The Skoda Karoq should be right at the top of your shopping list if you’re in the market for one of the best cheap SUVs. 

The Skoda’s infotainment is a joy to use, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard so you can use your phone’s apps on the car’s big screen. Naturally, there’s loads of space for four passengers and the boot is big and flexible. Meanwhile, features like the umbrella hidden in your driver’s door and the ice scraper under the fuel cap give you the sense someone at Skoda is looking out for you. 

It's a really pleasant car to drive, too, with a really comfortable ride, good handling and punchy turbocharged engines. We reckon an SE model with the flexible and frugal 150PS 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol engine makes for a cracking all-rounder.

The Peugeot 3008 boasts a sharp grille, piercing headlight design and an armoury of body creases and curves that mean it looks like no other car on this list.

That striking design continues on the inside, too. The 3008’s dashboard is dominated by a pair of large screens and envelopes you a bit like you’re sitting behind the wheel of a sports car. The 3008 also offers plenty of practicality, with spacious back seats and a boot that’s large and well designed.

It’s worth going for Allure trim because it adds equipment like keyless entry, Peugeot’s upgraded infotainment screen and pretty ambient lighting. We'd combine this with Peugeot’s excellent 130PS petrol engine, which has plenty of power but is also cheap to run. 

The Ford Kuga looks like a Focus that’s been enlarged in a photocopier. It gets the same distinctive grille and shapely curves, but it’s only when you see it in the metal that you realise that it’s a lot bigger.

There are plenty of similarities on the inside, too, like the infotainment screen that’s stuck on top of the dashboard, although, naturally, the Kuga has a lot more interior space.

It’s best sampled in petrol-electric 225PS PHEV specification. This plug-in hybrid can travel up to 31 miles on electricity alone, slashing your running costs if you have a short commute and somewhere to charge the car. Pair the PHEV powertrain with Titanium trim, which includes kit such as half-leather seats, climate control and keyless entry. 

Volkswagen released a new Tiguan in 2024, but if you're looking to keep costs down, there's still plenty to recommend the previous version of the car. It's a handsome SUV that does everything well, so is an extremely safe bet. The styling is perhaps a little conservative compared to some, but you do get clean lines and subtle creases that make it look appealingly solid.

‘Solid’ is how you could describe the interior, too. It's very nicely built and all models get a large central infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s no shortage of room for you and three tall passengers and the boot is exceptionally well designed.

We’d choose the 150PS diesel engine if you do lots of motorway driving, or the 150PS petrol if you mostly drive in town. Both are relatively cheap to run. Choose the Match model, which gets kit like automatic cruise control, an upgraded infotainment system, as well as front and rear parking sensors, all for a very reasonable sum.

The SEAT Ateca shares many of its parts with the Volkswagen Tiguan we were just talking about, but is slightly sportier looking and sharper to drive, too. 

Sit in the driver’s seat, and you’ll find that the majority of the plastics feel high in quality, while the construction is sturdy and the layout is intuitive. The infotainment system is logical to navigate and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. There’s plenty of room for tall adults up front and in the back, and the boot is large, well-shaped and easy to load.

You get an excellent range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from, but the 150PS petrol’s cheap to run and has brisk acceleration that matches the Ateca's slightly sporty character. Sporty looking FR trim really suits the car, too. Kit includes things like automatic lights and wipers, body-hugging sports seats, cruise control and bright-shining LED headlights.  

The Citroen C5 Aircross looks like no other alternative thanks to its wraparound bonnet, slim-line stacked headlights and Airbump plastic body cladding.

Citroen’s gone its own way on the inside, too, where the focus is very much on comfort. Forget about body-hugging sports seats: in the C5 you get the car equivalent of armchairs up front and a back seat like a sofa, while the boot is also big. Infotainment, meanwhile, is handled by an 8.0-inch display that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

All models have suspension that smoothes over bumps really effectively. You get a choice of petrol and diesel engines, but the 180PS petrol deals best with a range of driving, although it’s not available on entry-level Feel models. Flair cars, meanwhile, get kit such as all-round parking sensors, folding mirrors and a reversing camera. 

The Mazda CX-5 is the cheap large SUV for you if you want your practical family car to look and feel sporty.

Inside, a small steering wheel, tall transmission tunnel and (on manual cars) the stubby gear stick makes it feel like a sports car on stilts. Yet the tall boxy body means you get loads of room inside for four tall adults and the boot is large and flexible. You even get a decent infotainment system with a rotary control between the two front seats that makes it easy to navigate menus as you’re driving. It also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The sporty feel isn’t lost in the driving experience, which feels agile and positive, and it’s best when fitted with the punchy 2.2-litre 150PS diesel engine. Basic SE L models have all the kit you need, including active cruise control and climate control.

The Nissan Qashqai was the first SUV crossover you could buy and the current model sticks to the original’s recipe by offering an upright body, with car-like driving characteristics and cheap running costs.

We're not dissuading you from looking at the latest model, but if you're in the market for a cheap SUV, then take a look at the previous-generation car. Inside, all but the basic model get nav with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s room for four adults and the boot is larger than you’ll find in a comparable family car like the Volkswagen Golf.

It doesn’t drive like a clumsy SUV, though. We’d pick the 115PS diesel, which is quieter and smoother than the more powerful options but feels punchy enough in real life. You get plenty of kit as well, with the Qashqai in Acenta Premium trim coming with climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera and lots of safety kit.

The Toyota RAV4 is great if you’re looking for a large SUV that thrives in the city. It has loads of room inside with a wide body that means it can accommodate three people in the back without issue, and you get a huge boot, too.

The RAV4’s party trick is its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. Not only is it very economical in town, but it also means that most of the time, you can run on near-silent electric power. That makes it very relaxing to drive and the car comes with a smooth-shifting CVT automatic gearbox as standard. 

Basic Icon models have all the essential kit you need including an infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera and climate control. 

Okay, so the Dacia Duster isn't the best cheap SUV in this list, but it is the cheapest, and that alone means it deserves inclusion. As a new car, you'll pick up a Duster for a lot less than any of the other cars here, and that advantage extends to the used market, too.

There's also plenty of other stuff to like about the Duster. It's roomy enough for a family of four to travel comfortably, and there's enough room in the boot for all their clutter. Yes, the most basic models are basic to a fault, but the higher-spec models come with all the gadgetry buyers demand, and are still reasonably priced. And while some will find the no-nonsense interior to be a little bit cheap-feeling, others will like its honesty and lack of fuss.

It's a comfortable car to drive, too, and if you want your SUV to have a spot of genuine go-anywhere ability, the Duster is one of the few that can be had with four-wheel drive. It's pretty good in the rough stuff with it fitted, too.