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
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
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
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
- Don’t look at the price
The wildest luxury electric SUV on the market
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
BMW X7
Sharp driving dynamics and seven seats
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
- Its looks scare children
- X5 does similar for less
The best-driving luxury SUV you can buy
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
- Hideously expensive options
A value-packed, high-tech, off-road-ready seven-seater
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
BMW iX
Cutting edge electric luxury SUV with loads of power
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
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
- You can’t have seven seats
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
If money’s no object, here’s your luxury SUV
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.
