In the old days, SUVs usually came with a ride-quality penalty.
Mainly thanks to weighing more than an equivalent hatchback or saloon, with a taller centre of gravity. However, these 10 SUVs prove these practical cars can still cruise with the best.
Here are the comfiest SUVs you can buy – including both budget-friendly options and premium marques. Most are available as great-value nearly new and used cars from Motorpoint.
Skoda Karoq
The Skoda Karoq isn't just one of the comfiest SUVs, it's one of the very best. It's impressively affordable, undercutting the Volkswagen Tiguan on which it's based, making it a great-value buy as a nearly new or used car. Practicality is excellent with surplus space for tall passengers in the rear seats, and a wardrobe-sized squared-off cargo area out back. Those features alone would be plenty to sell the Karoq but perhaps its greatest asset is its soft and pillowy ride quality, reminiscent of luxury SUVs that cost several times the price – make sure you get one on smaller alloys for the most cushioned experience.
Search used Skoda Karoq cars for sale or read our Skoda Karoq review
Volvo XC60
The Volvo XC60 is the brand's mid-size SUV and the largest five-seater in the lineup. Despite lacking the XC90's gargantuan dimensions, the XC60 has acres of passenger space, with loads of room for those in the back to stretch out, and a cargo area that's just the right size for a large pushchair or your four-legged friend. It's not a car that rewards enthusiastic driving but, if you leave it in automatic mode, the Volvo wafts from corner to corner with the kind of calm composure that can soothe even the longest of office days.
Take a look at used Volvo XC60 cars or read our Volvo XC60 review
Kia EV3
Despite their many plus points, electric cars don't always have the best ride quality. That's because their heavy batteries require robust suspension setups, and EVs often use firm, low-rolling resistance tyres to improve range. Clearly, that restriction doesn't apply to the Kia EV3's engineers, who've made one of the best-riding EVs on the market, let alone at its competitive sub-£40,000 price point. It's comfy for passengers too, with loads of room for them to stretch out across both rows, even though its 4.3-metre length is roughly the same as most family hatchbacks, so it's easy to park – a benefit of its EV 'skateboard' chassis.
Search used Kia electric cars or read our Kia EV3 review
Renault Austral
Renault's SUV range is a little confusing – traditional nameplates like Scenic and Megane are now pure-electric cars. Meanwhile its fuel-powered SUVs all have new-fangled names like Symbioz and this, the Austral. Ignore the complicated lineup, however, because the Austral is quite simple – there's just one excellent full-hybrid engine to choose from, and all trim levels come with a modern, spacious cabin that's trimmed in tasteful materials, with a sensible layout. Most importantly, the Austral rides with grace over cracked UK roads, softening the bumps and isolating you from nearly all the vibrations from scruffy surfaces.
View used Renault Austral cars for sale or read our Renault Austral review
Range Rover Evoque
You might look at the Range Rover Evoque's taut bodywork and planted stance, and think this is an SUV that's mainly going to focus on the 'sports' part of the brief. However, take the smallest Range Rover out for a spin and you'll find that it's much more than a one-trick pony. There's a maturity to the Evoque's ride quality that works wonders over the UK's broken road surfaces, all without softening the handling so much that it rolls uncontrollably through corners. Decent practicality and a plush cabin complete this tempting package.
Browse used Range Rover Evoque cars or read our Range Rover Evoque review
Volkswagen T-Roc
Where the Golf was once the main family car in the brand's lineup, the Volkswagen T-Roc is now among its most important models. This compact SUV fits easily through tight city streets while also having enough space to fit adults in every position. It's not so soft that it wobbles through corners but there's enough compliance in the setup to absorb most impacts before they make it to the base of your seat. The rest of the car is classic 'Volkswagen', with a sensible, intuitive dashboard and a sense of solidity to the build quality.
Shop used Volkswagen T-Roc cars for sale or read our Volkswagen T-Roc review
Peugeot 2008
There's no need to blow the budget to get a comfortable SUV, as proven by the Peugeot 2008. This handsome compact family car is available with huge savings as a nearly new or used car, and even gets the option of a fully electric powertrain to help city dwellers cut their fuel bills. The on-road setup is fairly soft, which means the 2008 flows over bumps with very little impact making it to the passengers inside. Backing the driving experience up is a plush cabin trimmed in impressively soft materials that rivals premium brands from a higher price bracket.
Check out used Peugeot 2008 cars or read our Peugeot 2008 review
Nissan Qashqai
The previous-generation Nissan Qashqai is widely available on the used market and still has its greatest trump card – the comfy ride quality. Its replacement loses none of the old car's cushy absorption over big bumps, but adds in a substantially updated cabin with far better materials and more modern tech. You also get a sharper exterior look, bringing the Qashqai confidently into this decade, although without any meaningful change to the dimensions, which are still small enough that you can readily squeeze through tight urban settings.
Check out used Nissan Qashqai cars or read our Nissan Qashqai review
MG HS
No, this isn't your grandparents' MG. The new MG HS is the company's large five-seat family SUV and it offers nearly unbeatable value for money. It undercuts nearly all its main rivals – often by several thousand pounds – and there's virtually no penalty in terms of build or material quality, with the HS also boasting a standard equipment list as long as your arm. The ride quality is particularly well judged, with lots of genuine compliance over nasty stretches of road, while not suffering the roly-poly feeling other soft SUVs sometimes exhibit. There are also acres of interior space, so your passengers won't feel hemmed in on long drives.
See used MG HS cars or read our MG HS review
Citroen C5 Aircross
Under the skin, the Citroen C5 Aircross borrows mechanical parts from the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. Unlike those cars, however, the Citroen's focus is mostly on family-friendly practicality. You'll spot this immediately once you sit in the second row, where you'll find three individually sliding and foldable seats, making it easier to travel with all five seats occupied. On the move, the C5 Aircross draws inspiration from old Citroens with wafty suspension that's set up for comfort rather than performance.
Find used Citroen C5 Aircross cars or read our Citroen C5 Aircross review
Big comfort, small prices
View an enormous choice of nearly new and used cars at Motorpoint. We have used SUVs for sale from all major automakers.
