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Best luxury SUVs to buy in 2024

  • We round-up the best high-end luxury SUVs on sale
  • Performance and prestige in equal measure
  • Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric – take your pick

Written by Luke Wilkinson Updated: 30 April 2024

SUVs have a greater breadth of ability than ever before. Now, you can have ones that go off-road, ones that can carry seven people and even ones with coupe rooflines. But the very best SUVs are the ones right at the top of the pecking order. Yes, we’re talking about the limousine-rivalling, continent-straddling, eye-wateringly expensive luxury SUVs.

After studying the success of cars such as the Range Rover and the Porsche Cayenne, most of the luxury car manufacturers have jumped on the SUV bandwagon. Even Ferrari, the thoroughbred Italian supercar manufacturer who was famously quoted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show as saying it ‘will not play with SUVs’ launched the very SUV-shaped Purosangue this year.

But which of the many luxury SUVs are worth your money and attention? Not all Chelsea Tractors are created equal, so we’ve spent some time behind the wheel of every model on the market to bring you this top 10 list. The cars below balance comfort, performance and comfort beautifully. Be warned, though – you’ll pay through the nose for the experience. Scroll down to learn more.

The best luxury SUVs to buy in 2024

It’s THE best luxury SUV on sale

The Range Rover has been the top choice for luxury SUV buyers since it practically invented the concept back in 1970. Since then, it’s morphed from a farm vehicle with leather seats into one of the most complete luxury vehicles of any kind you can buy today. This latest version is utterly sublime inside, packed with technology and equipped with plug-in hybrid power – and it offers seating for up to seven.

It also remains one of the most accomplished off-roaders on sale. Nothing compares to the feeling of wading through up to 900mm of water, sliding through axle-deep mud or simply making a muddy field feel like a tarmac car park, all while enjoying a heated, massaging seat and the gentle strains of Radio 4. We love the Range Rover.

Read our Range Rover review

Pros

  • Unbeatable image
  • Superbly comfortable
  • Unstoppable off road

Cons

  • Expensive to run
  • Questionable reliability

Bentley Bentayga

Almost infinitely customisable – at a price

Bentley, one of Britain’s most famous luxury saloon manufacturers, launched the very SUV-shaped Bentayga in 2015 – and it received merciless criticism from the enthusiast community for the stark departure from its heritage. This criticism was quite unfair, though, because the Bentayga inhaled all the values we hold dear about a modern Bentley (ultra-luxe interior, pillowy comfort, monstrous speed) and mated them to the imposing appearance of a large SUV. It really works.

What’s even more impressive is that the Bentayga has proper off-road chops, too. Not to the same extent as a Range Rover, but it’s certainly capable enough to drag your horse box up a slippery field. But then it should be, given the price. It’s an incredibly expensive car – and you can quickly jack up the price if you get stuck into its basically limitless options list.

Read our Bentley Bentayga review

Pros

  • Incredible performance
  • Stunning build quality
  • Loads of personalisation

Cons

  • Not that good off road
  • Options can double price

Our choice for off-roading in a bank vault

We debated putting the Mercedes G-Class on this list because, while it’s certainly expensive and very well-appointed inside, its on-road comfort levels are compromised somewhat by its off-road ability. It might be far softer than its predecessor, (especially if you spec your car with the smallest alloy wheels), but it doesn’t float over broken tarmac with the same ease as BMW X7 or a Range Rover.

But the G-Class excels in other areas – namely its build quality and its road presence. It looks and feels like a piece of military hardware, which explains its popularity in decidedly not off-road places such as London. It isn’t the best choice for long-distance driving, but it’s a widely recognised status symbol that’s solid enough to make the driver feel like royalty. And who doesn’t want that?

Read our Mercedes G-Class review

Pros

  • Immense off-road ability
  • Unmistakable styling
  • Indestructible quality

Cons

  • Rather ostentatious

The wildest luxury electric SUV on the market

The Model X is an unusual choice in the electric SUV market. Opt for the range-topping Plaid variant and you’ll have an EV that accelerates like a supercar but has space inside for seven. It also features a pair of outrageous gullwing rear doors, which are completely unique in the SUV segment. For a car that doesn’t make any noise, it’s a very loud way of expressing your environmental concerns.

However, while the interior exudes minimalist modernity, Tesla’s build quality is variable and might not be everything you’d expect from a £100k car. Many buyers are prepared to accept this, though, for the reassuringly long driving range, the speed and the ever-impressive Tesla charging network.

Read our Tesla Model X review

Pros

  • Long-range battery
  • Ridiculous performance
  • Excellent charging network

Cons

  • Patchy build quality
  • More showy than classy

Sharp driving dynamics and seven seats

The X7 is another challengingly styled BMW SUV but, if you can look past its toothy front end, you’ll find lots to like. For starters, it’s an incredibly comfortable car, offering plentiful space for up to seven adults. That’s more than can be said of its two main seven-seat SUV rivals, the Mercedes-Benz GLS and Audi Q7, both of which have rather cramped third rows.

It is somewhat of a dinosaur, though. The closest it gets to an electrified drivetrain is the mild hybrid assistance offered on the otherwise conventional petrol and diesel engines. But it’s great to drive on an open stretch of road, which is a noteworthy achievement for something of this shape and size. It’s more difficult around town, though. Any good at parking a battleship? You’ll need to be.

Read our BMW X7 review

Pros

  • Powerful engines
  • Space for seven adults
  • Great to drive

Cons

  • X5 does similar for less

The best-driving luxury SUV you can buy

BMW might be good at making its SUVs drive well but it can’t compete with Porsche. The Cayenne can run rings around every other SUV on the market short of a Ferrari Purosangue or Aston Martin DBX. It’s basically a five-seat sports car with a tall driving position and a massive boot. And if you opt for the range-topping Turbo E-Hybrid model, you’ll have enough power under your right hoof to blow most sports cars into the middle of last week.

It pairs a 599hp 4.0-litre V8 with a massive electric motor for a combined output of 739hp and 950Nm of torque – and it has a scarcely believable 0–62mph time of 3.7 seconds. Pair that with a suspension system that has a perfectly balanced blend of body control and comfort and you’ve got the ideal luxury SUV for keen drivers.

Read our Porsche Cayenne review

Pros

  • Stunning speed
  • Accurate handling
  • Surprisingly practical

Cons

  • Ride can be harsh

A value-packed, high-tech, off-road-ready seven-seater

Need a seven-seater that will happily transport you, your extended family and all your collective clobber down a greenlane before returning to the tarmac and blasting across continental Europe in sumptuous comfort? Then the Land Rover Discovery should be right at the top of your list.

The Discovery perhaps doesn’t have the same luxury appeal of the Range Rover – and it can’t compete with the Land Rover Defender 130 on the desirability front – but it’s still a great all-rounder. And although its price is hardly cheap, in this company, it’s pretty good value for money considering the amount of technology on offer. It’s just a shame that Land Rover’s reputation for poor reliability doesn’t seem to be going away.

Read our Land Rover Discovery review

Pros

  • Comparatively affordable (to a Rangey)
  • Continent conquering off-road ability
  • Ample space inside for seven

Cons

  • Not as posh as a Range Rover
  • Unwieldy in town and cities

Cutting edge electric luxury SUV with loads of power

The BMW iX is a technological tour de force that courts controversy with its divisive exterior design and highly unusual interior. The latter combines clashing materials and crystalline controls to startling effect. If you want to feel like you’re on the cutting edge of SUV luxury, this is the choice for you.

As such, the fact the iX is powered by electric motors shouldn’t come as a surprise – and you can prioritise range or performance depending on how you spec the car. BMW says the xDrive 50 variant can cover 380 miles on a single charge, while the bonkers M60 version packs a whopping 620hp. What’s more, because the car’s made from carbon fibre, it’s quite light for its size. That means it’s very good to drive, with remarkable agility and fabulously comfortable air suspension.

Read our BMW iX review

Pros

  • Very comfortable, yet agile
  • iX M60 has a silly amount of power
  • Very impressive engineering

Cons

  • Limited practicality for its size
  • Controversial styling

Fast and smooth with the heart of an off-roader

The latest Range Rover Sport is a truly multi-talented SUV. Like its predecessors, it’s a sleeker and sportier alternative to the full-sized Range Rover at the top of the pecking order, but it’s now almost as luxurious inside and packed with a similar amount of technology. Factor in its excellent range of engines (that includes a frankly hilarious 635hp supercharged V8) and you’re on to a winner.

You do make a few sacrifices by opting for the Sport, however. You can’t have it with seven-seats and onlookers will always have the nagging suspicion that the only reason you opted for the Sport is because you couldn’t afford the proper Range Rover. But we think the Sport is a better value car, as it offers close to 99% of the Range Rover experience for just 80% of the money.

Read our Range Rover Sport review

Pros

  • Remarkably agile for its size
  • Classy interior and clever tech
  • Loads of engines to choose from

Cons

  • Classic JLR reliability concerns

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

If money’s no object, here’s your luxury SUV

Rolls-Royce’s shift into the luxury SUV market was perhaps the most shocking of all the luxury car makers. For a brand that forged its reputation by building first-class limousines, launching a brash SUV is a bold move, especially when it’s as – ahem – noticeable as the Cullinan.

It’s utterly enormous. However, that just means there’s plenty of space inside for passengers. And even though the Cullinan’s exterior styling shares little in common with the likes of the Ghost and Phantom, its interior is every bit as luxurious as Rolls-Royce’s other vehicles. It rides like a Rolls-Royce should, too, floating down the road with uncanny ease. It can even go off-road. Not that any Cullinan owner will ever take their cars anywhere more challenging than a Waitrose car park.

Read our Rolls-Royce Cullinan review

Pros

  • Amazingly refined on tarmac
  • Surprisingly capable off-road
  • Superb craftsmanship

Cons

  • It looks like a black cab
  • It drinks like a fish

What’s the best luxury SUV you can buy?

Even though the luxury SUV market has expanded rapidly in the past five years we still think the best luxury SUV you can buy is the Range Rover, simply because it does everything well. It’s good to drive, it’s spacious, it’s loaded with technology and it’s incredibly comfortable. Plus, you can point it at any stretch of wilderness and it’ll breeze over it like it’s driving down the M1.

What is the most comfortable luxury midsize SUV?

The Lexus RX is right up near the top of the mid-size SUV class in the comfort stakes. It’s very softly sprung, which means the car (and not your spine) takes the battering from the road surface. It’s also very well-appointed inside and refined on the motorway, especially if you opt for the plug-in hybrid model. The PHEV can drive on silent electric power alone at speeds of up to 80mph. The trade-off? Well, it doesn’t corner anywhere near as well as a BMW X5. But you can’t have it all.

What luxury SUV is the most fun to drive?

The Porsche Cayenne is the luxury SUV to buy if you’re a keen driver. It’s razor sharp and genuinely rapid – and to do better, you’ll need to splash the cash on something trouser-troublingly expensive such as an Aston Martin DBX, Ferrari Purosangue or Lamborghini Urus.

Any other luxury SUVs to consider?

There are plenty of other SUVs that offer a luxurious experience, if none of the above quite float your boat. For instance, all the vehicles here are particularly large, so if you’re after a smaller model but still want to experience the good life you should look seriously at the Range Rover Evoque (reliability caveats as per usual) and perhaps the Volvo XC40. Lexus offers smaller options with intricate interiors, too.

If you want great customer service but aren’t so concerned about pedigree, the Genesis GV80 is worth a look for an amazing package of all-round care that’s unlike anything else on the market. Go for the six-cylinder diesel, though, as the four-cylinder models are stained and coarse.

Why buy a luxury SUV?

If you want the ultimate in luxurious status symbols, you could opt for a high-end saloon – but nowadays you’re just as likely to buy a large SUV instead. The best luxury SUVs offer every creature comfort that even the most demanding CEO or world leader could ask for, and combine it with the ride height, rugged styling and celebrity status that these big off-roaders have come to symbolise.

And ‘off-roaders’ is usually right – when you’re paying this much money, the ability to actually plug some mud is a desirable feature. Every car in this list has four-wheel drive and many can mix it with some of the most accomplished off-roaders on sale.

Aren’t big SUVs really bad for the planet?

Even among the mega-rich, the trends of today aren’t completely muted – and being kinder to the planet is one that’s hit the luxury SUV market just like it has everybody else.

While these cars do (mostly) have the option for a thirsty combustion engine, a great many of them are also available as plug-in hybrids, which give users several miles of silent, zero-emissions running in towns and cities while retaining the flexibility of a petrol or diesel engine for longer journeys. This way, the most economical luxury SUVs can have official mpg figures in the hundreds.