Does an SUV suit my family needs?
Can you recommend a good used family SUV that won't break the bank and has good fuel economy and emissions? Main requirements are: it's spacious enough to fit two adults and three small kids comfortably, plus has lots of storage space for camping gear, buggies etc; cheap to run; readily available second-hand (2008 and later). I'm not planning any off-road trips so four-wheel drive isn't too important, neither is an automatic transmission, climate control or other such luxuries.
Eoin ClearyMay 2014 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Eoin,
I hate to say it but an SUV may not be what you need. To get three kids in comfortably, you really need a car with three individual seats across the back and only the likes of the Land Rover Discovery or Toyota Land Cruiser have those - and they're big, heavy and expensive to run.
So you may need to look down the MPV route. Don't panic - it's not as bad as it sounds. Have a look for a nice Ford S-Max. Tonnes of room, extra seats in the (massive) boot and affordable running costs.
That said, it depends on the age of your kids. If they're big enough to not need booster seats (or if only a couple of them still need one) that opens up your options a little. If you still fancy an SUV, try a Nissan X-Trail; spacious, reliable, good to drive.
Let us know what you go for
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe