Looking for a family SUV for €25,000...

Hi,

I am looking for an SUV that would fit two car seats and a booster base. I have one-year-old twins and a seven-year-old. Also need the boot space for a twin stroller. My budget is around €25k and my preference is to get a SUV and not a van shaped car like the VW Touran.

Any recommendations?

Haris (Kildare)

Feb 2026 Filed under: child or baby seats

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Expert answer

Hi Haris,

It will be difficult to find a car that will fit two large rear-facing child seats and a booster in a single row without going for much larger vehicles. The alternative is an SUV with a third row, but that comes with compromises as well.

Anyway, searching within your budget, there are options. Large SUVs such as the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 would fit you all in, but at €25,000 you'd be buying relatively old ones with high mileage and likely high maintenance costs. Same for the BMW X5.

The Hyundai Santa Fe would be a better bet, as would the Kia Sorento or indeed the Nissan X-Trail. All of these are large SUVs and well-priced, reliable and decently equipped.

Finally, and I think this might be the best option, there's the Peugeot 5008. It has three separate seats in the middle row, so should fit all the kids in and you can fold away the rearmost seats to maximise boot space. There are petrol and diesel variants within budget with far lower mileage than the premium-badge options mentioned above.

You've not told us about any other preferences in terms of fuel, size of vehicle or anything, so come back to us if you want us to help narrow down the search further.

No matter what you decide, make sure you bring the child seats with you on any test drive and ensure they fit in properly.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor