Most reliable used suv under $5 000

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2003 Chevrolet Tracker Base | Sandy, UT

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2008 Honda CR-V EX 188,919 Miles | Canonsburg, PA

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2006 Cadillac Escalade Base 192,581 Miles | Salem, OR

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2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T 256,019 Miles | Klamath Falls, OR

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2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport ES 248,008 Miles | Sandy, UT

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2003 Honda CR-V EX 235,156 Miles | Salem, OR

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2007 Kia Sorento LX 189,749 Miles | Sanford, FL

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2003 Honda Pilot EX 231,111 Miles | Hamilton Township, NJ

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2005 Hyundai Tucson GL 61,023 Miles | Old Bridge, NJ

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2006 Nissan Murano S 191,592 Miles | Bay City, TX

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2010 Jeep Liberty Sport 181,969 Miles | Kennewick, WA

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2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT LS 180,791 Miles | Pueblo, CO

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2003 Jeep Liberty Sport 239,391 Miles | Jonesboro, AR

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2004 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 251,510 Miles | Paynesville, MN

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2007 Saturn Vue Base 223,977 Miles | Indianapolis, IN

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1997 Ford Expedition XLT 194,418 Miles | Paynesville, MN

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2008 Chevrolet Equinox LS 169,209 Miles | Lakeview, OR

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2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor LS 254,960 Miles | Saint George, UT

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1993 Ford Explorer XL | Baker City, OR

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2006 Jeep Commander Base 169,482 Miles | Seattle, WA

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SUVs, or sports utility vehicles, are one of the most popular styles of car for UK motorists. With a high driving position, plenty of space and, of course, those rugged and envy-inducing good looks, it’s easy to understand why.

Most good SUVs perfectly lend themselves well to carrying lots of family, luggage and hobby equipment. They’re so commodious, most of this stuff goes in without having to drop the back seats. What’s more, they’ve also got great towing capabilities, if you’re a trailer or caravan owner.

They’re sometimes misunderstood as gas-guzzlers, but that’s far from the case with the family-focused models we’re looking at here. Many of them use efficient diesel and petrol engines which are almost as economical as regular family hatchbacks.

The choice of SUVs on the market is vast and has been growing non-stop for years. So, here’s our top picks for the best used SUVs costing less than £5,000.

Top 10 used SUVs for less than £5,000

10. Mitsubishi Outlander

The Mitsubishi Outlander is a reliable and robust family workhorse for those seeking a great-value SUV, particularly models with the Volkswagen-sourced diesel engine.

It’s a sound option for bigger families since there’s a seven-seater to select, too. Sure, the rearmost seats are a bit cramped, but it’s hard to find too many faults with the Outlander considering how cheap it now is. And even though the Mitsubishi brand is no longer sold new in the UK, official channels remain open for used car support, so you won’t face any issues in terms of servicing or parts supply.

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9. Nissan Qashqai

A breakthrough model, the Nissan Qashqai was the world’s first ‘crossover SUV’, blending a 4×4 appearance with a more car-like drive and running costs. It was a smash hit from the outset, meaning there are loads to choose from on the used car market.

For our £5,000 budget, you’ll be looking at the first-generation car, but in facelift guise, which arrived in 2010. Petrol engines are a bit weedy; we’d go for 1.5-litre dCi or 1.6-litre dCi. Popular n-tec grade has the best kit (and the smartest alloys) and you might even stumble across a Qashqai+2, which has seven seats.

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8. Dacia Duster

The Dacia Duster arrived in Britain in 2013 with a bang, thanks to its incredibly good value pricing. This is great news for used SUV buyers, as it means you can get into as 2015 car, with a good spec and an efficient, cheap-to-tax 1.5-litre dCi diesel, for our £5k budget.

The interior is not the most stylish, but it’s solid enough, and pretty practical. It is worth noting there isn’t air-con on the basic trim level, though. We’d therefore err towards Ambience or Laureate, rather than entry-level Access.

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7. Hyundai ix35

The Hyundai ix35 was a sign of things to come for the popular Korean car maker. Styling is distinctive and the interior sophisticated; even today, it’s an easy-to-drive, contemporary-feeling car.

It’s very reliable too, backed up by a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty when new. Because diesel was the dominant fuel back then, most used examples will be the 1.7-litre CRDi, and you’ll easily be able to find a 2012 example for our £5k budget. Look out for Premium spec, which has plenty of extras as standard.

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6. Ford Kuga

The original Ford Kuga was a brilliant first family SUV for Britain’s favourite car brand. Even today, it still looks great, and it handles in an engaging, enjoyable way few other SUVs can match. Practicality is OK and the interior is characterful.

Most used examples will feature Ford’s 2.0-litre TDCi diesel, a solid all-rounder that won’t cause any headaches. If you fancy a bit of spice though, look out for the rare 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo petrol – the same engine as used in the Focus ST hot hatch. Yes, it’s thirsty and expensive to run, but it’s also hilariously good fun: perfect if you’re an enthusiast and your annual mileage is low.

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5. Volvo XC90

The original Volvo XC90 was sold between 2002 and 2014, so there’s loads of choice on the used car market. It was a breakthrough car for the brand, its first SUV, and one of the first genuinely family-friendly seven-seaters on the market: the third-row seats are ingenuous.

A premium-looking, timeless machine, the XC90 is a feel-good car that still drives nicely. Most will use the 2.4-litre D5 diesel engine, which is characterful and OK on fuel, even if high CO2 emissions leads to expensive VED road tax. You won’t mind too much though, because the XC90 is a cut-above, well-equipped machine that you’ll easily be able to pick up in post-facelift, 2007-on guise for less than £5,000.

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4. Land Rover Freelander

There was always going to be a Land Rover on this list. The second-generation Freelander (sold between 2006 and 2014) slots nicely into our £5,000 limit. Even today, it still looks good, and still has that ultra-desirable Land Rover lettering on its bonnet.

With a premium feel, this Landie is as happy munching motorways as it is tyre-deep in muddy bogs. Its chunky styling lends itself well to countryside appeal, but servicing costs might be off-putting to some. Then there’s the reliability niggles many Land Rovers suffer – although to be fair, the Freelander is less afflicted than other models.

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3. Toyota RAV4

Toyota is a company renowned for building reliable, long-lasting vehicles, and the 2006-2012 RAV4 is no exception. It’s comfortable inside, with a neat, premium-feel layout, which hasn’t dated too badly.

Choose from either 2.0-litre petrol or more efficient 2.2-litre D-4D diesel (there’s a rare, low-emission D-CAT version too). We like high-spec XT-4 or XT-R trim, but there’s plenty of choice out there and all are well-equipped. Shop carefully, as older Toyotas hold onto their value well – and some vendors’ over-optimistic pricing reflects this…

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2. Honda CR-V

Honda is another well-liked brand amongst used car buyers because of the famed reliability of its vehicles. The 2007-2012 CR-V SUV exemplifies this, with superb build quality that means even today, more than a decade on, £5k used car examples still feel tight.

It was available with a brilliant 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine too, which is uncannily smooth and good on fuel. Much as we like the revvy 2.0-litre petrol, we’d probably err to the diesel. Look for post-facelift cars if you can – they have a bold chrome two- or three-bar grille – as these have the best standard spec.

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1. Kia Sportage

The 2010-2016 Kia Sportage remains a cracking-looking machine even today. Kia gave it a radical, sporty look, which is ageing really well – making it all the more tantalising that you can now get a 10-year-old example for less than £5,000.

As it benefitted from Kia’s amazing seven-year warranty when new, it means plentiful in-built reliability. The diesel engines pull well (the 1.7-litre CRDi diesel gives the best fuel economy), and it’s a generously-equipped machine – we’d look for ‘3’ or ‘4’ grades in the used car classifieds.

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