The best family cars balance comfort and space with safety and style. They’re generally cost-effective and are pleasant to drive, with good manoeuvrability. Most importantly, they should be well suited for:

  • Day-to-day use
  • The school run
  • Supermarket shopping
  • Holiday driving

Car Body Types for the Best Family Car

Like families themselves, family cars come in all shapes and sizes. The most popular body type is often the 5-door hatchback, followed by SUVs, MPVs, estates and saloons. To help get to grips with different models, here are some of their different strengths and selling points –

  • Hatchbacks typically have lower running costs, provide good value for money and come well equipped with lots of different features
  • SUVs and MPVs are bigger, offering more space, storage and often flip-down tables
  • Estates typically combine the low running costs of hatchbacks with more space and storage, similar to that of SUVs and MPVs
  • Saloons are larger than hatchbacks usually with more interior space, but the boot opening tends to be smaller and less practical

Features of the Best Family Cars

The best family cars are, more often than not, spacious, but it’s equally important to find a comfortable vehicle which has low running costs and solid safety ratings. Bearing that in mind, here’s our selection of the best vehicles for family use.