SUV-thing Suggestions/Sanity Checking

[NervousEnergy]

Hi, am a very occasional poster looking for input (sanity checking really) into a new "family" car. Thanks in advance:-) and sorry it's got a bit long. There is absolutely no need for this car to be "interesting" - just reliable and economical. It's to replace a 2010 2.0 TDI S-Max which has been brilliant - but is now at 160K apparently "not reliable" - debatable IMHO.

We now do about 16K a year in it - most days it's driven by my wife, who does four 20 mile days and one 100-150 mile day a week. It also does a fair few long (200-400 miles each way) UK journeys, and one or two trips to Greece (1300 each way + driving around) - mostly driven by me but I'll drive anything. We no longer need a 7-seater.

This isn't going to be an entirely rationale decision IMHO - which would be either (a) an estate, probably Euro 6 diesel; or (b) keep the S-Max. (There are long and boring reasons for this that amount to people wanting what people want, and some unhelpful input by a relative.)

So it's going to be:

• 5-seat "SUV" (not 4WD - it has to look the part though as far as I can tell - rules out a few things that look "car-y").
• 500l+ boot (or at least close).
• Petrol or petrol hybrid, though the long trips that make up a majority of the mileage will be a lot > than battery range
• Budget £25K buying outright - can go a fair bit higher if there's something compelling we've missed but would prefer to limit how much we tie up in a car.
• Age obviously dependent on the choice of vehicle - am not averse to a few years but other things being equal, the newer the better.
• Don't need many "toys" - parking sensors (rear minimum), Carplay/Auto and cruise is fine - base specs all seem to have them.

So far the contenders (which have been looked at and driven) are:

• Karoq - the leader right now
• Sportage
• Tucson
• Kuga
• Alteca (but Karoq was deemed "better")

Duster is a possible given we could get a new one in budget, but boot's a bit small.

Rejected - either because boot is too small, or seems a bit expensive for what you get, or just not liked for some arbitrary reason or another:

• Qashqai
• XC40
• CX-30
• S-Cross (not that I think I've ever seen one)
• Grandland - had a rental, wife hated driving it
• MG offerings - not actually seen in real life TBF
• Anything JLR - am not a well-heeled masochist who feels lucky
• Anything "French" - where "French" = "brand is French regardless of what it actually is, or where it's actually made" (this is relatives input)

Seems we should also be looking at the Tiguan but anything else we're overlooking? There's Audi, BMW and Mercedes - but as well as being a bit pricy I think the options in the size range are all 4WD? (There's an outside chance we'll end up being a salary sacrifice EV but that's a separate thing.)

Thanks again:-)

[QJumper]

If you want reliable then how about a Lexus RX 450h? Very comfortable on long drives across Europe too.

[mrpbailey]

How about an Alfa Stelvio? 2.0 200 or 280bhp turbo petrol.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303074...

Fantastic to drive, doesn’t feel so much like a typical SUV. One of (if not the) best looking SUV’s. 500ltr boot space. Negative is 9k service intervals so you’d be almost doing 2 per year at your mileage.

Or the Volvo XC60 - much more useable space than the xc40 you mentioned

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301073...

Edit: missed the ‘no 4WD’ bit! To be fair the Stelvio is rear biased!

Edited by mrpbailey on Friday 10th March 12:06

[silent ninja]

Do you need a proper 5 seater or a "it will do for short trips and odd long trip" 5 seater?

The Karoq, SEAT Ateca and Tiguan are basically the same car. I found the Ateca middle rear seat slightly better than the Tiguan which was firm and high and unusable. We've had two teens and a baby in the back of the Ateca and it has just about coped. After 4 years we're moving up to something bigger.

All the cars you've mentioned are not proper 5 seaters. I'd test them out. Generally you get more for your money with Skoda, SEAT and Kia versus VW. The DSG in the Ateca is perfectly good and I'd always recommend an auto for a family car.

The Volvo XC60 is more expensive but I believe it has 3 seats in the back and is a genuine 5 seater. there are fewer engine choices though.

[NervousEnergy]

QJumper said:

If you want reliable then how about a Lexus RX 450h? Very comfortable on long drives across Europe too.

Thanks:-) Lexus hadn't even occurred to me TBH. Will have a look.

mrpbailey said:

How about an Alfa Stelvio? 2.0 200 or 280bhp turbo petrol.

Again - thanks:-) Having said that, my wife is an excellent driver but that's twice the power of our S-MAX and she's the one with the points... Also suspect "Italian" will be regarded as "honorary French"

silent ninja said:

Do you need a proper 5 seater or a "it will do for short trips and odd long trip" 5 seater?
.... The DSG in the Ateca is perfectly good and I'd always recommend an auto for a family car.

Sorry - I was being sloppy. 4 "proper" seats, 5 at a push is what I meant. Yes, agree - tested the DSG and would prefer one

Re XC60 - it's nice, but too big TBH (same reluctant decision was made re Kodiak etc. - nice but not really justifiable given the use case)

Edited by NervousEnergy on Friday 10th March 13:46

Edited by NervousEnergy on Friday 10th March 13:47

[Dave Hedgehog]

you will have a hard time finding a more reliable, better built family SUV for the money than the Koreans IMO

Missus sportage is coming up for 6 years old, its fully loaded with leather, car play etc and its been abused to hell inside and out, every panel and rim are marked, inside looks like someone took it off roading inside out ...

and despite the abuse zero faults, if im honest it was better built than my A45 ...

[NervousEnergy]

Dave Hedgehog said:

you will have a hard time finding a more reliable, better built family SUV for the money than the Koreans IMO

Missus sportage is coming up for 6 years old, its fully loaded with leather, car play etc and its been abused to hell inside and out, every panel and rim are marked, inside looks like someone took it off roading inside out ...

and despite the abuse zero faults, if im honest it was better built than my A45 ...

That's kind of what we're looking for TBH - that's how our S-Max has been for the last 12 yrs

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd say the Lexus NX300 F Sport Premium could be a good fit:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302084...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204114...

[wyson]

Im doing this now as well, considering the same vehicles, although want to lease / pcp a new car.

Why did you discount the Qashqai and XC40?

I’ve discounted all VAG products because I don’t like their dry clutch DQ200 DSG gearboxes.

The Kuga’s interior didn’t appeal.

Discounted all Toyota / Lexus hybrid’s because of cat theft concerns.

The new Sportage and XC40 are front runners right now, going to check out a Qashqai this weekend. Was thinking I’d just plump for one of those if ok, the lease deals are the cheapest right now, can get into an e power, 3m down, 24m term for about £360 a month.

Edited by wyson on Friday 10th March 20:40

[tr7v8]

I went through a similar thing and ended up with a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Its a plug in hybrid. It charges in about 4 hours on a 13Amp socket, that gives 11-25 miles depending on outside temp. The 2L goes well enough, mine missed being a 2.4 L by a few months. Average MPG has been 40MPG+ over the 15ish months I've owned it. I've put tyres on it after getting a puncture last year. On Vredestein Quadtracs it was awesome in the snow.
Mine is a 4HS the S is a safety package, 360 cameras, ACC, heated everything including steering wheel etc. Unfortunately that means it exceeds 40K new which means extortionate RFL for the first 5 years.

[cliffords]

I am doing the same hunt as you right now. I have looked at all bar one of the vehicles mentioned on here. Right now our top find is a Skoda. There are two SUVs in the range a mid size and a large . Both vehicles seem to have benefits over the Ford, Honda, Volvo etc in our opinion.

[nickfrog]

Dave Hedgehog said:

you will have a hard time finding a more reliable, better built family SUV for the money than the Koreans IMO

Missus sportage is coming up for 6 years old, its fully loaded with leather, car play etc and its been abused to hell inside and out, every panel and rim are marked, inside looks like someone took it off roading inside out ...

and despite the abuse zero faults, if im honest it was better built than my A45 ...

Yes agreed. We have an Xceed that replaced a Karoq and a 3008. It is very slightly smaller and looks more like a coupe SUV/Crossover whatever thing.

Still we love it.

The 1.5t with 158hp and the DCT is a brilliant combination.m, returning an actual 40mpg of mostly town driving. Any longer trips yields 50mpg without trying.

The 7 year warranty is useful too although I don't expect to use it much. £400 for the first 3 services and MOT.

[NervousEnergy]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd say the Lexus NX300 F Sport Premium could be a good fit:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302084...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204114...

Thanks, yes agree - worth a look definitely

[NervousEnergy]

wyson said:

Im doing this now as well, considering the same vehicles, although want to lease / pcp a new car.

Why did you discount the Qashqai and XC40?

[/footnote]

Nothing specific - my wife just wasn't keen on either of them, didn't even want to drive either of them. I was surprised she didn't like the Volvo TBH but, to be fair, she's going to be sitting in whatever we get on one side our the other a lot more than me.

[Mammasaid]

NervousEnergy said:

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd say the Lexus NX300 F Sport Premium could be a good fit:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302084...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204114...

Thanks, yes agree - worth a look definitely

If you can cope with a CVT!

Our Ateca is perfectly fine for what it is and does drive better than the Karoq, but the Karoq's a little more practical.

But for 25k, I'd go estate and a Volvo V90 would ve a lovely place to drive to Greece in.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303105...

[NervousEnergy]

Mammasaid said:

If you can cope with a CVT!

Our Ateca is perfectly fine for what it is and does drive better than the Karoq, but the Karoq's a little more practical.

But for 25k, I'd go estate and a Volvo V90 would ve a lovely place to drive to Greece in.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303105...

Didn't spot the CVT:-) - though I guess don't say no until you try it. I would much prefer an estate - makes a lot more sense IMHO. I've tried and failed.

[aaron-j9c9a]

I had a 2020 xc40 before it was written off, not exciting by any means but done everything very well and very comfortable. It was also well built. No issues with it.

You could try a xc60 D5, I had a 2016. Very comfortable but thirsty.

I tried, Mazda cx5, Tiguan, seat offerings, x1, Skoda, Honda crv. In the end I settled on the Tiguan, I would have another xc40 but I like trying different cars

[Yomamaisasnowblower]

Tbh, the 1st gen S-max is an excellent family bus and I would just keep it till it goes bang. There isn't anything similar on the market even now which has so much space, takes the abuse, cheap to run and is still car like to drive. The Sportage/Qashquai/Ateca etc are tiny in comparison and don't offer any improvement bar newer looking tech.

[NervousEnergy]

Yomamaisasnowblower said:

Tbh, the 1st gen S-max is an excellent family bus and I would just keep it till it goes bang. There isn't anything similar on the market even now which has so much space, takes the abuse, cheap to run and is still car like to drive. The Sportage/Qashquai/Ateca etc are tiny in comparison and don't offer any improvement bar newer looking tech.

That's what I think - it's got a lot more space and it's not much bigger than the things we're looking at, does >40mpg even allowing for the on board computer lying massively, and the only real inconvenience is that we have to now avoid the Avon Gorge on fairly regular trips to pick up/drop someone at Bristol airport. And the only things we've had to do that you might not expect are an air con pump and one front calliper, plus sorting out a corroded ECU socket. Trouble is, the air con pump went a couple of days after the battery (not unexpected but which generated a whole load of not real "faults"), and not long after there was a dodgy front ABS sensor connection (10 min fix) which generated more "faults".

To be fair, the weekly work trip is to the middle of nowhere with long stretches of no mobile signal or much other traffic, and it is 13 years old and more or less at the end of its design life (250K km apparently). It would also need another new timing belt (well not "need" but I've had a one fail early in a monumentally catastrophic, expensive and very inconvenient - in another country - way so am not keen on leaving it). And then there's the very tiny but definitely real oil leak from the turbo which will probably develop. So it's a fairly expensive bill coming and I'm never going to really convince my wife at this point that it's to be completely relied on.

[jayymannon]

wyson said:

Discounted all Toyota / Lexus hybrid’s because of cat theft concerns.

Edited by wyson on Friday 10th March 20:40

Is this still an issue for newer models?
I'd be interested to know as I'm looking at a new Yaris hybrid as my potential next car but we have had some cat thefts locally (mainly Honda Jazz I think) so it would potentially put me off.
I was under the impression that newer models had less valubale metals in their catalytic converters?