Best used small SUVs for less than £15,000

The Ford Puma is our current What Car? Used SUV of the Year, and it's not surprising. It’s not only impressively economical but also great fun to drive, with pin-sharp steering and eager handling. All the engine options are gutsy, but we’d seek out the 155 version of the 1.0-litre Ecoboost for its easy oomph. It's supremely practical and so far proving reliable, too. And here’s the best news of all: the Puma now undercuts its main rivals here on price as a used buy. 

We found: 2021 Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost 155 ST-Line, 36,000 miles, £14,995

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The Seat Arona is another one of our tip-top favourites here. It's one of the very best small SUVs you can buy used thanks to its roomy interior, comfortable ride and peppy petrol engines. Add to that its value when bought used, and it's unbeatable – you can easily pick up a 2022 example within our budget. Indeed, if what you want above all is that your small SUV drives well, this is the one to choose; thanks to its compact size and relatively light weight, it has plenty of punch and can tackle corners with enthusiasm.

We found: 2022 Seat Arona 1.0 TSI SE Technology, 22,411 miles, £13,499

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Another great buy in this class is the suave Audi Q2. This is the car that proves that small doesn’t necessarily mean cheap, but it certainly takes all the good qualities of larger Audis and wraps them up in a compact and very attractive package. It has bold styling on the outside, a well-finished and sporty interior and tidy handling; on top of all that, it's good value too.

We found: 2020 Audi Q2 1.0 TFSI Sport, 30,000 miles, £15,000

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Stick to the cheaper engines and trims, and the VW T-Roc is an even better buy than the Skoda Kamiq and the VW T-Cross. The T-Roc’s cosseting ride, superb refinement and practical boot will appeal to families, plus it has one of the best driving positions of any car in the class. Later models have a much-improved interior, with soft materials and bright plastic finishes where you’d want them. 

We found: 2020 Volkswagen T-Roc 1.0 TSI 115 SE, 58,464 miles, £14,900

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In contrast to the Volkswagen T-Cross below, the Skoda Kamiq puts you quite low to the ground; in fact, its driving position is barely any more elevated than that of the Skoda Scala family hatchback. However, in every other respect, it's a brilliant used choice, with a supple, well-controlled ride and a remarkably spacious interior. That interior feels classier than that of the T-Cross, too. If you’ll mainly be driving in town, then the entry-level 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is peppy enough and the cheapest on the used car forecourt.

We found: 2022 Skoda Kamiq 1.0 TSI 95 SE, 45,563 miles, £14,899

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The Volkswagen T-Cross is comfortable and easy to drive, and surprisingly roomy, too. A couple of six-footers will have plenty of space in the back, and, if you slide the rear bench forwards, there’s almost as much boot space as in some larger family SUVs. Despite that, the T-Cross’s compact dimensions make it easy to handle in town. The T-Cross also comes loaded with safety kit and would have finished even higher if you could have got a newer one for our budget. 

We found: 2021 Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 95 SE, 29,250 miles, £14,995

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Thanks to its squared-off corners, raised ride height and the option of four-wheel drive, the Suzuki Vitara has some of the off-road abilities people associate with larger SUVs. On the road, the balance between ride and handling is well judged, it's spacious inside and it's even quite fun to drive; it's well equipped, too, and our budget buys you a 2020 car with a low mileage.

We found: 2022 Suzuki Vitara 1.4 SZ4 MHEV, 30,265 miles, £14,995

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Let's face it, there are loads of used small SUVs out there, but very few have that extra panache to make them stand out from the masses. Apart from the Mini Countryman, which is stuffed with so many retro styling cues that you couldn't mistake it for anything else. It's fun and fashionable, but its ride is a bit firm, it's not the most spacious car on our list and it's still a little expensive. 

We found: 2020 Mini Countryman 1.5 Cooper Classic, 29,600 miles, £14,490

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A bit of a wildcard, this; you can pick up a nearly new Suzuki Ignis for this money, but the caveat is that it's smaller and less spacious than most of the other cars we've chosen here. Why is it here, then? Because it's great fun to drive and it's a characterful city car, and about the only option if you need four-wheel drive or hybrid technology in a car of this size.

We found: 2023 Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dualjet MHEV SZ3, 1000 miles, £14,490

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Sure, the previous 2010-2019 Nissan Juke was popular, but it was never a car to write home about. This current-gen Nissan Juke, mind you, is a big step in the right direction, even if it still isn't perfect. It's strong in some key areas, including interior quality, safety and equipment levels, not to mention you can pick up a 2022 example within our budget. 

We found: 2022 Nissan Juke 1.0 DiG-T 114 Acenta, 38,798 miles, £14,989

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