SUVs with low road tax
Discover some of the best SUV cars with cheap road tax
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Finding the best used SUV with low road tax means you can get in on the chunky car trend without worrying about sky-high running costs.
Bigger cars are often more expensive to run as they tend to be less efficient due to their size.
This means that fuel costs can be higher and if you choose a larger engine insurance can be pricey.
An SUV with low road tax helps cut back on spending but doesn’t mean you get a boring or budget-feeling car.
Take a look at some of the best low road tax SUVs that you can buy on the used market:
Nissan Qashqai
Kia Sportage
Peugeot 3008
Range Rover Evoque
Ford Kuga
Mercedes-Benz GLA
Mazda MX-30
Hyundai Tucson
Volkswagen Tiguan
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Best SUVs with low road tax
Nissan Qashqai (2021 onwards)
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Annual road tax: £190
Annual road tax (hybrid): £180
The Nissan Qashqai is a perfect example of a low road tax SUV that you’ll love to live with.
It’s one of the most popular SUVs in the UK, winning fans with its economical engines and reliable build.
You’ll be able to achieve up to 45.5mpg from the 1.3-litre mild hybrid engine, and it can be cheap to insure as well – sitting in insurance groups 11 to 26.
Plus, the 504-litre boot is ideal for family life with the five-seater, or choose seven seats and a smaller boot with the Qashqai+2.
Kia Sportage (2022 onwards)
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Annual road tax: £190
Annual road tax (hybrid): £180
The Kia Sportage is a staple on UK roads, and it should definitely be on your shortlist for a low road tax SUV.
If cutting running costs are your priority, opting for a hybrid engine might be best. The mild-hybrid 1.6 CRDi 48V AWD model gets up to 55.4mpg, compared to the 42.2mpg you can get from the 1.6 T-GDi two-wheel drive model.
Keep in mind that the plug-in hybrid options (not to be confused with the cheaper mild-hybrid models) typically cost over £40,000 brand new. This will land you with the £410 luxury car fee, which you’ll have to pay for five years on top of standard rate tax.
Peugeot 3008 (2017 onwards)
 "Peugeot 3008 driving")
Annual road tax: £190
Annual road tax (hybrid): £180
The Peugeot 3008 is a striking SUV with low road tax. It brings plenty of sharp lines and angles that look great on the roads.
The futuristic interior is a treat to drive in, especially when you know you’re getting up to 49.5mpg in the self-charging hybrid model.
For an SUV with cheap road tax that has really upped its game since launching, the 3008 is a great choice. Just make sure to keep it below the £40,000 mark to avoid the luxury car fee.
Ford Kuga (2017 onwards)
 "Ford Kuga side")
Annual road tax: £190
Annual road tax (hybrid): £180
If you go for a Ford Kuga, you'll not only get an SUV with low road tax but one that is also trendy and great to drive.
Sitting in insurance groups 10 to 26 and getting up to 42.8mpg from the 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine, running costs on this one are impressively low.
You can also get some hybrid models that stick below £40,000 brand-new, like the 2.5-litre Duratec FHEV 180PS, for an even more frugal 51.4mpg.
Mercedes-Benz GLA (2020 onwards)
 "Mercedes GLA driving")
Annual road tax: £190
Premium cars don’t have to be painfully pricey to run – the Mercedes GLA is a luxury SUV with low road tax.
A high-spec GLA will go into luxury car fee territory, but excellent options like the Sport Edition and Sport Executive are below £40,000, so you can still get the luxe Merc feel with lower running costs.
Efficiency isn’t a problem either. You can aim for up to 43.5mpg from the GLA 200 with a 1.3-litre X engine, which isn’t bad for an SUV with a 485-litre boot.
Mazda MX-30 (2021 onwards)
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Annual road tax: £0 (until 2025)
The best way to get cheap road tax for your SUV is to choose electric power – all electric vehicles get road tax until 2025. The MX-30 is one of our top picks.
Not only will you save on road tax, but charging should be cheaper than fuelling up.
City driving is where it’s most economical, with Mazda claiming you can achieve up to 124 miles on a full charge.
The MX-30 can be reasonable to insure as well. It’s in groups 19 to 20, which is a good indicator of low costs.
If the cheapest running costs are what you’re after, don’t forget that maintenance for electric cars can often be cheaper than petrol or diesel models – there’s generally fewer mechanical parts to go wrong.
Hyundai Tucson (2021 onwards)
 "Hyundai Tucson front")
Annual road tax: £190
Annual road tax (hybrid): £180
If you’re looking for a Goldilocks SUV, the Hyundai Tucson is a midrange pick that’s ideal for daily family life.
It’s solid build and reliable Hyundai engineering rival other low road tax SUVs. Plus it has a full five-star Euro NCAP rating.
As for other running costs, the plug-in hybrid model gets you up to 201.8mpg and can just about scrape in under £40,000 brand-new to avoid luxury car fees.
Volkswagen Tiguan (2017 onwards)
 "Volkswagen Tiguan front three quarters")
Annual road tax: £190
We’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t include a VW SUV on this list – the brand has some seriously slick picks.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is one of our options for a low road tax SUV, especially with its 1.5-litre petrol engine that gets up to 41.5mpg for further savings on running costs.
It’s hard to argue with figures like that in a sizeable SUV with a boot of up to 652 litres, depending on the model.
What affects SUV road tax?
For the first year of a brand-new car’s life, you’ll pay road tax based on the car’s emissions. This is known as ‘showroom tax’ and was introduced in 2017.
Whether this first year tax will be more expensive or cheaper than the standard rate will depend on the car, but it’s usually pricier.
After that, you’ll pay road tax based on the standard rate for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017.
The typical petrol or diesel vehicle will cost £190 per year to tax, while zero-emissions electric cars will be free to tax until 2025.
Cars that cost over £40,000 brand new have to pay a luxury car fee for the first five years of the standard rate. This is an extra £410 on top of the standard road tax.
Get a used SUV at cinch
Picking the best SUV with low road tax will leave you spoilt for choice.
There are plenty of slick SUVs with low running costs on the market, and you can find brilliant deals on pre-owned examples.
Take a look at our full range of used SUVs to find your perfect fit.