SUV crossover recommendations

neocon · 10 May 2017 at 21:34

I'm thinking of getting an SUV type vehicle.

I don't really want a diesel since I'm concerned about future tax and resale value. I need an automatic too.

It just seems like we don't get good petrol engines in the UK.

US Rav 4 gets a 2.5l petrol, we only get 2.0l
US Nissan xtrail gets 2.0l petrol, we only get diesel 1.6.

I like the look of the Qashqai , but the engines are Renault and seem under powered. 1.2 petrol...

Mazda CX5 looks good too, but only diesel.

Audi Q3 would be great, but it would have to be used since a bit out of my budget.

What do people rekon is a decent SUV? Around £20 to £25k?

BigT · 10 May 2017 at 21:45

Do you have any age or running cost restrictions? If not then a Jeep Gramd Cherokee SRT8, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Range Rover all have interesting petrol engines.

neocon · 10 May 2017 at 22:38

Yes, I don't want huge running costs. I'm thinking Japanese would be more reliable.

Armageus · 10 May 2017 at 22:51

neocon said:
Yes, I don't want huge running costs. I'm thinking Japanese would be more reliable.

Honda CRV?

Also, you can get the Qashqai with a 160bhp 1.6T though which on paper isn't much less economical.

Skoda Kodiaq may be worth considering if you like the look of a Audi Q3 - might be doable in budget depending on engine and spec.

sandys · 10 May 2017 at 23:14

CX5 has a petrol

TheVoice · 10 May 2017 at 23:22

SEAT Ateca? 1.4 TSI ACT is 150hp and it can be had with DSG.

Demon · 11 May 2017 at 07:17

The xtrail does come with a 1.6 turbo petrol from 2016.. In fact, we've been looking at the xtrail recently, I've been offered a new 1.6 dig-t petrol tekna with 7 seats for £25k (20% off list). The fuel consumption is reasonable (47 combined)
The tekna model is unbelievably fully loaded
- 360 cameras (Awesome)
- park assist (finds a space and steers for you)
- full leather with electric driver and passenger seats
- satnav
- DAB
- Bluetooth
- Full Led headlights
- opening panoramic roof
- auto everything
- blind spot monitoring
- lane monitoring to warn you if you are drifting over.
- speed limit sgn reading
- auto braking to avoid collision
- hill assist
Etc

Much more room in the cabin and even the boot than most rivals.

There is the Ateca and Tiguan that are in that price range with petrol engines too..

(The Mrs wants a 2015 1.6dci Xtrail 7 seater (I'm not worried about the clean air policy, no increase in tax announced, and councils told to look at all options before charging more for diesels in congestion zones) so we might get one, for £17k it's a lot of car for the money and the 1.6dci has plenty of torque so easy to drive.)

jellybeard999 · 11 May 2017 at 07:23

Skoda Kodiaq is available with a 2.0 turbo petrol.

Demon · 11 May 2017 at 08:56

jellybeard999 said:
Skoda Kodiaq is available with a 2.0 turbo petrol.

It also comes with a 1.4 150BHP petrol that is a bit more frugal and not horrific to drive..
To get a well specified Kodiaq (the Edition version is the one that stands out, full leather, sat nav etc, but does still have quite an options list that can bump up the prices) starts at £30k.. the entry level models are cheaper, but honestly I'm not a fan of the cloth seats and poverty spec..

Oh, and the US/AUS 2.0 and 2.5L are pants, 140/170BHP of NA rubisshness, you definitely want a petrol turbo so you get some decent in-gear acceleration..

If you don't want top spec models, there are a raft of good SUV's worth checking out, here are the ones we looked at, definitely worth checking them all out in person..

Peugeot 3008SUV (I've driven the GT model, it's a fantastic SUV, lower specs have petrol options)
Seat Ateca (Better than the Tiguan for VFM IMO)
Skoda Kodiaq (Based on the Q7, so much larger, and they do start at under £22K)
Qashqai (Facelifted in Aug, 1.2 and 1.6 Petrol engines)
X-Trail (Inbetween Ateca / Kodiaq for size, a little less modern infotainment, but good kit as standard, comes with 1.6 Petrol engines)
Mini Countryman - The new one is larger than a qashqai, nice kit, and 1.5 turbo petrol available)

xs2man · 11 May 2017 at 10:08

Is the Kodiaq based on the Q7? It felt a fair bit smaller than the Q7 when I went to look at it. I thought it was more Q5 / Tiguan sized motor.

Still looked like a decent option at the price though.

Demon · 11 May 2017 at 11:41

xs2man said:
Is the Kodiaq based on the Q7? It felt a fair bit smaller than the Q7 when I went to look at it. I thought it was more Q5 / Tiguan sized motor.

Still looked like a decent option at the price though.

I'll admit I'm not entirely sure it's 100% based on a Q7, it's dimensions and boot space are similar ( e.g. Boot space is 750s vs 720 Litres, the tiguan/ateca/q5 are all in the 550 range)

The first Kodiaq I saw was the SE and it was 'ok' but not very inspiring, I then got a go in the top of the range edition version which changed my mind entirely, for £30K, it's a lovely place to be, much much nicer than a Tiguan and I'd say a good alternative to Audi as well.

ref image of the pair for comparison:

We test drove everything listed above over a weekend or two for the wife, and the Kodiaq stood out as having a cavernous boot space..

Jonnycoupe · 11 May 2017 at 12:42

Its MLB like the first Q5 - 4.7m long.
Q7 is a bigger MLBevo platform which is what the A4 and 2017 Q5 are based on.

If it has a roller blind rather than parcel shelf that allows them to declare full boot volume which is what might be skewing things to the Q7 / Q5 comparison.

Hawk Tuah · 11 May 2017 at 12:43

Have you looked at the new 3008? The new PureTech engines are highly regarded.

Housey · 11 May 2017 at 12:51

As mentioned above the SEAT Ateca represents a great value, high quality option.

chroniclard · 11 May 2017 at 12:54

Any reason for an SUV? Plenty of decent engines in a proper car.

-Ad- · 11 May 2017 at 12:58

neocon said:
Yes, I don't care about huge petrol costs costs. I'm thinking Japanese would be more reliable.

Nissan Murano.

Loving my V6 relaxatank of hydrocarbon guzzling joy

- CX5 is a horrible thing inside.
- Kia Sportage/Sorento are excellent for the price, but newer revision might be out of budget.
- XC60 is just poor, slow and horrible.
- Q5/Q7 are a nice place to be as ever. Not a fan of their hard seats and are typical Audi 'expensive and a bit bland, but very good'.

Have you thought about going cheaper 2nd hand? I know I went completely random, but there are some cracking older SUVs out there for silly prices.

cheesyboy · 11 May 2017 at 13:03

-Ad- said:
Nissan Murano.

Loving my V6 relaxatank of hydrocarbon guzzling joy

- CX5 is a horrible thing inside.
- Kia Sportage/Sorento are excellent for the price, but newer revision might be out of budget.
- XC60 is just poor, slow and horrible.
- Q5/Q7 are a nice place to be as ever. Not a fan of their hard seats and are typical Audi 'expensive and a bit bland, but very good'.

Have you thought about going cheaper 2nd hand? I know I went completely random, but there are some cracking older SUVs out there for silly prices.

Personally, thought the XC60 was lovely, and they have some pretty quick petrol options. Whereas I didn't like any of the japanese (and Korean) ones - dislike the styling in and out. Opinions, I guess

Ended up with a Tiguan, though, as the XC60 was a little out of budget. Happy with it.

-Ad- · 11 May 2017 at 13:55

cheesyboy said:
Personally, thought the XC60 was lovely, and they have some pretty quick petrol options. Whereas I didn't like any of the japanese (and Korean) ones - dislike the styling in and out. Opinions, I guess

Ended up with a Tiguan, though, as the XC60 was a little out of budget. Happy with it.

Only drove the 2.4D and it was utterly gutless. The seats were incredible to sit in though, but the dash was pretty vile with eleventy million buttons in a grid.

The new XC90 was nicer with the 2L engine and sensational interior, but even that felt slow for what was a £43k car in used form. The T8 will be an epic thing though!

Demon · 11 May 2017 at 14:51

Jonnycoupe said:
Its MLB like the first Q5 - 4.7m long.
Q7 is a bigger MLBevo platform which is what the A4 and 2017 Q5 are based on.

If it has a roller blind rather than parcel shelf that allows them to declare full boot volume which is what might be skewing things to the Q7 / Q5 comparison.

Honestly, it's just got a much bigger boot all-round than the Tiguan/Q5, you open it up and the rear seats are that much further away, just like the Q7. It obviously can accomodate the extra 2 seats with still a bit of room behind..

I was genuinely surprised how much bigger the boot is..

Looking at the dimensions, you are probably right, it may be based more on the Q5 platform, but it's definitely longer and definitely has a chunk more boot space.

-Ad- said:
Nissan Murano.

Loving my V6 relaxatank of hydrocarbon guzzling joy

- CX5 is a horrible thing inside.
- Kia Sportage/Sorento are excellent for the price, but newer revision might be out of budget.
- XC60 is just poor, slow and horrible.
- Q5/Q7 are a nice place to be as ever. Not a fan of their hard seats and are typical Audi 'expensive and a bit bland, but very good'.

Have you thought about going cheaper 2nd hand? I know I went completely random, but there are some cracking older SUVs out there for silly prices.

Amazing how peoples experiences differ, definitely seems people really shouldn't ask for advice and go and check them out in person, you soon know if you like/hate them almost immediately.
I will say that I had a CX-5 and loved it (Sport NAV 2.2D AWD), one of the best to drive, and the interior might look drab, but it's well screwed together, however, my money if buying new for £30K would be Kodiaq Edition, 3008 SUV GT or possibly the Ateca Excellence for a little bit less..

If buying second hand for £25k, I personally love the X3 3.0d M-Sport with professional nav, a lovely vehicle and so so quick...

inflames · 11 May 2017 at 15:37

What about a Lexus RX? Good engines, depending on the age of you can get a 3.0L V6, 3.3L V6, 3.5L V6 or 3.3L or 3.5L V6 paired with a Hybrid. Iv driven the 3.0L version was a very comfy, excellent engine. My friend has the RX400H, he loves it and i must admit its a very quiet car, i would love one of these myself.