Should I buy an SUV?

When you’re looking at buying a new car it’s easy to become distracted by things like brands, colours and even prices; all the pretty baubles that catches your eye in advertisements.

What you really should be thinking about is the kind of car you need, as opposed to the vehicle you think you want, which is, in the modern world, almost always bigger than necessary.

As SUVs – big, small and in-between – continue to bite off huge chunks of market share at both the affordable and premium ends of the market (even Bentley has one now), it seems that people can’t resist their unattractive bulkiness.

But ask yourself, other than the desire to sit in a lofty position and look down on creation; do you really need an SUV? Do you have more than two children? Do you regularly tow a boat, a camper trailer or other expensive pieces of metal and fibreglass?

Then ask yourself whether you really want the expense of replacing four extra-large tyres quite regularly, or the fuel bills that come with pushing something so aerodynamically unsound through the air every day and night?

If the answer is yes to all of the above, buy an SUV, if not, it’s time to broaden your mind.

Try our new car matchmaker on our homepage to find which car is right for you.