Best used family SUVs for less than £15,000

The Skoda Karoq just edges out its broadly similar sibling the Seat Ateca to the top spot. It's extremely practical (even more so than the Ateca), plus it's good to drive and excellent value for money. The ride is cosseting too, and it's decently refined in town and on a motorway. The Karoq’s greatest asset, though, is its interior, which is flexible, smart and beautifully built, with loads of space for all your passengers.

"You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to engine options in the Skoda Karoq. I particularly like the 1.5-litre petrol engine, which produces 148bhp and provides flexible performance for everyday driving. It's even quite cheap to run." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2020 Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI SE Technology, 38,000 miles, £14,995

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Another great family SUV, the Seat Ateca is one of the very best of its kind to drive – feeling sure-footed on a challenging B-road, nimble on city streets and refined on a motorway. It’s also backed up by a cracking range of engines. Practicality is still a top priority: the doors open wide to make putting a child car seat in easier, the boot is big and the interior is spacious. 

"One thing I really like about the Ateca's interior is the fact the dashboard is angled towards the driver, which means the controls are within easy reach." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2018 Seat Ateca 1.5 TSI SE Technology, 21,000 miles, £14,995

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Car buyers do like a premium brand, and they don’t come much more blue-chip than BMW. The X1 is great to drive, plus it has bags of room inside and a high-quality interior with the excellent iDrive infotainment system. It's well equipped, too, and our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey found it to be one of the most reliable family SUVs available. 

"If your budget can stretch to it, I think the 2020 facelift models are worth going for. These cars come with much improved in-car technology with Apple CarPlay and a larger 8.8in infotainment screen." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2019 BMW X1 2.0 18d sDrive, 54,000 miles, £14,999

Read our full used BMW X1 review

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The Volkswagen Tiguan has regularly been one of the most popular family SUVs around. This second-generation version is beautifully made and finished, and it's a solid performer, especially if you go for the torquey 2.0-litre diesel engine that has no trouble carrying a car-load of people around (or towing a caravan). It's also refined, practical and spacious, with only a mediocre family SUV reliability rating limiting its position on this list.

"The Tiguan's interior isn't very exciting to look at, but I really like its solid build quality, soft-touch plastics and plush materials. The driving position is excellent and visibility is good, too." – George Hill, Used Car Writer

We found: 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI SE Navigation, 44,000 miles, £14,990

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Hybrid cars are all the rage these days, which is partly why the Kia Niro is a cracking used buy. It's available with regular hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power, the latter of which is the better option in this instance. Officially, it can manage 38 miles on electric-only power, plus it should be efficient if you plug it in regularly. Other strengths include an impressive reliability record, a spacious interior and generous equipment levels.

"Thanks to its ability to run on electric-only power at low speeds, I find the Kia Niro hybrid a very pleasant car to travel around town in. The PHEV is even better, because if you plug it in regularly, it can travel on electric power at much higher speeds." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2018 Kia Niro 1.6 GDi PHEV 3, 30,000 miles, £14,750

Read our full used Kia Niro review

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Despite not having a premium badge on its nose, the Mazda CX-5 has one of the best interiors of any new family SUV. It's filled with soft-touch materials and metal-effect finishes, plus it has a slick infotainment system, with logical controls and a physical rotary controller on the centre console. Along with this, the CX-5 offers plenty of standard equipment, a good reliability record and tidy handling. For the best balance of performance and running costs, we recommend the 2.0-litre petrol engine.

"You don't often find physical rotary controllers for infotainment systems on non-premium cars. I think it's great in the CX-5, mostly because it means you can keep your eyes on the road while driving, without having to look and prod at a touchscreen." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2018 Mazda CX-5 2.0 Skyactiv-G SE L Nav+, 37,000 miles, £13,820

Read our full used Mazda CX-5 review

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The Kia Sportage in mid-spec ‘2’ trim has sat-nav, rear parking sensors, heated front seats, power-folding door mirrors, climate control, auto lights and wipers, and privacy glass. In short, it's excellent value, which is helped by the fact there are plenty of examples on the used market at competitive prices. However, while we like the spacious interior and endless engine options, the Sportage has a mixed reputation for reliability. The petrol version is quite dependable, but the diesel is less so, according to the latest What Car? Reliability Survey.

"I'm six-foot, and I can sit in the back of the Sportage without much trouble. There's plenty of head and leg room in the outer two seats." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2019 Kia Sportage 1.6 GDi 2, 36,500 miles, £13,200

Read our full used Kia Sportage review

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The recent facelift of the Hyundai Tucson means that the values of earlier examples have dropped, meaning you can get a well-specified example easily within our budget. And we do mean well-specified: SE Nav comes with rear parking sensors, heated front seats, climate control and a reversing camera. Oh, and sat-nav. It's also comfortable, spacious and practical.

"While there are plenty of high mileage Tucsons available, I'd recommend spending around £10,000 in order to buy an example with at least average mileage and a full service history." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2020 Hyundai Tucson 1.6 GDi SE Nav 2WD, 39,400 miles, £13,700

Read our full used Hyundai Tucson review

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The Honda CR-V is one of the more practical family SUVs. It offers plenty of room for passengers, luggage and family clobber, plus it's available with petrol or hybrid power. While the hybrid version is still quite pricey, the 1.5-litre petrol engine is good value. It provides strong performance, a good reliability record and a competitive braked towing rating of 2000kg with the manual gearbox.

"Officially, the front-wheel drive petrol version of the CR-V can average up to 40.9mpg. That's pretty good for a petrol family SUV on paper, but if you want even more efficiency, I'd recommend going for the hybrid." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2019 Honda CR-V 1.5 VTEC Turbo SE, 51,000 miles, £14,495

Read our full used Honda CR-V review

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Perhaps a little overshadowed by the more popular Nissan Qashqai (a shame, really, considering that the two are basically identical under the skin), the Renault Kadjar is a bit of a bargain. It has a big boot for all your pram and/or weekly shopping requirements, plus it can be had with a smooth 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine. It’s not the most comfortable family SUV to drive, but it is refined and reliable.

"Even though most of its rivals are better to drive, I'd recommend a Kadjar on account of its reliability. It finished in third place out of 33 cars in the family SUV category of our reliability survey, which is very impressive." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2020 Renault Kadjar 1.3 TCe Iconic, 29,000 miles, £12,000

Read our full used Renault Kadjar review

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