A huge choice to consider

Break out the tape measure and you’ll discover the interiors of these cars are sometimes smaller than your average Focus-sized family hatchback. Therefore you need something with a little more in the way of girth, presence and, consequently, running costs.

Of course there are Family-sized 4x4s that will fit the bill in this respect - and you don’t have to go into Luxury Range Rover or Mercedes M-class territory to find them. The names are pretty familiar too: Land Rover’s Discovery, Nissan’s Patrol and Toyota’s Land Cruiser to mention just a few. Assuming you go for the five-door long wheelbase versions, most offer many of the benefits of a large MPV, with up to seven seats and lots of storage space. But there’s a price to pay if you’re buying new, with well over £25,000 needed to secure a decent specification with the engine you really want.

Which is why the used approach ought to make so much sense, particularly as many of these cars have been around on the UK market in one form or another for more years than their makers care to remember. Of course, this means that the potential for buying a ropey example is that much greater, particularly since 4x4s of this kind tend to have been developed for more serious off road use.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that if, like many 4x4 customers, you’re buying your car to tow something substantial like a caravan or a horsebox, you have to start your search here. No matter what the dealer might tell you, there’s no point in trying to pretend that something smaller like a Freelander or a Toyota RAV4 will do the job day-in, day-out without long term problems. Go that route and you’re just storing up trouble for yourself.

As ever, there’s a huge choice of cars to consider, so it pays to do some homework beforehand and decide which part of this sector you’re going to choose to concentrate your search.

If funds are limited, then there are plenty of ways to go, with older examples of models which have been around in this sector of the market for some time. The better built later Land Rover Discovery models are well worth a look as is the relatively rare Ford Explorer. The Mitsubishi Shogun Sport offers an interesting alternative. Otherwise you could always opt for the evergreen Isuzu Trooper or higher mileage Shogun models. If you’re not bothered about the lifestyle implications and simply want something large that’s going to be reasonably reliable, then this is where to shop. Be honest with what you need the car for. There’s little benefit in buying a tank-like leviathan that can scale a mountain face if all you want is a 4x4 that looks smart and can occasionally tow a trailer.

For a little more money, it’s possible to plug into the heart of the period when the compact 4x4 market was in the midst of its growth spurt. The level of choice becomes far wider and the vehicles themselves are larger and more focused on the needs of families.

The Nissan X-Trail launched in 2001 and quickly established itself as a favourite with UK buyers. It’s a solid all-rounder with tough looks that mirrored Nissan’s larger 4x4 products but polished road manners. If there’s a fly in the ointment, it’s that the diesel engines are a little noisy but we’d still select the torque and fuel economy of the oil-burning versions over the petrol alternatives.

If space is your priority, the Vauxhall Antara that launched in 2007 could be a good bet. This was one of the largest compact 4x4s of its day and along with the Chevrolet Captiva which uses the same underpinnings, it’s a fine option for buyers who have lots of passengers and cargo to cram in. Arriving at the height of the compact 4x4 market’s expansion when competition was particularly fierce, neither of these cars sold in big numbers and used examples may be hard to find. It’s worth persevering though as the Vauxhall feels like a classy customer and was well equipped even in entry-level guise.

When Peugeot and Citroen decided they needed a compact 4x4, they enlisted the help of off-road specialists at Mitsubishi. The result was the Peugeot 4007, the Citroen C-Crosser and the Mitsubishi Outlander. The early 2007 and 2008 cars are getting fairly affordable now and versions with the 2.2-litre diesel engine are particularly worthwhile but avoid the unimpressive 2.4-litre petrol. A comfortable ride and roomy cabin are amongst the strengths of these cars.

Utility vehicles they may be but there are lots of models in the compact 4x4 sector with the potential to set your heart aflutter. The downside being that they aren’t particularly cheap. For good looks and a sporty driving experience, the Ford Kuga is a fine choice. It’s one of the newer breed of compact 4x4s with crossover leanings and isn’t great for practicality and shouldn’t be tested off-road but in the kind of driving that most owners do, it’s a very slick operator.

Volkswagen’s Tiguan displays the usual VW attributes of a high quality cabin and elegantly understated looks. Its also has some excellent engine options at its disposal with the 2.0 TFSI petrol models possessing a sharp turn of pace and the 2.0 TDI diesels turning in strong economy figures.

At the top of the compact 4x4 tree you have premium-badged models like the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. The pricing for these is as you’d expect but they do have a more tenacious grasp on their value that less prestigious rivals so buyers should get more back when it’s time to sell on. The X3 is a very sharp handler and comes with a variety of outstanding engines. The ride is a little firm as tends to be the case with BMW products but the rear is surprisingly spacious, as is the boot. The Q5 offers that beautifully designed Audi interior with a wonderfully accessible control interface and always feels a very sophisticated option.

Utility vehicles they may be but there are lots of models in the compact 4x4 sector with the potential to set your heart aflutter. The downside being that they aren’t particularly cheap. For good looks and a sporty driving experience, the Ford Kuga is a fine choice. It’s one of the newer breed of compact 4x4s with crossover leanings and isn’t great for practicality and shouldn’t be tested off-road but in the kind of driving that most owners do, it’s a very slick operator.

Volkswagen’s Tiguan displays the usual VW attributes of a high quality cabin and elegantly understated looks. Its also has some excellent engine options at its disposal with the 2.0 TFSI petrol models possessing a sharp turn of pace and the 2.0 TDI diesels turning in strong economy figures.

At the top of the compact 4x4 tree you have premium-badged models like the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. The pricing for these is as you’d expect but they do have a more tenacious grasp on their value that less prestigious rivals so buyers should get more back when it’s time to sell on. The X3 is a very sharp handler and comes with a variety of outstanding engines. The ride is a little firm as tends to be the case with BMW products but the rear is surprisingly spacious, as is the boot. The Q5 offers that beautifully designed Audi interior with a wonderfully accessible control interface and always feels a very sophisticated option.