SUV comparison and the best deals on the market. Photos

Find out what to look out for when buying a used SUV and what are the best deals on the market.

The SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) class took the European market by storm in the late 90s. With increasingly affordable prices and refined models, Polish drivers have also begun to favor elevated, but not quite off-road, models. The Toyota RAV4, which combines the features of a compact car with an SUV, is considered by many experts to be the first SUV on the European market.

The most popular SUVs on the market - photo

Growing competition

With typical SUVs like the Nissan Patrol or Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V, they benefited mainly from economy, smaller engines and much better urban performance. Over time, SUVs began to introduce more and more brands into their range, including those from the premium segment.

To counter the pressure of competition, new offerings were built by, among others, Nissan and Jeep. The first to offer Qashqai or refreshed X-Trail, the second Compass. Subaru has also taken a strong position in the market, offering one of the best drives (permanent four-wheel drive) and a boxer diesel engine. The Tucson model was offered by Hyundai, the Sportage was an SUV from Korean Kia, and the Outlander was offered by Mitsubishi.

Test Regiomoto.pl — Subaru Forester 2,0 Boxer Diesel

The premium segment brands have finally joined the fight for customers. Volvo's models - the XC60, XC90, the XC70 SUV and the edge-to-edge crossover - have won a large group of fans. BMW offered the X3, X5 and X6, Mercedes ML and GL and Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7 models.

Interesting mix, two in one

What do these cars have in common? First of all, high ground clearance and a raised suspension that claims to be an off-road class. Each of them, however, is more comfortable and resembles a C or D segment car in terms of body line and interior trim. The variety of models is a very good sign, especially for drivers who are looking for a used car. Thousands of offers on the secondary market allow you to find something suitable for you both visually and technically, and at a price. Each driver decides for himself which SUV suits him best.

Since, unlike the classic passenger car, SUVs have a more complex design, they should be carefully checked before buying. Attention is mainly related to the suspension. In SUVs and some SUVs, we have a few extra items. This includes the rear axle and gearbox.

- If the car travels a lot on rough terrain, the worn out bridge starts to rumble strongly and leaks bother him. Therefore, during a test drive, it is worth listening to how it works. I also advise you to make sure that both axles work. Unscrupulous dealers sometimes disconnect the rear axle to hide defects. And the repair cost is high. We recently refurbished a bridge in a Land Rover Freelander. The cost of parts and replacement amounted to more than two thousand zlotys, warns Stanislav Plonka, an auto mechanic from Rzeszow.

In vehicles equipped with a viscous coupling, the rear-wheel drive is switched on automatically only when the front wheels slip. Such solutions are used in most city SUVs, incl. Volvo, Nissan or Honda.

“Therefore, in normal use here, problems with bridges are very rare, because this element is not very rigid. This clutch is used more often. For example, in the case of a previous generation Honda CR-V, the repair of such a defect costs about PLN 2. An experienced mechanic during a test drive can roughly estimate the wear of this component, says Rafal Krawiec from the Honda Sigma car service in Rzeszow.

The best off-road vehicles perform well when driving on asphalt, as well as in high-speed corners. Off-road performance fades into the background.

The most popular SUVs on the market - photo 

SUV Comparison - Cars for Every Budget

The Regiomoto.pl portal offers a wide range of SUVs. You can find used cars from almost any brand that offers SUVs. We divided our search into two groups: cars under PLN 40, and other, more expensive ones.

- In the first of them, it is worth paying special attention to the Japanese proposals. Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 deserve special attention. These are very durable and proven designs, they are used on websites much less frequently than competitors, says Stanislav Plonka.

A well-maintained Honda CR-V can be bought for about 17-18 thousand. PLN (rather cheap SUV) This will be a 1998-2001 car with a 150-litre petrol engine producing almost XNUMX hp. Most versions are equipped with air conditioning, airbags, power windows and mirrors, ABS and central locking.

For 18800 PLN 243000 we found a ten year old model with XNUMX km mileage, which should not be much of a problem for this engine. According to the seller's declaration, the car was bought in a Polish car dealership and serviced at an official service station.

Honda CR-V 2,0 petrol, year 2001, price PLN 18800

A little less, about 13-15 thousand zlotys, is enough for a 1998-2000 Land Rover Freelander. This is another small SUV. Due to the high failure rate, we do not recommend diesel versions. A much better choice is a 1,8 petrol engine with 120 hp.

With PLN 14500, through Regiomoto.pl you can buy, for example, a model of the year 2000, with a mileage of 150000 km. The black Land Rover Freelander, in addition to all-wheel drive, offers, among other things, ABS, light wheels, electric mirrors and windows, alarm, central locking, airbags, immobilizer and power steering. The owner claims that the car is accident-free.

Land Rover Freelander 1,8 petrol, year 2000, price PLN 14500

For PLN 18800 2000 on Regiomoto.pl we found a 125 Subaru Forester. This is a copy with a 203-horsepower, two-liter gasoline engine, with a mileage of XNUMX thousand. km. The car, like most models from the beginning of production, has ABS, power windows and mirrors, halogen headlights, alarm, central locking, immobilizer, air conditioning and power steering. The previous owner also equipped them with a gas plant. According to many, this is the best SUV or, as others prefer, a crossover.

Subaru Forester 2,0 petrol, year 2000, price PLN 18800

PLN 25 is the amount that allows you to buy, for example, a Nissan X-Trail. You may like the car, including due to the original style of the body and cab. Due to the frequent breakdowns of diesel units, in this case, we also recommend a two-liter gasoline engine with a capacity of 140 hp.

The car we were looking for, 2003, was bought in a domestic car dealership, serviced. According to the seller, who is its second owner, the X-Trail has traveled 185 so far. km. The starting price of the Japanese is PLN 25000.

Nissan X-Trail 2,0 petrol, year 2003, price PLN 25000.

The first generation Toyota RAV4 costs PLN 12-14 thousand. This is enough for a decent copy of 1995-1996, i.e. start of production. You need to prepare about PLN 26-28 thousand for the next release of this model.

The dark blue Toyota RAV4 that we found on our site is offered for PLN 28900 2002. The car is 1,8 years old, under the hood is a 4-liter gasoline engine. However, in this case, it is worth paying a few thousand extra and looking for a Toyota with a diesel unit. The DXNUMXD engines installed on these vehicles are considered to be among the most reliable on the market.

Toyota Rav4 1,8 petrol, year 2002, price PLN 28900

approx. PLN 35 is enough for a well maintained Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe or Kia Sportage or Sorento. Korean offers were not popular in the secondary market 5-6 years ago, but over time they are gaining more and more supporters among Polish drivers. The amount we are talking about in the case of Tucson and Sportage is enough for a relatively young car, aged 5-6 years. Interestingly, the larger Santa-Fe and Sorento SUVs can be bought a little cheaper.

Hyundai Santa Fe 2,0 diesel, year 2003, price PLN 25950

Hyundai Tucson 2,0 diesel, year 2006, price PLN 34900

KIA Sportage 2,0 diesel, year 2005, price PLN 35999

The closer to 40 PLN 4,7, the greater the choice. For this amount, you can buy both younger copies of the above models, as well as other models - not only small SUVs. Our attention at Regiomoto.pl was caught by a seven-year-old Jeep Grand Cherokee with a powerful 8-liter VXNUMX engine. Compared to competitors, the car offers much better driving performance.

The biggest disadvantage is a big appetite for fuel. When buying such a car, you have to take into account the consumption of up to 20-22 liters of gasoline per hundred. The Jeep, however, is superbly equipped. In addition to leather upholstery, it offers, among other things, power-adjustable and heated seats, a high-end audio system with DVD player, dual-zone air conditioning and cruise control. The price of 39000 is a net worth, but we assume that due to disputes, the fuel-hungry owner of the engine should be willing to negotiate.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 4,7 petrol, year 2004, price PLN 39000 net

With more than PLN 40 40, the choice of model is primarily a matter of taste. In the range from 100 to 5 thousand. PLN, you can buy both a premium SUV that is a few years old, or a new car from a lesser-known manufacturer. In the first group, Mercedes ML, BMW X90, Volvo XC7, Subaru Outback, Tribeca, Volkswagen Touareg and Mazda CX-XNUMX come to the fore.

Amounts of PLN 70-90 thousand are enough for new or almost new Kia, Hyundai, Suzuki, Nissan or Mitsubishi cars. Hard choise.

Mercedes ML 2,7 diesel, year 2000, price PLN 42500.

Mercedes ML 320 CDI, 2006, price PLN 99900.

BMW X5 3,0 diesel, year 2002, price PLN 54900

Volvo XC90 2,4 diesel, year 2005, price PLN 64900

Volkswagen Touareg 3,2 petrol, year 2003, price PLN 54000

Subaru Tribeca 3,6 petrol, MY 2007, price PLN 83900

Mazda CX-7 2,3 petrol, MY 2008, price PLN 84900

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What is the difference between an SUV and a crossover?

In the automotive market, a crossover is a car that combines the features of an SUV and a city car or station wagon. The SUV is a similar mixture, but in the back it looks more like a roadster. The term "large SUV" is still in use, especially in the American market.

Let's try to make this a reality. So, for example, the Subaru Forester can be classified as a crossover, but the Tribeca will be a large SUV. The intermediate model - Outback - is an SUV, although it is often also included in the group of larger crossovers ...  

Governorate Bartosz

photo by Bartosz Guberna