The best family cars of 2024
Choosing the right car for your family is a big decision. You’ll need to think about safety, fuel economy, comfort and space – not to mention onboard tech to keep the kids entertained. Here’s our lowdown on some of the best family cars available.
Choosing the right car for your family is a big decision. You’ll need to think about safety, fuel economy, comfort and space – not to mention onboard tech to keep the kids entertained. Here’s our lowdown on some of the best family cars available.
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. With that in mind, it’s worth considering:
- Cabin size
- Storage and boot capacity
- Comfort
- Drivability and parking
- Fuel economy
- Running costs
- NCAP safety rating
- Entertainment set-up.
The best family cars
AutoTrader has ranked its best family cars and we’ve pulled out the key facts, to help you choose.
We’ve also included boot size, miles per gallon/range, CO2 emissions and price, so you can compare easily.
Best small family cars 2024
Volkswagen Golf
About: A high build quality (which the price reflects), spacious cabin and comfortable ride make the VW Golf a consistently popular choice for smaller families.
Style: Hatchback
Why it’s great: Spacious interior, fuel efficient, easy to park and fun to drive.
Family features: Decent-sized boot, ISOFIX child seat attachments, clever driving assistance systems.
Miles per gallon: 38.2-54.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 39-130g/km
Boot capacity min: 381 litres
Price: From £26,955 new
Seats: 5
Citroën C3 Aircross
About: Compact crossover offering an incredibly comfortable ride. The impressive range of safety and driving tech features makes it an ideal family car for new drivers.
Style: Compact crossover SUV
Why it’s great: Supremely comfortable seats and the vast range of driving assist technologies make for a far more relaxing and safer driving experience.
Family features: Advanced Comfort seats, spacious and modular interior, up to 12 drive assist systems.
Miles per gallon: 40-53 mpg
CO2 emissions: 130-156 g/km
Boot capacity min: 410 litres
Price: From £17,830 new
Seats: 5
Honda Civic
About: The self-charging Honda Civic offers a full hybrid experience with no need to ever plug in. The huge boot opening makes loading bulky items, like buggies or sports gear, a doddle.
Style: Hatchback
Why it’s great: Offers a super-efficient full hybrid experience. A smoother and quieter drive compared to other hybrids
Family features: Huge boot opening, lots of legroom, intuitive Honda Sensing driver assist.
Miles per gallon: 56-60 mpg
CO2 emissions: 108-114 g/km
Boot capacity min: 404 litres
Price: From £35,005 new
Seats: 5
Hyundai Ioniq 5
About: All-electric comfort and quirky styling combined with an impressive range and a strong performance.
Style: Hatchback crossover
Why it’s great: Offers a powerful drive with an excellent range for cleaner, greener longer journeys.
Family features: Huge interior, clever storage features, plenty of airbags, charge port option for electric bikes, long doors for easier access.
Range: up to 315 miles
CO2 emissions: 0 g/km
Boot capacity min: 527 litres
Price: From £43,445 new
Seats: 5
Best medium family cars 2024
Kia Sportage
About: A stylish, spacious and flexible family car with low running costs across all the engine ranges.
Style: Crossover SUV
Why it’s great: A modern, comfortable interior offers plenty of room for even the tallest of passengers.
Family features: Tons of room in the back, USB charging for rear passengers, impressive luggage space with smart power tailgate for easy access.
Miles per gallon: 34-52 mpg
CO2 emissions: 25-147 g/km
Boot capacity min: 591 litres
Price: From £23,625 new
Seats: 5
Tesla Model Y
About: With a long-distance range and plenty of space, Tesla’s Model Y is well-equipped for the rough and tumble of family life.
Style: SUV
Why it’s great: Excellent rapid charging, no-fuss interior and cool features galore.
Family features: Tons of space for all your gear, impressive range of Autopilot safety features, and fun digital entertainment – from karaoke tunes to online games.
Range: Up to 331 miles
CO2 emissions: 0 g/km
Boot capacity min: 854 litres
Price: From £44,990 new
Seats: 5
BMW Series 3 Touring
About: Dynamic driving, efficient engines and superb quality make the Touring one of the best mid-sized family estates around.
Style: Estate
Why it’s great: A fantastic all-rounder with an array of intelligent technologies, great-sized boot space, all in a sporty, luxurious ride.
Family features: Intelligent voice command assistance, great entertainment system, with large, flexible and functional boot space.
Miles per gallon: 33-58 mpg
CO2 emissions: 30-127 g/km
Boot capacity min: 410 litres
Price: From £42,395 new
Seats: 5
Best large family cars 2024
Dacia Jogger
About: Massive, family-friendly seven-seater at a bargain price.
Style: MPV
Why it’s great: Seats up to seven with tons of safety equipment, this practical all-rounder offers great value for large families on a tighter budget.
Family features: Easy-fold seats create a massive boot, comfortably seats up to seven, modular roof bars, up to 15 different safety features.
Miles per gallon: 48-57 mpg
CO2 emissions: 109-130 g/km
Boot capacity min: 160-2,085 litres
Price: From £18,295 new
Seats: 7
Ford Galaxy
About: Practical and comfy seven-seater that’s fun to drive. It’s no longer in production, so one to look out for as a well-treated, low-mileage used car.
Style: MPV
Why it’s great: Surprisingly light to manoeuvre and a massive boot, even with all seven seats in place.
Family features: Easy, push-button seat-folding, huge boot, hands-free liftgate, wide door openings and windows, practical storage features.
Miles per gallon: 36-44 mpg
CO2 emissions: 148 g/km
Boot capacity min: 300 litres (in seven-seat mode)
Price: Was £40,725 new. Used price depends on age, model, mileage and condition.
Seats: 7
Volkswagen Multivan
About: Practical seven-seater with plenty of room and added features for family outings and adventures.
Style: Van-based MPV
Why it’s great: Functional and comfortable with a decent boot, even with all seven seats in use.
Family features: Sliding rear doors, interior can be configured to fit passengers, surfboards and bikes alike, removable seats, multifunction table, multicolour ambient lighting options, panoramic glass roof.
Miles per gallon: 30-43 mpg
CO2 emissions: 42-170 g/km
Boot capacity min: 469 litres
Price: From £45,469 new
Seats: 7
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