Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » I do over 20,000 miles per year - should I buy an SUV?
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

I do over 20,000 miles per year - should I buy an SUV?

I'm thinking of purchasing an SUV, or similar to replace my Saab 9-3. I have narrowed it down to Kia, Honda, Ford and Nissan. I'm tempted by the Kia Niro. I do around 20,000 - 24,000 miles a year, should I just stick with a saloon?

Asked on 31 March 2017 by Mark Richards

Answered by Honest John
The Niro is good. Should be capable of around 55mpg in regular use. But as a general rule of thumb, an SUV uses 5 - 10 per cent more fuel than a saloon and a 4x4 SUV uses 10 -15 per cent more fuel. That gets critical with your mileage. The Honda HR-V 1.6 i-DTEC is quite good though. I averaged just under 60mpg over 12,000 miles. The other contender is the Toyota C-HR hybrid.

Real MPG enables you to register the fuel economy you are actually getting against your make and model of car, its engine and type of transmission.

Every time you enter an average consumption figure against your car, the overall average automatically adjusts to reflect it.

Real MPG
Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:
    Select a few terms below
Similar questions
I'm currently running a 2009 Volkswagen Golf Plus 2.0 TDI that I've had for almost five trouble-free years. It'll be at 90,000 miles soon and I think I should get out before I have to spend money on it....
I currently drive a 2007 diesel Hyundai Tucson auto. It's done 190,000 miles and is in need of replacing. I do about 25,000 miles a year, mostly country roads and motorways, and want something with good...
We own and run a 2013 Kia Sportage II 1.7, but because of changing lifestyles it rarely gets to stretch its legs. We love the high driving position and our travel is now a 24 mile daily round trip for...
Related models
More of the same. Modernised with sharper looks. Quick 2.8 twin-turbo. Strong diesels. Spare parts still readily available.
Highly practical and versatile thanks to ‘magic’ seats. Strong i-DTEC diesel engine.
Characterful design. Efficient engines. Comfortable and well made.
Easy to drive. Impressive fuel economy and low running costs. Space for a family.