Best family SUVs 2023
Fancy a high-riding car with plenty of load space? These are the best value, biggest-booted SUVs for all sorts of budgets
SUVs have become something of a go-to option for people looking for a safe and practical family car, but if you need a safe and practical family car that also has enough space to accommodate luggage for a weeks' holiday, this list of SUVs with the biggest boots is likely to be of interest. We’ve rounded up a range of options to suit all budgets, with PCP finance deals starting from under £200 per month.
Many of todays' best SUVs on the market are more efficient than ever, powered by low-emission petrol and diesel engines and even some hybrid options, which mean they're only a little more expensive to run than a family hatchback. Four-wheel-drive options are available, but they’re more expensive to buy and run - and consume more fuel - so it's worth avoiding them unless you have a definite need to venture off-road regularly.
To back up their off-roader style, many SUVs are also available with four-wheel-drive, though these versions are more expensive to buy and run, use more fuel and - in some cases - offer less boot space than two-wheel-drive equivalents, as there are additional mechanical parts needed under the boot floor. As a result, we’d recommend avoiding them, unless you have a particular need for four-wheel drive.
The popularity of SUVs has grown mainly thanks to drivers enjoying a higher driving position, with the extra feeling of safety and awareness helping to build confidence behind the wheel. Here, we’ve selected eight great value SUVs with boots large enough to cope with whatever you throw at them, whether you need the best car for a dog, or a tent.
1. Dacia Duster
Our pick Dacia Duster TCe 130 4x2 Comfort
Used deals from £9,999
Monthly finance from £157.52*
The Dacia Duster is by far and away the best SUV available at this price. Granted, at around £15,000, it’s the only relatively new SUV you can buy at this price, but in many ways it's just as good as several of its more expensive rivals - even the more expensive 4x4 version is strong value. Size-wise, it sits somewhere between the Renault Captur and Renault Kadjar, so if you’re a family of five, the Duster is a perfect fit; small enough to be easy to drive, but with enough passenger and boot space to be seriously practical.
Put it this way: you’re getting a family-size SUV for a fun-size price. With the rear seats in their upright position, there’s 445 litres of space, which is significantly more than you’ll find in the Volkswagen Golf. More space means more presents for your in-laws, so it’s a win-win situation. Better still, with the Duster you'll save enough to pay for the presents in the first place compared with many pricier alternatives.
Fold the seats down and the space extends to 1,623 litres, which is more than the more expensive Nissan Qashqai offers. It’s worth noting that the seats don’t fold entirely flat and the entry-level version doesn’t offer a split-fold rear bench - so if you want the most practical Duster, bear this in mind. But with prices this low, there's not much you can complain about really.
Boot size - Seats up 467-478 litres Seats down 1,614-1,623 litres
2. Skoda Karoq
Our pick Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI SEL
Used deals from £13,000
Monthly finance from £197.84*
The Skoda Karoq is the gift that keeps on giving, long after you’ve squeezed the Christmas tree into the boot and taken it to the recycling centre. Put simply, it offers one of the largest boots for a car of this size, but this doesn’t come at the expense of cabin space.
If you have a young family, there’s room for them to grow up in the Karoq, with plenty of space in the rear. It’s worth finding a Karoq with Skoda’s highly adjustable and removable 'VarioFlex' rear seats, as these deliver maximum practicality.
With the seats folded down, there’s 1,630 litres of space to play with, as well as useful extra features like cargo nets and hooks. Go for a model with removable seats, however, and you'll have up to 1,810 litres of boot space, which is as much as many larger cars.
Boot size - Seats up 521-588 litres Seats down 1,605-1,630 litres (1,810 litres with rear VarioFlex seats removed)
3. Peugeot 3008
Our pick Peugeot 3008 1.2 PureTech GT Line
Used deals from £13,195
Monthly finance from £222.86*
The old Peugeot 3008 may have been about as exciting as leftover Brussels sprouts, but the current version has had a makeover of Cinderella proportions. Oh yes, it has.
Thanks to its sharp styling and cutting edge interior, the 3008 muscles in on the upmarket end of the market. Not that the sharp styling and dramatic dashboard design come at the expense of practicality.
In five-seat mode, the 520-litre boot offers plenty of versatile space. Fold the seats down and you’re presented with a large 1,482-litre load area. You can even fold the front passenger seat forwards for extra long loads, so the skis need not be relegated to the roof. If you go for one of the hybrid options, you will lose a large chunk of the boot space, though, so do consider this before getting a hybrid model.
Boot size - Seats up 395-520 litres Seats down 1,357-1,482 litres
4. Mercedes GLE
Our pick Mercedes GLE 350d
Used deals from £22,950
Monthly finance from £441.69*
Moving up a level, both in terms of price and size, we find the Mercedes GLE. The current model, introduced in 2019, is a hugely spacious family SUV with the option of seven seats. Indeed, all but the entry-level model feature seven seats as standard.
It’s also slightly larger than the old model, offering at least 630 litres of space in five-seat mode, which extends to 2,055 litres with the seats folded down. An electric tailgate will make things easier when your hands are filled with presents.
Don’t discount the previous-generation GLE which offers 2,010 litres of space, though. Yes, it may not have the option of seven seats, but it is also far cheaper to buy, so you get more boot space per pound.
Boot size - Seats up 630-825 litres Seats down 1,915-2,055 litres
5. Skoda Kodiaq
Our pick Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 150 SE L
Used deals from £17,500
Monthly finance from £281.98*
If you enjoy the feeling of getting more for your money, the Skoda Kodiaq will be right up your street. This is Skoda’s largest SUV, and five- and seven-seat versions are available. Either way, you’re getting one of the most spacious cars in its class.
In the five-seat version, the Kodiaq offers 835 litres of boot space with the rear seats in their upright position, which is huge. You're not going to be wanting for space with this one.
Fold the seats down and you’re treated to a cavernous 2,065 litres of space, which is outstanding for a car of this size. Even the seven-seat Kodiaq offers 270 litres of space with all the seats in place, which is more than some small hatchbacks offer.
Boot size - Seven seats up 270 litres Five seats up 765-835 litres Seats down 2,005-2,065 litres
6. BMW X7
Our pick BMW X7 xDrive30d
Used deals Limited stock
If you’re feeling flush for cash, few SUVs are more opulent or spacious than the BMW X7. We’re not going to pretend that the X7 is a cheap option – because it isn’t – but if you do find yourself with a wedge of spare cash, you might want to consider this huge chunk of luxury SUV.
It’s massive, so good luck tackling the congested retail car park, but these Royal Albert Hall-size dimensions do allow for a truly cavernous cabin. It was designed to offer maximum comfort to all seven occupants and is packed with more tech than most children's Christmas lists.
Even with all seven seats in place, the boot is almost as large as a family hatchback’s, but with rows two and three folded down, the X7 offers a gargantuan 2,120 litres of space. Your luggage will never have travelled in such luxury.
Boot size - Seven seats up 326 litres Five seats up 750 litres Seats down 2,120 litres
7. Peugeot 5008
Our pick Peugeot 5008 1.2 PureTech GT Line
Used deals from £17,000
Monthly finance from £292.67*
Essentially, this is the larger, seven-seat version of the Peugeot 3008 SUV, and although it’s smaller than the Skoda Kodiaq outside, it offers more space inside. It also undercuts many more upmarket rivals, despite featuring bold exterior styling, a dramatic cabin design and a generous level of standard equipment.
With both rear seats lowered, the boot offers a minimum of 952 litres of space, loading up to the parcel shelf. This increases to a humongous 2,150 litres of space with the middle seats lowered, loading to the roof and making use of the underfloor storage. Consequently, the 5008 is a great option if you want the biggest boot you can get in a reasonably priced car.
Boot size - Seven seats up 162 litres Five seats up 952 litres Seats down 2,150 litres
8. Land Rover Discovery
Our pick Land Rover Discovery SD4 SE
Used deals from £27,495
Monthly finance from £446.55*
If you’re planning a family getaway – and your route takes in a few mountain tracks, disused quarries and rocky ravines – the Land Rover Discovery is the ultimate car for the job.
Few SUVs are more adept at handling the rough stuff, but it’s the size of the interior that’s of interest here. With both rows of seats folded away, the Discovery offers 2,406 litres of space floor to ceiling.
This is an enormous amount of room, making it a great option for those who want tonnes of load space but who don’t need to transport many people at the same time. Be warned: with all seven seats in use, the boot would be best described as ‘snug’, so you might want to invest in a roof box if you need space for more than five and luggage at the same time.
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY BUYERS' GUIDE
Boot size - Seven seats up 258 litres Five seats up 1,137-1,231 litres Seats down 2,391-2,485 litres
*Representative PCP finance - Ford Fiesta:
48 monthly payments of £192
Deposit: £0
Mileage limit: 8,000 per year
Optional final payment to buy car: £2,923
Total amount payable to buy car: £11,926
Total cost of credit: £2,426
Amount borrowed: £9,500
APR: 9.9%
BuyaCar is a credit broker, not a lender. Our rates start from 6.9% APR. The rate you are offered will depend on your individual circumstances.