Best SUVs
The best used and new SUVs based on a data-driven analysis of each vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety.
The best subcompact SUV is the Chevrolet Trailblazer (8.8 quality rating), with the BMW X1 being the best luxury subcompact SUV (8.6 quality rating). The Jeep Wrangler ranks #1 for the best small and compact SUVs (9.1 quality rating).
The best luxury small and compact SUV is the Acura RDX (8.8 quality rating) and the best midsize SUV is the Toyota Highlander (9.0 quality rating). Topping the list for the best luxury midsize SUVs is the Lexus RX 350 (8.8 quality rating), while the Toyota Land Cruiser ranks first for the best large SUVs (9.2 quality rating).
The best luxury large SUV is the Lexus LX 570 (9.1 quality rating), with the Toyota Highlander being the best crossover SUV (9.0 quality rating). The Lexus RX 350 ranks #1 for the best luxury crossover SUVs (8.8 quality rating).
The best three-row SUV is the Toyota Land Cruiser (9.2 quality rating) and the best luxury three-row SUV is the Lexus LX 570 (9.1 quality rating). Topping the list for the best hybrid SUVs is the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (Plug-in Hybrid) (9.4 quality rating), while the Lexus RX 450h ranks first for the best luxury hybrid SUVs (9.2 quality rating).
The best plug-in hybrid SUV (PHEV) is the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (Plug-in Hybrid) (9.4 quality rating) and the best luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs (PHEV) is the Volvo XC90 (Plug-in Hybrid) (8.4 quality rating). Topping the list for the best electric SUVs is the Tesla Model X (9.1 quality rating), which is also the best luxury electric SUV.
How Does iSeeCars Determine the Best SUVs?
To determine the best SUVs, iSeeCars analyzes data from over 12 million new and used vehicles to evaluate each SUV’s reliability, value retention, and safety ratings.
Reliability is a reflection of a vehicle’s long-term quality and durability. It is often reflected in lower operating costs for a vehicle owner, as well as reduced time and energy spent visiting dealerships to address issues beyond scheduled maintenance.
Value retention indicates how much market value a vehicle has after several years of use. This is typically the most expensive factor in vehicle ownership. Models that lose a substantial amount of value over time contribute far less to a consumer’s future trade-in value for their next purchase, or what the vehicle can be sold for in the used car market.
Safety ratings come from a standardized set of safety tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These organizations perform comprehensive studies to determine the potential for occupant injury or death if a vehicle is involved in an accident.
For each model, the data related to these three components is aggregated across multiple model years and updated regularly. The data is combined to create a Quality Score, and that quality score is compared across all models within a segment to determine the ranking for best cars.
What Kind of SUVs are Available?
SUVs have exploded in popularity over the past few decades, leading to more models being sold today than ever before. While SUVs tend to have a higher starting price and lower fuel efficiency than sedans or wagons, they also have more cargo space, towing capacity, and off-road capability than most cars. This trade-off in fuel economy versus practicality is clearly one many consumers are willing to make, as confirmed by the ever-increasing sales in nearly every SUV segment.
SUV options include smaller models like the Chevy Trax and Volkswagen Taos, midsize models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Nissan Pathfinder, or larger SUVs with a third row like the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. Premium brands, including Cadillac, Porsche, and Land Rover, also offer luxury SUVs, as do electric automakers like Polestar and Tesla.
What Type of SUV Should I Buy?
Buying a modern SUV doesn’t have to mean terrible gas mileage and cumbersome handling. Advanced powertrain and suspension technology has given today’s SUVs highly refined ride and handling qualities, along with mpg figures rivaling traditional new cars. But keep in mind that smaller SUVs will always deliver better gas mileage than larger models, and two-wheel drive versions have a fuel efficiency advantage over four- or all-wheel drive vehicles.
Serious off-road enthusiasts will want to consider models with higher ground clearance, traditional four-wheel drive, a two-range transfer case, and a locking differential. The Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler are examples of SUVs with both the specs and equipment to tackle aggressive off-road trails. Buyers embarking on light off-road excursions, or simply seeking confidence in bad weather, can opt for a basic AWD model like the Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sorento to meet their needs.
With nearly every luxury brand offering multiple utility vehicles a buyer can now enjoy advanced driver assist and safety features along with the elevated ride height, larger cargo area, and overall superior flexibility provided by an SUV. While luxury and full-size SUVs tend to have larger touchscreens, more tech features, and greater horsepower, the use of smaller, turbocharged engines in recent years has resulted in surprisingly good fuel efficiency, despite their larger size and weight.
Even greater fuel efficiency is possible with hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, such as the Kia Sportage and Mercedes-Benz GLE. Both models pair a turbo engine with an electric motor and battery pack to improve their fuel economy numbers.
For buyers who feel using any fuel is too much fuel, several electric SUVs are now available, with more on the way. And remember, while their lack of CO2 emissions is commendable, electric SUVs cost more than the equivalent gasoline model, and they require careful route planning for longer road trips.
Compare the best SUVs
Everyone wants an SUV right now, with family SUVs almost a default choice for people with kids. Why? Well, the arrival of the SUV in the mid 1990s marked a sea change in the car market, just as the arrival of the practical, flexible and easy-to-drive hatchback did a few decades prior.
Think of an SUV as a tall hatchback — both types of car tend to have a wide-opening, top-hinged boot and fold-down rear seats — but SUVs add in a raised driving position for a better view of the road, plus being taller can make them easier to get in and out of if you have reduced mobility, while strapping young kids into child seats is easier when you don’t have to stoop down. It’s a lot easier for designers to fit a third row of seats into an SUV shape, too, while subjective matters of image, fashion and road presence also come into play to a greater or lesser extent.
Here are the best new SUVs on sale in the UK right now.
1. Skoda Kodiaq
The biggest car that Skoda makes is also one of the best cars that Skoda makes. OK, so the Kodiaq is a laggard when it comes to offering hybrid or electric versions, but it sure delivers on the SUV front — bluff styling, masses of space inside, a huge boot, optional seats for seven, and a high-quality cabin. It’s even quite good to drive, while the driving position is more commanding than some SUVs, and it offers strong value, too.