Compare the best cheap SUVs

The Citroen C3 Aircross will probably be the cheapest to insure, as it falls into Group 6. Nothing else can match that — even a Nissan Juke is in Group 11. If you want something larger, then the Skoda Karoq falls into a very competitive Group 9 for the 1.0-litre version. As far as tax is concerned, an electric model such as the Volvo EX30 is your best bet.

The winner here is again the electric cars, which have the potential to run for pennies on the mile if they're charged up overnight on cheap electric rates. In terms of fuel, though, it's the Toyota Yaris Cross that wins here with an official figure of 65.9mpg and a realistic figure not far off that.

Dacia has done well in reliability surveys in the past few years, but we’re going to put our money on the Toyota Yaris Cross. Toyota's reputation for reliability is enviable, as you can tell by looking at any one of the thousands of Prius taxis in major cities around the world with 500,000 miles on the clock. A ten-year warranty proves that the brand's happy to put its money where its mouth is, too.

This one has to go to the Citroen C5 Aircross, which won the Family Values Award at the 2024 Carwow Car of the Year awards. It has loads of space inside, a massive boot, a comfortable driving experience – and importantly, it doesn't feel cheap inside. Special mention to the Dacia Jogger, because it’s also fantastic value and has seven seats as standard.

If you’re looking for high-performance, you’ve probably come to the wrong market segment. Still, the fastest of our bunch is the Nissan Juke, which will make it to 62mph in 10.7secs from rest. The rest are all clustered closer to, or above, 11secs, but none in their cheapest form is exactly what you’d call quick.

Technically none of them are, as all of these cars in their basic form come with front-wheel drive and economy-minded tyres, so you’d be as well off in a Fiesta heading off into the mud. That said, for a bit of extra cost some of them can be made to off-road. The Peugeot 2008 can be fitted with ‘Grip Control’ electronic traction control and all-season tyres, which makes it better off the tarmac than most. The best advice, though, if you want to go off-road on the cheap, is to buy a four-wheel drive Dacia Duster (for £20,495) and a set of mud-and-snow tyres.