Here are our favourite small SUVs in 2025

If you're in the market for a nimble car with an elevated driving position, you're spoilt for choice these days. With an ever-growing cavalcade of compact crossovers, there’s something for everyone. Here are the best of them.

You just can’t beat the price of this chunky little thing. The 'Stepway' badge denotes an SUV vibe - without it, the Sandero is a plain hatchback, like a Vauxhall Corsa or something. A nice interior, a Renault-based touchscreen, Apple CarPlay as standard, purposeful looks ... it’s so good, it's difficult to beat for the money without buying something used.
Browse new and used Sandero Stepways on Auto Trader.

Peugeot has really stepped up a gear in the last few years, especially when it comes to design. Its cars are stunning, inside and out, and the 2008 is no exception. Bold design, user-friendly controls, a fun driving experience, and an excellent range of petrol and diesel engines make it an outstanding choice. The fully electric e-2008 is the pick of the bunch.
Browse new and used Peugeot 2008s on Auto Trader.

Compact but spacious, chunky looks, great colours, and a plug-in hybrid among the powertrains, the X1 makes a brilliant family car. BMW’s infotainment system is easy to use, too - not always a given with modern touchscreens. It also happens to be the basis of the iX1, one of the best electric SUVs on sale. Check that out here.
Browse new and used BMW X1s on Auto Trader.

This one's getting on a bit now - it's been around since 2019, which in car years means the Puma is ready for its free bus pass. There are more "techy" choices these days, but the Puma is arguably yet to be surpassed as the best all-rounder in the small SUV class. Genuinely entertaining to drive, comfy, high-quality, good-looking and cheap to run, it's got everything - including an electric version, which FINALLY turned up in 2025.
Here's where you'll find our review of the Ford Puma.

Citroen C3 Aircross The Second recently arrived, improving on the first one in every way. That's to be expected, really, and it's the usual stuff - it's bigger than before, has more tech, is a little more comfy, and the looks are much bolder. What we didn't expect, though, was for Citroen to give it a seven-seat option. For a car effectively in the Vauxhall Corsa class, that's remarkable.
Read our review of the Citroen C3 Aircross right here.

Skoda's smallest SUV is, pound-for-pound, arguably its best. A little bigger and more flexible than the average car in the class, it's one of only a few of these things that could work as regular family-of-four transport. The interior quality is outstanding, too; the Kamiq is head and shoulders above the related Volkswagen T-Cross in pretty much every way, which feels a bit backwards, somehow. But hey, who cares about brand perception, right?
Browse new and used Skoda Kamiqs on Auto Trader.

In some ways, the EX30 is the most disappointing Volvo for a long time, mainly because of Volvo's decision to chase the minimalism trend and move virtually all the controls onto a touchscreen. It looks nice, but the result is a big usability hit; faffing around with a screen on the move isn't ideal, especially from a brand whose main schtick is safety. Apart from that, though, there's plenty to like here. It's well priced, spacious, high-quality, refined, very quick and it feels super modern.
Read our Volvo EX30 review here.

The Jeep Avenger is a great looking, fun little SUV perfect for tight city environments. While its closely related to the Peugeot 2008 and the Vauxhall Mokka, the Avenger has its own distinct personality and comes with the choice of either petrol, hybrid, or electric powertrains to suit your needs and budget.
Browse new and used Jeep Avengers on Auto Trader.

The LBX offers Japanese luxury in a small, beautifully formed package. More refined and prestigious than the Toyota Yaris Cross that it shares parts with, the LBX has a sophisticated feel without the usual premium price tag. The hybrid engine should keep running costs down, and you can take your pick of some bold colour options including‘Sonic Copper’. It's rose gold, basically,.
Browse new and used Lexus LBX models on Auto Trader.