SUVs have rapidly become one of the most common sights on the road, and it’s easy to understand why. Their combination of space, practicality and often performance has seen them become a familiar sight – overtaking the MPVs and estates in the process.

This winning combination has attracted more consumers, prompting an increasing number of brands to enter the market – including luxury names like Aston Martin and Ferrari, as well as the manufacturers you’d expect to see such as Mercedes, BMW and Hyundai.

More cars mean more choice, but we’ve tested every SUV currently available in the UK and compiled our top picks here – regardless of powertrain. That’s why you’ll find hybrid options like the Hyundai Santa Fe alongside high-performance, petrol-powered models like the Ferrari Purosangue. After all, this is our definitive list of the best SUVs. Keep reading for our favourites.

Best SUV for mixing performance with luxury

Pros: Exceptional balance of ride and handling, still the performance SUV, new DBX S takes things up a level
Cons: Occasionally lurch gear changes, expensive options, thirsty (even by V8 SUV standards)

Is the Aston Martin DBX the first SUV to properly nail being sporty? Quite possibly. Arguments can be made for the Porsche Cayenne or Range Rover Sport, but the Aston Martin manages to be genuinely engaging to drive and full of typical Aston Martin character. Sitting on a bespoke all-aluminium chassis and making use of an AMG-sourced twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, it has all the right figures for a performance SUV. A top speed of 190mph and a 0-62mph time of just 3.3 seconds.

The DBX’s interior previously felt a bit behind the times but recent changes have significantly improved it, not least as it’s the first car to come with the new Apple CarPlay Ultra. Aston Martin has also recently introduced a new DBX S version, which gets a revised V8 including a new compressor and a gearbox that’s been re-engineered for more aggressive downshifts. It’s a miracle how Aston Martin has managed to make an SUV drive this well.

Best SUV for those after the iconic SUV benchmark

Pros: Stylish, refined and luxurious, great range of engines
Cons: Porsche and Bentley SUVs handle better, button-free interior is fiddly

The new Range Rover is one of the most complete SUVs you can buy, and its latest generation takes a leap in refinement. Bringing the magic is a body structure some 35% stiffer than that of the outgoing car’s, a new electronic anti-roll control system (rated to an eye-watering 1032lb ft of torque, applied in milliseconds, and both faster-acting and more CO2-efficent than the old hydraulic set-up), rear-wheel steering and new five-link rear suspension.

Yes, the Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne handle better, but few cars are as comfortable as the Range Rover or quite so well rounded. It’s also available with a wide range of engines – including diesels, a petrol V8 and impressive plug-in hybrids. We’re also patiently waiting for the electric Range Rover to be introduced.

Best SUV for those who want something luxurious, and a G-Class

Pros: Unmatched road presence, handles well, mega electric model
Cons: Not as roomy as you might think, can’t shake the attention

Major updates for the perennial Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV don’t come around very often, but the latest is worth the wait. At first glance it may not seem so, but quite a lot was new on the 2024 Mercedes-Benz G-Class – not least the introduction of an electric version for the first time with the ridiculous G580 with EQ Technology.

But don’t worry, you can still get it with engines: the G500 and G450 d. Both use an inline six-cylinder unit and deliver power via Mercedes’ 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox, but their performance stats differ. The G500 produces 442bhp – plus an extra 20 or so from the electric motor of the hybrid system – and 413lbft of torque. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 130 mph. We also can’t forget the G63 and its brilliantly silly 603bhp 4.0-litre V8.

Whatever powertrain you opt for, the G-Class is not the perfect SUV, but in a world now mired in SUV overkill, where everything from the Ford Puma to the Cadillac Escalade could be considered one – the G stands out as a little bit different.

Best SUV for those looking for a futuristic-looking people mover capable of seating seven

Pros: Masses of interior space, great build quality, calm and comfortable to travel in
Cons: Slightly fiddly infotainment, can feel a bit lean-y in the bends, avoid the digital mirrors

Hyundai can seemingly do no wrong these days, with models like the new Santa Fe and Ioniq 5 among the best cars in their segments, but possibly its most impressive model to date is the electric Ioniq 9, Hyundai’s flagship. It looks like no other car on the road and has an interior that feels particularly special. Almost luxurious. At near-£80,000 for top-spec models, it also takes Hyundai into uncharted territory, though justifies its price.

It’s a huge car but that space is put to good use. It’s one of the most spacious seven-seat SUVs around, with plenty of room across the second and third rows, and you even get some boot space left with all seats in position. It also packs the largest battery yet (113kWh) fitted to a Hyundai or Kia, giving a claimed 373-mile range, but expect more like 300 miles in normal driving.

Best SUV for those looking for great value for money – and something electric

Pros: Fantastic interior, great value for money, big boot
Cons: Tight on rear-seat space, could be more efficient

The Renault 4 was the difficult second album after the Renault 5, and while the overall design might not be as cool, in most other respects it’s a better car than the chic supermini

Getting the same outstanding interior that mixes quality with easy-to-use tech, you get a far larger boot than the 5, and more rear-seat space, though the latter is still a bit tight. It’s our favourite small SUV and what sweetens the deal is its price: at £25,495 (including the government grant), it doesn’t just undercut most of its EV competitors but also plenty of petrol and hybrid models of the same size.

Best SUV for those who want speed and handling with practicality

Pros: Better looks, more speed, more variety
Cons: You’ll need to raid the options list

Porsche has updated its Cayenne SUV, and the result is a car that is better to sit in and – we think – better to look at, with a driving experience that offers an even broader scope of appeal than ever before.

You’ll need to be free with the options spending, but little else on sale can provide such scale from a single variant as the Turbo E-Hybrid – from silent running to full-blooded 729bhp screaming – while the rest of the hybrid Cayenne range carefully balances luxury and performance in a manner that outshines the available contemporaries at their price points.

If you’re looking for speed. The third-gen Cayenne facelift features tweaks to the exterior design, a heavily revised interior with additional tech, an overhauled engine line-up – including the new hybrid systems – and changes to the passive and adaptive suspension offerings. It’s modern luxury with a high-rise twist.

Best SUV for those wanting to conquer the wilderness

Pros: Good looks, great engines, supremely good off road
Cons: Not great around town, big running costs

The new Defender is much more of a status symbol than the old car ever was – and none of its endless configurations convey that attitude better than the range-topping, 626bhp Octa. Though the new BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8, as characterful as the old supercharged 5.0-litre V8, a detuned version of engine fitted to the old Jaguar F-Type SVR, it’s still a monumentally impressive off-roader with exceptional performance, brakes and steering.

But you don’t need to shell out £145k for the Octa as the regular Defender is still one of the best 4x4s you can buy. Mixing exceptional off-roading ability with surprisingly good on-road manners, there’s a reason it’s proven so popular. With choice of 90, 110 and the eight-seat 130, as well as petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrids, there really is a Defender to suit everyone.

Best electric SUV if you want a big car feel in a small package

Pros: Very spacious for its size, impressive technology, cool design inside and out
Cons: Entry-level models have a cheap-feeling interior, lots annoying bings and bongs, awkward climate screen

Kia has made some exceptional electric cars, but its best yet is also its smallest. Why? Because the EV3 has been able to distill everything good about its more expensive EV6 and EV9 into a far more affordable package. It keeps Kia’s trademark funky styling, impressive levels of interior space and class-leading technology and is one of the better small electric cars you can buy.

It also delivers on the efficiency front, and its maximum quoted 385-mile electric range is well achievable in careful driving. Such a long electric range in such a compact package is also a remarkable achievement. Throw in Kia’s seven-year warranty and a comfortable ride and you see why the EV3 deserves its position on this list.

Best SUV for those who want most of the Ferrari experience, but with much more space

Pros: Luxurious cabin, impressive handling, V12 at the front
Cons: Boot is small for the class, rear suicide doors

It finally happened. Ferrari made an SUV, and thankfully it’s one of the most impressive examples of the genre we’ve ever driven. Maranello has shoved a V12 in at the front, with a total output of 715bhp at 7750rpm. That’s good for 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds and 120mph in 10.6 – despite a dry kerb weight in excess of two tonnes.

Inside, Maranello has opted for a bold, clean design that gives each occupant the feeling of their own individual space and tech without losing the cocooned-in feel of a proper sports car. The material choice throughout is second to none, ranging from beautifully stitched leathers to a carbon fibre weave that integrates fine copper wire. Oh and the boot measures up at 473-litres with all seats in place, meaning it’s around the same as a hybrid Range Rover Evoque.

The Purosangue has the looks, sound and pace of a proper Ferrari, while the cabin and outright luxury is second to none. It does have its flaws (what Italian supercar doesn’t) and dynamically it’s not quite a match for Ferrari’s low-slung sports cars, but in the grand scheme these are small complaints.

Best SUV for those looking for French flair in a light, electric, bubbly package

Pros: Engaging handling, efficient powertrain, good range
Cons: Ride can be jiggly at times, poor rear visibility

Is it an SUV or an MPV? Ultimately it doesn’t matter because the Renault Scenic is one of the best electric SUVs we’ve driven, and one of the best SUVs period. Just like the original Scenic – it keeps the safety and well-being of passengers front and centre.

Despite being an electric SUV with a lithium-ion battery in tow it’s relatively light for a car in this sector, and that comes with two key benefits: its official efficiency and range figures are impressive, and best of all, it has a little old-school Renault va-va-voom.

Its performance isn’t as electrifying as some electric cars, but it doesn’t really need to be. There’s enough spirit in its dynamic DNA here to at least provide a semblance of fun for keen drivers. And importantly that doesn’t detract from a driving experience that’s mostly comfortable and easy around town.

The Skywell BE11 holds the position of being the worst SUV you can buy today, and potentially even the worst car full stop. We drove an early prototype car last year, which had one of the worst driving experiences of any car, with the promises that it would be improved for the production model. Was it? Absolutely not.

Though priced far lower than the competition and very spacious, it is massively off the pace of the best rivals with some of the numbest handling of any car we’ve ever tested. The touchscreen is terrible and it’s very unrefined by EV standards. Avoid at all costs.

Even when it was new the Jeep Renegade wasn’t a particularly good car, and time hasn’t been kind to it. Now more than a decade old, it hasn’t really had any monster updates in that time and, as a result, it feels well behind every single rival. Even Jeep’s attempts to electrify it with mild and plug-in hybrid engines hasn’t worked.

Though its retirement is due in the near future, it continues to plod on and the fact Jeep has whacked up the price in recent years makes it impossible to recommend. Its only saving grace is that it’s one of very few cars in its class capable of proper off-roading.