Best large SUVs and 4x4 cars for 2024

Favoured for their rugged looks and raised driving position, large SUVs and 4x4s are very popular in the UK.

The best large SUVs are also practical, with comfortable and spacious interiors. And – on selected large models, at least – you get the option of four-wheel drive and the ability to venture off-road. Beefy suspension and large tyres can also do a good job of smoothing out rough roads and absorbing potholes.

However, you need to choose carefully. Our testing has found purportedly ‘green’ models that breach limits for exhaust gases, as well as models that fall seriously short of their claimed fuel economy or battery driving range.

If you're interested in a certain model, head straight to our large SUV reviews.  

Best new large SUVs and 4x4s

Below, our experts reveal the very best SUVs and 4x4s available to buy new, including luxury models, which have excelled in our rigorous lab and road tests.

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Not yet ready to go electric? See the very best hybrid SUVs

Best used large SUVs and 4x4s

Save yourself a packet on depreciation by opting for a used SUV. We only give Best Buy ratings to the most reliable models, so you can buy with confidence.

Our latest large SUV and 4x4 reviews

Want to find out how the newest large SUVs and 4x4s have fared in our tests? Read our latest and most-recently updated reviews.

Large SUVs and 4x4s to avoid

Appearing strong and durable, SUVs and 4x4s have a certain image to uphold. Surely a car that can barrel across rutted fields won’t break down on the open road?  Not necessarily, as our research has revealed.

There’s also the matter of fuel consumption and safety (particularly in emergency manoeuvres), which our testing shows can be a mixed bag.

Below, we’ve rounded up some models that you should avoid.

What to look for in a large SUV or 4x4

The largest SUVs were originally beasts of burden; designed to tackle the toughest terrain with specialised hardware such as permanent four-wheel drive and low-range transmissions.

As the popularity of large SUVs has grown, the class has expanded to encompass everything from sports models and luxury limousine alternatives to crossover cars that shun off-road specific features in favour of improved efficiency and around-town road driving manners.

What’s best for you will depend on your specific requirements. A large off-roader with four-wheel drive and high ground clearance is recommended if you need to cross muddy fields or regularly travel across difficult terrain (particularly in adverse weather).

However, if your driving life largely consists of commuting or the school run, and you simply want the better visibility afforded by a high driving position or the practicality of seven seats, a crossover model with a smaller engine will likely fit the bill.

From dealerships to classifieds, discover the best place to buy a car

Should you buy a hybrid, electric, diesel or petrol SUV?

Traditionally, most large SUVs sold in the UK have been diesel, as they offer more reasonable fuel economy over the big petrol engines needed to power these large cars.

And unless you opt for a hybrid model, this is still largely the case, particularly among the largest models available. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Modern diesels are generally very refined and offer plenty of torque (pulling power), which is great for towing. They also typically offer the best fuel economy over long distances, and our tests have revealed that some of the latest diesels are very clean indeed.

However, manufacturers’ need to reduce the carbon emissions of their fleets has seen many turn to both full and plug-in hybrid technology (the latter being the preferred choice for the largest luxury models).

In our tests, both conventional self-charging hybrids (which charge using energy recuperation, such as from the brakes, rather than needing to be plugged in) and plug-in hybrid SUVs often outperform comparable petrol or diesel models in stop-start city driving. This is where hybrid systems are at their most effective.

However, this advantage is often lost in higher-speed driving, such as on the motorway.  

If you opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), make sure you can charge it regularly. By not doing so, you risk being stung by expensive fuel bills. In our tests, we’ve seen a PHEV model’s fuel economy halve when it’s out of charge as its engine needs to work harder to keep the weight from the heavy battery and combustion engine rolling.

Our testing has also revealed that some large SUV PHEVs use a lot of electricity when running on batteries alone – a combination of relatively small electric motors and heavy overall vehicle weight.

Some manufacturers are also adding mild hybrid technology to their existing petrol and diesel engines. These have the smallest electric motor/battery configuration and can't be driven on electricity alone. However, they do offer claimed improvements in fuel economy and emissions with comparable combustion-only models. That said, we've seen in our tests that they don't always help. To make sure you'll get any benefit, you'll need to check our independent fuel consumption figures in our car reviews.  

If you can charge your car regularly, you might want to skip straight to a full battery electric model. The large SUV market is expanding rapidly, with excellent zero-emissions models across the price spectrum. However, you’ll need to choose carefully if you want to tow anything, as many currently aren’t able to.

Decided that a large SUV is too big for your needs? We show you the small SUVs we recommend in our guide.

Off-road performance vs comfort and economy

If you’re serious about going where few cars have gone before, there's no real substitute for a large SUV. However, while most talk the talk, you need to ensure it has the right off-road hardware.

The main thing to consider is a low-range gearbox, which allows the car to crawl very slowly and minimises the risk of wheel spin. Locking differentials (which force two wheels on the same axle to move in unison) are also useful to prevent you from getting stuck.

One of the easiest ways to improve a car’s off-road ability is to fit it with all-terrain tyres. Road tyres fitted as standard to most models might benefit handling on tarmac, but they are a serious limitation in the rough stuff.

‘Proper’ off-road models, such as the Land Rover Discovery, have the high-ground clearance and aforementioned off-road kit to perform properly in very tricky conditions.

If you could do without a proper mud plugger, some luxury SUVs such as the BMW X5 can also be specified with 'off-road packs'. This includes kit such as underbody protection, to boost off-road ability.

Four-wheel drive vs all-wheel drive

There's also all-wheel drive (AWD) rather than 'permanent' four-wheel drive. AWD means power will only go to the second axle (either front or rear, depending on the model) when the car decides it's needed, such as when there's a loss of grip. In normal operation, such cars are two-wheel drive. 

An AWD model should provide greater traction over wet grass or gravel, but it's not for proper off-road driving. This is slightly complicated as the terms are used interchangeably, even by manufacturers, and with modern cars there's no hard-and-fast rule as to what sort of car would have what. Generally, however, AWD cars run in a two-wheel-drive configuration on the road to save fuel and for better handling. They then send power to the additional axle when required, so traction on slippery or loose surfaces is improved.

Increasingly, SUV models that aren’t specifically designed for off-road use will have AWD, as it has less of an impact on fuel consumption. Four-wheel drive (or 4x4) is traditionally used in larger off-roaders, and used to permanently power all four wheels.

See all of our large SUV and 4x4 car reviews. 

We test cars more thoroughly than anyone else

Our tests go further than those carried out by other organisations, and because Which? is independent, you can trust our reviews to give you the full, honest and impartial truth about every car we test.

Every car we review is subjected to more than 300 individual tests in a lab, on a test track and on real roads.

Testing in controlled lab conditions means that the results we collect are directly comparable between different cars, helping us determine exactly which models are better and why, and helping you find the perfect car for your needs

And so you know which cars are likely to prove reliable for years to come, we also gather feedback from thousands of UK car owners through the annual Which? Car Survey, using it to generate detailed reliability ratings for the cars we test.

Read more about how we test cars.