Suv - Best used suv under £15k - plans4u

I've got a vw polo to part exchange and need a bigger car to accommodate dog and toddler. Seen a lovely BMW x3 but just not sure if I should be looking at hybrids.

Suv - Best used suv under £15k - badbusdriver

Whether or not you should be looking at hybrids may not be relevant relevant unless you are talking about "PHEV" (plug in hybrid), where you're really need the ability to charge at home on your own charger (ideally with a low rate electricity deal specific for doing just that) to make maximum use of the potential benefits. How much miles do you do per year and what sort of journeys?

Whether or not you should be looking at a BMW (or indeed any of the so called premium brands other than Lexus) is the more important question. The answer to that, IMO, is no.

If reliability is important, what you should be looking at is the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX5, Honda CRV and Lexus UX or NX, all with either petrol or (full*) self charging hybrid ("HEV", this applies to the RAV4 and both Lexus)

*As opposed to mild hybrid ("MHEV"), where the car don't drive on electric power alone. That isn't to say you should avoid MHEV, more that (a) you won't have a choice unless you go for an older example, and (b) the economy benefits are pretty modest (circa 5%)

Edited by badbusdriver on 28/08/2025 at 11:25

Suv - Best used suv under £15k - RT

I've got a vw polo to part exchange and need a bigger car to accommodate dog and toddler. Seen a lovely BMW x3 but just not sure if I should be looking at hybrids.

You probably need to add an age and mileage limit - some of the premium SUVs are old enough to come under your £15k budget but I doubt you mean to include them.

Suv - Best used suv under £15k - Engineer Andy

I've got a vw polo to part exchange and need a bigger car to accommodate dog and toddler. Seen a lovely BMW x3 but just not sure if I should be looking at hybrids.

You probably need to add an age and mileage limit - some of the premium SUVs are old enough to come under your £15k budget but I doubt you mean to include them.

Plus a 'premium' SUV will come with premium running costs - servicing, parts and insurance-wise.

I think, as BBD says, its better to buy something with less badge snob appeal where you can get a car at least as reliable (if no more so) at a lower cost to buy and run, even getting a newer car than a Beemer which will help the fuel efficiency, reliability and longevity too.

The OP shouldn't worry about it being a hybrid or not - most cars of that price for that sort are likely to be Euro 6 (EU6) emissions compliant at least.

Petrol-engined cars made from around then onwards tend to be much closer to the efficiency of diesels than previous generations (hybrids or not), and have the added benefit of mostly being less complex and more reliable, as long as you avoid those with wet timing belts, dual clutch (DCT) and Jatco 'auto' gearboxes (though newer DCTs generally are a good deal more reliable and easier to maintain than those from the 2010s).

Unless the powers-that-be suddenly up the requirements significantly, its likely that petrol cars should easily be able to drive into ULEZs (like London) for many years to come without needing to pay the high charges (currently they only need to be EU4 rated or better) - unlike diesels (which since the mid2010s are complex and can be unreliable, save a few), which need to be EU6 or better.

Suv - Best used suv under £15k - SLO76
What sort of usage will the car see? Will it get a regular longer run at 50mph plus, or will it mostly be pootling around town? Where roughly will you be looking?
Suv - Best used suv under £15k - Robert J.

Assuming you’ll want to put your toddler on the back seat and your dog in the boot? Bear in mind the boot on SUVs is rather high and you will need to lift the dog in and out or train it to use a ramp. My partner is volunteering at a dog charity and I noticed all the staff at the charity use Skoda estate cars with a boot divider. The dogs can easily jump in and out of the low boot without risk of injury and they still have plenty of boot space, which you might find useful for pushchairs. It’s the size smaller than the superb, the name escapes me at the moment.

Suv - Best used suv under £15k - leaseman

Skoda Octavia Estate?

Suv - Best used suv under £15k - Robert J.

Thanks. They didn’t have the model’s name on the back.