The best family cars of 2019

Choosing the right car for your family is a big decision. You’ll need to consider safety, fuel economy, comfort and space. In other words, it’s a practical choice.

Daniel Hutson From the Motor team
4
minute read
posted

What to consider when buying a family car

Whether your family’s big or small, it’s important to choose a car that suits your lifestyle. Not to mention all the odds and ends that come with family life.

With that in mind, it’s worth considering:

  • cabin size and boot capacity
  • comfort
  • drivability and parking
  • fuel economy
  • running costs
  • NCAP safety rating

Related Articles

The best family cars

AutoTrader have ranked their best family cars and we’ve pulled out the key facts, to help you choose.

We’ve also included boot size, miles per gallon, CO2 emissions and average car insurance costs, so you can compare easily. 

Renault Captur

About: A supermini sport utility vehicle (SUV) that’s easy to drive, no stress to park and offers a spacious cabin and boot.  

Style: Small SUV

Why it’s great: An elevated, comfortable ride, without the chunky feel of a larger SUV.

Family features: ISOFIX child seat attachments, USB port, MP3 player jack socket

Miles per gallon: 50–78mpg

CO2 emissions: 95–127g/km

Boot capacity min: 455 litres

NCAP: 5 stars

Average cost to insure: £395.10 **

Seats: Five

Split 1

Peugeot 3008

About: A stylish, spacious SUV with a high quality interior. Well-equipped with lots of safety features as standard; also available in a hybrid version.

Style: Mid-sized SUV crossover

Why it’s great: The smooth ride and plush interior give it that touch of luxury.

Family features: Large boot, lots of safety equipment, USB port, Apple Carplay, Android Auto.

Miles per gallon: 48–70mpg (Hybrid4: 80mpg)

CO2 emissions: 103–131g/km (Hybrid4: 88g/km)

Boot capacity min: 512 litres

NCAP: 5 stars

Average cost to insure: £415.79 **

Seats: Five

Skoda Superb

About: Loads of room for the kids, friends and the family dog. A comfortable ride with low running costs, offering great value for money.

Style: Estate

Why it’s great: Bags of space, comfort and impressive running costs make it a fantastic all-rounder.  

Family features: Enormous boot for bikes, prams, footy gear; everything but the kitchen sink. ISOFIX child seat anchor points.

Miles per gallon: 36–76mpg

CO2 emissions: 96–164g/km

Boot capacity min: 660 litres

NCAP: Still to be crash tested, but experts expect a full 5 stars

Average cost to insure: £435.16**

Seats: Five

Split 3

Skoda Kodiaq

About: Versatile and comfortable SUV with the option of a seven-seater upgrade. Competitively priced with reasonable running costs, the Kodiaq offers a quality ride with good road handling.

Style: Large SUV

Why it’s great: Offers the quality, comfort and handling of higher priced rivals without the price tag. Running costs are also good.

Family features: Seven-seater versions available for larger families. Door protectors to prevent knocks and bumps when getting in and out. ISOFIX child seat anchor points. An optional Child pack also available, featuring rear side window roller blinds, a door panel bin and electric child lock, activated from the front seat.  

Miles per gallon: 38–56mpg

Boot capacity: 5 seats: 700 litres; 7 seats: 270 litres

NCAP: 5 stars

Average cost to insure:  £438.34 **  

Seats: Five or seven

Split 4

SEAT Alhambra

About: Huge seven-seater MPV, with enough space to seat seven adults comfortably. A quick and easy seat folding system make it one of the most versatile and practical MPVs around.

Style: MPV

Why it’s great: Seven adults can ride comfortably, while the seating is easy to rearrange.  

Family features: Adaptable seven seat configuration. Decent sized boot, even with all seven seats in use. Electric sliding rear doors make it easier to get in and out, while avoiding bumps and dents to the door panels.

Miles per gallon: 42–56.5mpg

CO2 emissions: 135–153g/km

Boot capacity: 267–809 litres

NCAP: 5 stars

Average cost to insure: £474.52**

Seats: Seven

Split 5

Dacia Duster

About: Incredibly priced, the Dacia Duster offers great value for money. Good off-road capabilities means it performs well in winter weather.  

Style: Small SUV

Why it’s great: One of the most affordable SUVs around, the Duster is pleasant to drive with low car insurance costs.

Family features: ISOFIX child seat anchors. Seats offer good support. Higher spec models have multi-view parking cameras.

Miles per gallon: 40–64mpg

CO2 emissions: 115–158g/km

Boot capacity: 445 litres

NCAP: 3 stars

Average cost to insure: £375.90**

Seats: Five

Compare and save

Once you’ve decided on the car for your family, why not see if you can get a great deal on your car insurance by comparing with us?

**Average price amount based on the top five quotes from Compare the Market data from 1 July 2019 to 1 October 2019. The average is based on all variations of the vehicle model and uses risk data from people with different age ranges, addresses and driving histories. You may find a cheaper or more expensive quote based on your circumstances.

Looking for a quote?

Compare car insurance in minutes to see if you can save

Get a quote

Like this?

Then you'll like these

Car insurance

Read

Any driver car insurance

Read

Car modifications

Read