SUV buyers are being urged to research the total cost of ownership when looking for their dream car, as Cap reports that the ticket price alone is not a true indicator of affordability.

Analysis of the SUV sector by Cap reveals the best value vehicle on the market is the petrol Dacia Duster estate, with the total cost of ownership starting from £9,771 and a monthly running cost from £271.44, despite higher fuel costs than the Nissan Juke diesel hatchback or the Ford Ecosport diesel hatchback.

Cap calculated total ownership costs by reviewing the following across a vehicle’s first three years from new: monthly running cost, cost per mile, service and maintenance, depreciation, insurance group, costs new, delivery costs, road tax, RRP

According to the Cap data, the three SUVs with the lowest service and maintenance costs are the Skoda Yeti diesel estate at £241, the Hyundai Estate 1.6 gdi (£237) and the VW Tiguan diesel estate 2.0 tdi , which has the lowest maintenance costs at £229.

Despite its low service and maintenance costs, the Dacia Duster diesel estate 1.5 came tenth in the Cap top ten best make and model SUV buys, with a total cost of ownership of £12,322.

Peugeot, Citroen, Suzuki, Renault, Nissan and Ford also feature models in the top ten, all offering SUVs that have a total cost of ownership of less than £12,000.  Suzuki has two models in the top ten; the petrol Suzuki Vitara Estate came 4th and the petrol Suzuki  SX4 S Cross Hatchback 8^th.

In contrast, the prestige Land Rover Range Rover Estate 5.0 V8 S/C SV Autobiography LWB 4dr Auto (15-) has the highest total cost of ownership of all cars – coming in at just over £122,068.

Philip Nothard, Cap consumer and retail editor, said: “Our figures show that consumers need to consider more than just the price tag, when it comes to investing in a SUV.

“There are a number of factors that can swing overall ownership costs quite dramatically, such as service and maintenance, fuel, insurance and depreciation, so all of these should be considered to ensure those buyers whose purchase decision is based on a budget get the best value for money.”

He added:  “There’s good news for those looking to sell their SUV as some makes and models are actually holding their value very well. Indeed, some are actually increasing in value. Appreciation is rare, but in the last few weeks we’ve seen values rise in some instances by almost £200.”

SUV Values on the Rise