[Closed] Which SUV for around £18k

Honda CRV

Ford Kuga, should get a 4ish year old one for that.

Skoda Karoq:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110268890951?lat-long=53.84901854356674%2C%20-1.7659769186784278&advertising-location=at_cars&price-to=18000&model=Karoq&page=1&radius=30&make=SKODA&include-delivery-option=on&sort=relevance&percentVehiclePriceDeposit=true

Yes it's ‘only’ a 1.0 but I find it’s quick enough for me.
DSG is a bit hesitant pulling off from a standing start but that’s something you get used to soon enough (and it’s a common thing across all VAG cars). Beats changing gears yourself though

I get on average 40mpg, better with a good motorway run. 50litre tank so range of about 400 miles

That Skoda is a great wee car, my wife is on her second Audi Q2 with same engine, though manual. Not sure if it’s an SUV mind you, the Audi, and they are basically the same, is a compact hatch with a little more height.

Well someone has to say it...

As above really, would like decent boot space, mpg

Then get an estate, you'll get better MPG and more boot space 🙂

Depends what sports and what utility you need it for really doesn't it. 🙂

That’s not mine btw, just same model. It’s front wheel drive, but you can get it with 4wd if you go for one of the bigger engines.
I’d say it’s a bit bigger than a standard hatch, but not as big as say a Kuga or X3. Boot is bigger than either of those though, and front & rear leg & headroom are excellent. I can comfortably get a 7-piece drum kit with 2 bags of stands in mine. And room for one passenger too

Focus Estate, they are apparently cavernous inside.

I opted for an estate. More room in the back and drives better.

Then get an estate, you’ll get better MPG and more boot space

I disagree there’s very little in the mpg, plus SUV boot space might be smaller in volume but more practical in height for use

Certainly don’t disregard an estate but we have an SUV and estate and I think the SUV is the more practical car and no less eco

I hear that the hot choice currently is anything by Land Rover!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60229619

New shape Pug 3008.

Berlingo-esque vehicle...

I disagree there’s very little in the mpg

There might not be in the two cars you've owned but in general, in real world there is enough in it to make a difference. We've done this before, SUVs are less aerodynamic because of the things that define SUVs.

I disagree with the mpg thing just checked my car skoda Octavia 1.6 diesel manual and it does 5 mpg more than the same drivetrain skoda Karoq (official figs)

In true STW style, recommend what you've got. Well, what the wife has actually. 1.4 petrol DSG VW Touran (current shape) fits all your requirements. Cavernous boot and easily does 40mpg pottering around. Much better on a long run. Nice tall driving position as well. Not exciting to drive, but pleasant enough and immensely practical.

Kia Sportage. Love ours.

Differences in MPG will be more on a long motorway trip because aerodynamics are more significant then.

Personally I’d suggest the Kuga, you get CarPlay, and a reversing camera, satnav, and best of all a heated screen. Plenty around with 4x4 spec, ST-Line is the option I’d go for. I’ve got an EcoSport, which is identical inside, with the 1.0 EcoBoost motor, which is a great engine, mine’s 125ps, I think the Kuga gets 140 from the same engine.

VAG DSG ‘boxes are better, but I couldn’t do without the heated screen on cold, frosty mornings. Mine’s got an auto-dimming rear view mirror,something I’d never given any thought to, but it’s and amazing extra when there’s drivers behind with stupidly bright lights, and you don’t have to keep flipping the mirror with a silly little lever underneath.

VAG DSG ‘boxes are better, but I couldn’t do without the heated screen on cold, frosty mornings.

My VAG car has a heated screen. I think they licensed it from Ford. It doesn't work though (cheapo replacement windscreen) and I don't miss it, because you still have to scrape all the other windows.

One of the very last Yetis. Skoda threw out a load of L&Ks with the 1.4tsi engine and 4wd. They’re a all 6sp manual but it’s a great box. Far more practical than a Karoq. Mum gets about 40mpg from hers. Spend the excess cash on a decent aftermarket head unit with carplay.

Ford Kuga 1.5 (182) is 25mpg average
Ford Foxus Estate 1.5 (182) is 34mpg average. Almost 40% better.

Kuga boot space 475l.
Focus estate boot space 575l.

Almost 20% better.

These are real world figures from fuelly/ honest John. Just saying.

Also - My now 18y old BMW 3.0l petrol estate car gets better MPG average than the Kuga and comes very close to the Focus.

There’s not a lot to be said for progress here.

IRL my wife’s Kuga (1.5L petrol) gets circa 38MPG. We would not have it if it only got 25MPG

I don’t miss it, because you still have to scrape all the other windows.

Considerably easier than the windscreen, no idea why but mine builds up layers that ends up making it an utter pain, I'd rather scrape the side windows whilst the screens clear and be gone.

So. For weekends away I do have a camper. For day to day I use company vehicles. On my second Skoda over the years now; in a Kodiaq at the moment ( 5 seater as I didn’t need 7).
It’s ok. But think I had more ‘useable’ space in a 2012 Superb Estate which, is possibly the most useful, reasonably frugal and relatively inexpensive ( compared to Saabs, LandRovers and VWs , I’ve also had) car I’ve used. Not convinced that ‘suv’ is necessarily either sporty or utilitarian in many cases. I also had a v6 RLine Touareg which was certainly sporty, but utterly ridiculous economically and not overly useful as a bike hauler.

bentandbroken
Full Member
IRL my wife’s Kuga (1.5L petrol) gets circa 38MPG. We would not have it if it only got 25MPG

Gets and displays are two different things. Also, it depends on the power. I deliberately compared 2018-2020 models with the exact same engine.

Peugeot 3008 (2017 onwards)

Gets and displays are two different things. Also, it depends on the power. I deliberately compared 2018-2020 models with the exact same engine.

+1. A similar comparison can be made with the Honda CRV/Civic with the 1.6l diesel engine. Both built on the same platform:

Civic touring, Boot - 624l, approx 70 MPG
CRV, Boot 589l, approx 50 MPG

Weight and aerodynamics are just fundamental physics. You can pretend they don't apply to your choice of vehicle (I own a CRV) if you like, but it doesn't change them.

we've got a 2018 ford kuga diesel, the 2 litre model, 180bhp, 4 wheel drive, the average mpg over the last 25000 miles of our use has been 34mpg. webuyanycar say they'd give me ~£18k for it, so probably in your budget just about.

Its decent enough, not too slow (but definitely not fast!) , seats are comfy, drives nicely enough, is very quiet, has a nice large glass roof, and the gadgets inside are fine (on the st line x model we have anyway) . Roof bars can take 3 bikes, maybe 4 at a push. Its been perfectly reliable over the last 3 years that we've owned it.

The boot is big enough with one side of the seats folded down to take my 29 inch full sus size large mountain bike , upright with just the front wheel removed.

Skoda Karoq - I had a 1,5 tsi and drove it 50k over a couple of years. Really liked it. Mine was just a SE (tech) spec but it had everything I wanted. The only option I paid for was the auto boot (only because I never wash cars and don't like getting my hands dirty!)

Regardless of the mpg, the extra weight of an SUV (roughly 200kg comparing a Kuga and Focus Estate) is the main factor in the environmental impact of these things. 200kg more material makes a huge environmental impact at the manufacturing stage, even before you take into account what it does to mpg. You can tell and scream about how eco your SUV is but a car on the same platform will always be better.

So, the answer to this is the same as it always is as we live through an environmental crisis - if you really must get a car, get the smallest car you can practically use. And that will almost never be an SUV.

My diesel CRV even has a green coloured 'econ' button with a picture of a leaf on it. It is supposed to dull the throttle response to force your driving style to be more economical. As I don't typically drive it hard anyway it makes no difference at all to MPG. But what it does do is make two green lines glow comfortingly on the instrument panel to remind me of how eco I am driving around in my oil burning lump.

and I don’t miss it, because you still have to scrape all the other windows.

I'll always have a heated screen where possible - front always tends to ice up more than the sides anyway.

Discovery has one, but if it's really cold (and I remember), I just remote start the car from my bedroom half hour before I leave the house, so don't really need it

Kia Sportage. Love ours.

My OH has a top-spec one, 2.0d and AWD. Needed this one as she tows a horse trailer and it's got a higher tow weight.

Does the job, very nice place to be and a strong engine - certainly as good a drive as my equivalent age BMW 3 series, and even more toys. They do a 1.6d 2WD version which we did test drive and I reckon is near as dammit as good (£10k less new).

Regardless of the mpg, the extra weight of an SUV (roughly 200kg comparing a Kuga and Focus Estate) is the main factor in the environmental impact of these things. 200kg more material makes a huge environmental impact at the manufacturing stage, even before you take into account what it does to mpg. You can tell and scream about how eco your SUV is but a car on the same platform will always be better.

Her SUV weighs less than my saloon - both 2.0d, AWD 5 seaters.

Her SUV weighs less than my saloon – both 2.0d, AWD 5 seaters.

What does that say about the relative materials and build quality I wonder?

Problem with a lot of current SUV's is the shape of the boot space. Big floor space but tiny roof with sloped back and sides.

A box shapped Estate or Van shaped car is more practical. My Berlingo has the same size wheelbase as a lot of SUV's but so much more space. 1.2 petrol and gets over 50mpg on a motorway.

I dont want to derail the thread so this is the last thing I will post on this tangents, Ref the comments about "what it gets and what is displayed" is frustrating. It gets circa 38MPG on it's daily duties, more on a motorway trip.