The Best Large Family Cars

The Kodiaq brought Skoda into the large family SUV segment for the first time when it arrived in 2017. In typical Skoda fashion, it’s a car which is packed with well-thought-out features, including an integrated ice scraper housed behind the fuel filler door and a handy storage point on the windscreen for receipts and parking tickets.

However – and most importantly for this list – it’s superbly family-friendly. Available in both five- and seven-seater configurations, it’s got acres of space inside while robust materials ensure that it’s a car which can handle the rough-and-tumble of family life. The seating mechanisms are also a breeze to use and even when you’ve got all seats in place with the seven-seater version you’re still left with a well-sized boot.

While large SUVs have come to dominate the family car market, there’s still a lot of merit in the humble estate car. The Audi A6 has always been one of the best, largely because of its premium-feeling interior and refined driving characteristics which make it a great long-distance option. When you add in some punchy yet efficient engines, you’ve got a very appealing package.

Families should appreciate its ample rear-seat legroom and handily located ISOFIX points, while its massive boot dwarfs many on this list. Plus. because of its relatively low ride height, you’ll find loading heavier items into the boot a little easier, while dropping child seats into the car’s cabin may be a touch easier than in other more raised-up cars.

Land Rover’s ever-popular Discovery has always been a strong option among family car buyers – particularly those who like to adventure a little further off the beaten track. With its clever four-wheel-drive system the Discovery can handle some seriously tricky terrain, yet on-road it’s comfortable, refined and easy to live with.

All versions of the Discovery are seven-seaters, too, so there’s plenty of space to use up. With the rearmost seats levelled there’s a huge boot to use up, too, but even with that third row in place you’ll still access a decent amount of luggage space. The Discovery is also a very accomplished tow car, too, in case you’re planning on bringing a caravan, boat or trailer along for the adventure.

Peugeot is one of the big names in the family car game and the 5008 is one of its most spacious and versatile. It is, in fact, the largest car in Peugeot’s passenger car range and while a new futuristic version might be on the horizon, we’re fans of the previous generation version because of its plentiful standard equipment and efficient driving setup.

The 5008 feels particularly family-focused, too. Its interior plastics might not be the most high-quality, but they’re seriously robust and should shake off all kinds of abuse. Plus, the 5008 has the added benefit of being a proper seven-seater and while those rearmost seats might not offer the last word in spaciousness, it means that the 5008 can offer a little extra space compared to others here and will prove to be a handy addition in case you’re bringing along extra friends or family for the trip.

Practicality is the name of the game for the Kia Sorento, which is why this seven-seater SUV has proven so popular over the years. It’s this fourth-generation car which saw the Sorento really hit a higher gear, mind you, shaking off the rather agricultural shackles of its predecessors to introduce a far more premium appearance and feel than we’d come to expect from this South Korean large SUV.

It’s decent to drive, too, with good body handling which should help to reduce travel sickness on those longer trips. You’ll also find that regardless of which version of Sorento you pick you’re going to get plenty of equipment, with all versions receiving air conditioning, alloy wheels and parking sensors right off the bat. A transferable seven-year warranty only helps to make the Sorento even more appealing.

You might think that the Dacia Jogger is too new for this list, but given its low starting price of just £18,295, it actually makes for a used car option that really won’t break the bank. The Jogger stands as a typical MPV and while this segment may have fallen out of favour with buyers over recent years, the Jogger is a great showcase for why it’s worth considering.

It’s a full seven-seater, too, but where the Jogger really impresses is its flexibility. For instance, you can remove the lightweight rear seats entirely, freeing up a whole lot of boot space. See the roof rails? They can be loosened off with an Allen key and rotated, creating full roof bars on which you can mount a box or bike rack. It’s all very practical and delivered at an impressively low price.

The Tiguan is one of Volkswagen’s most successful models of all time. It’s not hard to see why, either, as with its pleasantly made interior, efficient engine choices and spacious interior it’s a real all-rounder. Remember, too, that you can get the Tiguan in seven-seater ‘Allspace’ configuration if you’re after some extra seating capacity.

But it’s still a very spacious experience aboard the standard Tiguan, with this large family car delivering plenty of storage options through its variety of cubbies and boxes. It’s refined and good to drive, too, which makes it a great choice for drivers who do long distances when the family aren’t aboard. There’s loads of technology aboard the Tiguan, too, with later models gaining a full digital virtual cockpit and a large central screen, among other features.

Much like the Audi A6 Avant, the Mercedes E-Class Estate is a large, comfortable and incredibly spacious way of getting about. The E-Class Estate has always put practicality as a primary focus, which is why you’ll find a huge boot in this car alongside a spacious and well-thought-out cabin that’ll ensure the whole family travels in comfort and style.

While diesel may not be the most popular fuel these days, it’s the E-Class models powered by the black pump which really excel when it comes to efficiency and refinement. It’s the sort of car that you can easily load up with loads of luggage, brim completely with fuel and then head out to do thousands of miles of driving without a moment’s notice.

Premium, smartly finished inside and without enough space for seven, it’s easy to see why the Q7 is sought-after in the large family car segment. Of course, being a big, complex and heavy SUV means that the Q7 will bring higher running costs, but if you’re happy to accept them then you’ll be left with a competent and fearsomely comfortable all-rounder.

Its giant size does make the Q7 more effort to park than others here, but its large proportions also mean that all occupants get plenty of space to stretch out. Plus, the engines which accompany the Q7 are more than up to the task of getting this large seven-seater up to speed in good enough time.

If you’re thinking of going down the electric route, then the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo presents itself as a very attractive option. Essentially an estate version of the regular Taycan, the Cross Turismo has an elongated rear section which brings a useful amount of boot space while a variety of accessories mean it’s dead easy to attach bike racks or tow bars to this good-looking electric vehicle.

While the as-new prices for the Taycan remain markedly high, strong depreciation has seen used price tags for this battery-powered Porsche drop considerably, making it a far more value-focused proposition than you might first expect. Just remember to factor this in if you’re considering purchasing one for yourself.