Kia Sorento (2015-present)

With space for seven, an enormous boot (when you fold the rear seats) and four-wheel drive with trailer stability assist as standard, the Kia Sorento is four vehicles in one: mini-bus, van, off-roader and tow car.

It's a popular formula for families, and there are plenty of other seven-seat sport utility vehicles (SUVs), including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan X-Trail and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. All feature a rugged design and a high driving position but these are cars that are designed for school runs and motorway trips, rather than off-road expeditions.

Despite the competition, there's a lot going for the big Kia Sorento, particularly when it comes to value. New car prices start at under £30,000, and two-year-old models are around £10,000 cheaper. There's a lengthy seven-year warranty, as well as air conditioning, digital radio and parking sensors across the range.

Value doesn't mean cheap: the Sorento may not quite match the Volkswagen or the slightly more expensive Land Rover Discovery Sport, but the controls are robust, the interior is covered in soft-touch materials and there are plenty of high-end options including seats that heat or cool, a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control and all-round camera.

Owners speak highly of the car: in the latest Driver Power new car satisfaction survey, the Sorento was ranked as the best SUV to own, and the second best new car in Britain for reliability.

The Sorento was updated in 2018 with a more efficient automatic gearbox, some minor styling tweaks and some additional trim options, but no major changes to the car that first appeared in 2015, so you're not missing out on much if you opt for a used model.

The Sorento is a safe vehicle with the maximum five stars from Euro NCAP. There are only two sets of Isofix points - in the middle row of seats - for securing a child seat. 

Visibility is good, with the driver enjoying a great view of the road. The middle row of seats can easily accommodate three adults. They get their own USB charging point, too. The rearmost row is a bit of a squeeze but passengers here have their own ventilation controls, which make things more bearable.  

There’s not a lot of boot space behind that third row but you can always fold it down to create more. Fold down the middle row and you’ll be thinking you bought a van, there’s so much of it.

Fortunately, the Sorento is far from van-like on the road. It’s quiet, smooth and comfortable over most roads. Being a tall vehicle, it will lean noticeably in corners if driven with any enthusiasm. The light steering makes a doddle of low-speed manoeuvres such as parking but makes it difficult to judge precisely where the wheels are pointing at higher speeds. There’s a choice of manual or eight-speed automatic gearboxes. The latter suits the Sorento’s relaxed style but adds £2,000 to the price.

As a used car it makes a lot of sense, but in the past two years the competition has intensified and the Sorento has now been overtaken by rivals, which are even cheaper. The new Peugeot 5008 is more comfortable, arguably more stylish and comes with a flashy two-screen dashboard; Skoda's Kodiaq offers exceptional value with the nimble driving feel of a much smaller car; there's a new and improved Hyundai Santa Fe on the way; while the Land Rover Discovery Sport is surprisingly competitive when compared with a top-specification Kia Sportage - and much more capable off road.

If you don't need seven seats, consider smaller and cheaper SUVs including the Peugeot 3008 and Kia’s own very popular Sportage, as well as the big-booted Renault Koleos.

If you all you want is seven-seat versatility without the bulk of an SUV, then check out people carriers such as the seven-seat Kia Carens, which costs £10,000 less than the Sorento. Other large MPVs worth looking at are the Ford Galaxy and Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.