi Acenta, 36,000 miles, £8480
Best used small SUVs
While it isn’t quite as spacious as some SUVs, there's plenty enough room for most families. There’s enough room for a folding pushchair, a travel cot and a couple of overnight bags in the boot, and if you opt for an Acenta spec car you get a split-level boot floor to hide items away from prying eyes.
Best used small SUVs
3. Volkswagen Tiguan
While it doesn’t particularly wow you in any area, the Volkswagen Tiguan is an SUV which goes about its business with exceptional competence. You get a choice of excellent engines, and while it isn’t all that exciting to drive, it’s rides smoothly on long journeys yet still handles tidily on a country road.
We found: 2015 2.0 TDI Bluemotion Tech Match, 18,000 miles, £13,360
Best used small SUVs
Plus, being a Volkswagen, you get a clear, easy-to-use dashboard constructed from solid, expensive-feeling plastics. There’s space enough for five and the rear seat slides forwards and backwards to help you choose between extra luggage space or rear legroom. All-in-all, it’s a fine small SUV for families.
Best used small SUVs
2. Skoda Yeti
We really think the Skoda Yeti is one of the best used cars you can buy, let alone one of the best small SUVs. It’s economical, feels well put together, great value, and fun to drive. It doesn’t ride quite as well as some other SUVs, but it's by no means uncomfortable, and with so much else going for it, it’s a forgivable flaw.
We found: 2015 1.2 TSI SE, 20,000 miles, £11,732
Best used small SUVs
It’s immensely practical, with loads of room in the rear seats and boot thanks to that boxy back end; what’s more, those rear seats slide, fold and even tumble to give you immense practicality. The design of the dashboard isn’t going to win any awards, but the plastics are more than up to the job of dealing with the sort of abuse young families will throw at it and it’s all logically laid out and simple to use.
Best used small SUVs
1. BMW X1
The BMW X1 was one of the first premium small SUVs, but this particular generation of X1 truly warranted its superior status. All the bits and pieces you touch on a regular basis in the X1 have a feel of solidity and high quality. To drive, the X1 is really a step ahead of its rivals. With precise, well-weighted steering and excellent body control, you really do feel like you’re driving a smaller hatchback rather than an SUV.
We found: 2016 sDrive 18d SE Auto, 22,000 miles, £21,000
Best used small SUVs
What’s more, there’s plenty of space in the X1 for a family. The rear seats have plenty of flexibility – sliding, reclining and folding in a multitude of ways that enables you to make the best use of the available space. There’s even an electric tailgate as standard on the X1, a very nice touch.
Sure, there are cheaper small SUVs, but the X1 is worth the extra money because of its broad range of abilities. And, once you’ve bought it, running costs are surprisingly low given the X1’s premium billing. A great used buy and worthy of its top spot on this list.
And the small SUVs to avoid…
And the small SUVs to avoid…
Vauxhall Antara
Don’t be fooled by the slick looks: the Vauxhall Antara is noisy, slow, uncomfortable, and poorly equipped. It isn't even all that cheap, and it's impossible to recommend.
And the small SUVs to avoid…
Suzuki Jimny
Best Small Suvs All Makes Models
Great off-road, but appalling on it, the Suzuki Jimny is an SUV from another age, and way off the pace in almost every area.
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