I need a big SUV for £10k - what do you suggest?
I’m looking to buy a large SUV and have around £10k to spend on it. I work for the Coast Guard and RNLI as a trainer in the South West, but also do a lot of motorway miles to rugged Wales and the Scottish Highlands for regular training, so would like something comfortable and definitely automatic. Hence the idea of an SUV over an MPV
I have to take a lot of training equipment with me that can be quite large (from lots of boxes to 7ft rescue boards etc), so need a lot of boot space. I’ll only be taking myself and a passenger, so rear seats not too much of an issue as they will spend a lot of time down. I will probably look to put a roof tent on it as well.
I was thinking of either a Discover Sport or Discovery 4, but know they can have issues, so I wondered your thoughts please, or should I be looking at something else? Perhaps I should consider an MPV instead, if so, which?
I have to take a lot of training equipment with me that can be quite large (from lots of boxes to 7ft rescue boards etc), so need a lot of boot space. I’ll only be taking myself and a passenger, so rear seats not too much of an issue as they will spend a lot of time down. I will probably look to put a roof tent on it as well.
I was thinking of either a Discover Sport or Discovery 4, but know they can have issues, so I wondered your thoughts please, or should I be looking at something else? Perhaps I should consider an MPV instead, if so, which?
Asked on 20 August 2025 by Matt
Answered by
Matt Robinson
The Discovery Sport placed third from the bottom of the most recent Honest John Satisfaction Index reliability ranking with a score of 82%, suggesting nearly a fifth of surveyed owners experienced issues. Meanwhile, Land Rover as a whole placed 28th out of 33 manufacturers for reliability. You could buy either car and end up with a hassle-free experience, but our data suggests you're more likely to encounter an issue than with some of the alternatives.
If you're happy with a car with higher mileage (or can stretch your budget slightly for a less used car), some examples of the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe (close relatives to one another) and the Skoda Kodiaq dip under the £10,000 mark. Each is very spacious and comfortable. The Kodiaq has a particularly large boot, offering 835 litres of space and over 2000 litres once the rear bench is folded.
An MPV in most cases will be even more spacious - it's just a question of whether you want to compromise on style. The Ford S-MAX is one of the best, and easily doable at your budget.
If you're happy with a car with higher mileage (or can stretch your budget slightly for a less used car), some examples of the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe (close relatives to one another) and the Skoda Kodiaq dip under the £10,000 mark. Each is very spacious and comfortable. The Kodiaq has a particularly large boot, offering 835 litres of space and over 2000 litres once the rear bench is folded.
An MPV in most cases will be even more spacious - it's just a question of whether you want to compromise on style. The Ford S-MAX is one of the best, and easily doable at your budget.
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suvs
buying advice
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