The Honda CR-V sold new between 2018 and 2023 is an excellent choice for families, with bags of interior space and a quality finish that moves it upmarket compared to its predecessor. This version snubbed diesel power, which means it won’t suit everyone, but you can get versions with four-wheel drive and don’t have to pay over the odds for it.

It's super practical with up to seven seats, and hybrid versions are refined and efficient. Comfort levels are high, too. With a new CR-V arriving in 2024, the outgoing version is a solid choice for those looking for a fairly typical SUV with 4WD capabilities. It won't cope with serious off-roading, but it should make things more dependable in tricky conditions.

Buying used, you'll be looking at around £15,000 upwards, which is pretty good for a car this well-rounded. 

The Nissan Qashqai is one of the most popular small SUVs on the market, and yes, you can buy one with four-wheel drive. You’ll pay upwards of £12,000 for a previous generation Qashqai in Tekna trim with the 1.6-litre DCI diesel engine, manual gearbox and all-wheel drive.

There's a reason why the Qashqai has been such a success for Nissan. It's an incredibly well-rounded and capable family SUV, and is perfect for British roads, with Nissan's UK engineers responsible for developing the Qashqai. 

The interior also has a premium feel, while the seats are incredibly comfy. Space is also good - a nice step up from what you typically get with a family hatchback - and the boot is a generous size with a capacity of 430 litres. This all makes the Qashqai a solid buy if you're looking for a reasonably priced 4x4 family car.

An all-new Skoda Kodiaq hit the market in 2024, but the original car, sold since 2016, remains one of the very best all-round family cars. It's got acres of space, it's crammed with clever, helpful features and it's also available with a decent all-wheel-drive system.

Look out for a Scout model if you really need to tackle some rough stuff, as it sits higher than the others, but all models have lots of ground clearance to tackle trails and mud, and if you fit some all-terrain tyres then it'll venture surprisingly far into the wilderness with few problems.

Prices will be slightly higher than other cars on this list, but you'll be able to hop into a seven-seater petrol version for around £15,000. That's not a lot of money for a great deal of car.

The MINI Countryman is a somewhat upmarket crossover SUV, so it’s surprising to see it appearing in this list alongside the likes of the Dacia Duster. Part of the reason it’s relatively affordable is that MINI offers All4 all-wheel-drive on the lower-spec trim levels, so you don’t have to pay extra for a high-spec model.

That means you can get an early MINI Countryman Cooper with four-wheel-drive for as little as £12,500. That comes with a petrol engine and automatic gearbox, although a diesel version is also available.

No matter which engine you choose, the MINI Countryman is great to drive. It’s just a really fun car, whether you’re exploring a city centre or the countryside. And the interior is superb: well-finished, with plenty of soft-touch materials and space for all the family. You’re not going to regret buying a MINI Countryman.

Looking for a dirt-cheap 4x4 that’ll get on with the job with little fuss? The Dacia Duster should be high on your shortlist.

A new third-generation Duster hit the market in 2024, but scour the used car classifieds for a second-generation example with four-wheel drive (beware, though, because later examples were only available with two-wheel drive), and you'll get yourself a very capable off-roader for a much reduced price. Less than £10,000 will get you a five-year-old car with 4WD.

It feels a bit like a car that's about 10 years older than it really is, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You won’t find complex media systems and all the latest technology here, but that makes the Duster an easy car to get along with from the moment you sit in it. There’s less to go wrong, too, making it an ideal car to hold onto for the long-term.

The Korean-built SsangYong Korando is intended to be a more affordable alternative to cars like the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq. There’s a lot to like about it, not least its seven-year warranty, generous standard equipment levels and affordable price tag.

SsangYong changed its name to KGM in 2023, and you can still buy a new Korando with its new badge for just over £25,000, but once again there's no option for 4x4, so used is the way to go. You'll find relatively low mileage examples for less than £20,000, and often considerably less.

It’s a car that’s popular with caravanners and the Pioneer model is actually aimed specifically at the towing fraternity. As well as a two-tonne towing limit, you also get 17-inch alloy wheels with all-weather tyres and a full-sized spare wheel.

The most impressive thing about the SsangYong Korando is it doesn’t feel like a budget option. The interior is surprisingly classy, especially in top-spec Ultimate guise. This comes with things like a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and fancy mood lighting.

Proving that you don’t necessarily need a big SUV to keep moving when the going gets tough, is this: the diminutive Fiat Panda 4x4. It’s a delightful little car with a smaller footprint than a Ford Fiesta and a price tag to match: a new one would set you back less than £16,000 before it went off sale in 2023.

Most Pandas sold were two-wheel drive, so you'll have to hunt for the four-wheel-drive model, but it'll be worth it, with plenty available for less than £5000. With 150mm of ground clearance, it’s not going to keep up with a Land Rover Defender off-road, but its low kerb weight means it can happily skip over rutted tracks. There's a more rugged Cross version if you really need to venture further afield (or just want a Panda with a rear diff-lock and extra underbody protection… who wouldn’t?!).

Car buyers often overlook the Mitsubishi ASX in their search for a small SUV but – while it’s not as popular as alternatives like the Nissan Qashqai or SEAT Ateca – it is a very dependable car that’s available with four-wheel drive.

The ASX has been on sale for some time, which means there are lots to choose from on the used market, and some older, higher mileage models are an absolute steal. A 4x4 ASX could be yours for as little as £5000 and often considerably lower.

There’s a reason Subaru buyers are incredibly loyal to the brand. The Japanese manufacturer designs its cars to last well beyond the three-year finance agreement, and they’re capable of going anywhere without leaving you stranded.

If you actually need to venture off-road, the Subaru XV is a really good alternative to more stylish crossover SUVs like the Peugeot 3008. All XV models come with the same Active Torque Split AWD system, while you can choose between 1.6- or 2.0-litre petrol engines. Both are paired with CVT automatic gearboxes.

The interior feels incredibly hard-wearing, and there’s plenty of technology fitted as standard, including Subaru’s innovative EyeSight driver assist technology (which includes adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking). Around £12,000 should put you in a 2017 car with very decent mileage.

You might've expected to see the Suzuki Jimny on this list of cheap 4x4s instead of the Suzuki Ignis, because it's a far more dedicated off-roader. However, there are one or two problems with that. Firstly, if you go with the later Jimny that was released in 2018, it's not particularly cheap. That's because Suzuki only sold a handful before discontinuing the car to comply with emissions regulations, and demand on the used market is incredibly high, and this means that so are prices. Today, you'll pay as much for an extensively used Jimny as Suzuki would have charged you for a brand new one back in the day, maybe even more. Secondly, if you go for the Jimny that went before it, that was sold between 1998 and 2018, the car you'd end up with would be absolutely terrible.

And while it's not an obvious choice for those looking for an affordable off-roader, the Ignis is a very decent substitute. You car get it with four-wheel drive (although you might have to hunt around on the used car market to find one with it fitted), while its short overhangs give very decent ground clearance. There's ample space for four despite its dinky proportions, and it's a generally cheerful little car: to look at, to sit in and to drive.