Best family cars 2025

The Skoda Enyaq iV is one of the best electric cars and one of the best family cars, with oodles of space, excellent comfort and a surprisingly easy drive for such a large vehicle. It’s a no-nonsense, versatile family car that undercuts premium rivals (such as the VW ID.4, Tesla Model Y and Audi Q4 e-tron) on price, and beats them when it comes to standard equipment and practicality.

It’s a similar size to the Skoda Kodiaq, but comes with five seats rather than seven. That means you get a huge 585-litre boot and plenty of space in the back seats to comfortably accommodate adults. All models get the impressive 13.0-inch navigation system with DAB radio as standard, which also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

The Enyaq iV performs well in the safety department, too, with a five-star Euro NCAP rating, ISOFIX in the back and on the front passenger seat, and plenty of driving assistance functions to help keep you out of trouble on the road. A good driving range and reasonably affordable prices help sweeten the deal even further. Safe, sizeable, and a serious contender for your driveway.

The BMW 3 Series is a superb upmarket family car, with a refined ride, plush cabin and low running costs. That’s why it remains one of the most popular cars on the road despite impressive rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz. 

Although there are better cars on this list if outright space is what matters most, the 3 Series Touring estate offers good boot flexibility. Its 500-litre capacity might only be 20 litres more than the saloon, but with a usefully larger opening, the space is much more accessible, while the rear seats can be dropped in a flexible 40/20/40 split to increase luggage capacity. 

However, if rear space is a priority, the Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb Estate pip the BMW with cavernous amounts of room.

But the BMW 3 Series' trump card is the way it drives. A firm yet well controlled ride is combined with sharp, engaging handling on every model. While that might not matter when all your kids are on board, it makes the 3 Series fun when you're heading home from the school run, and there's a fine range of engines to pick from.

The Skoda Karoq small SUV is an impressively complete all-rounder. It's comfortable, good to drive, has an excellent range of engines, has a nicely finished cabin and a high level of standard equipment. It’s conservatively styled, sure, but it's also tremendously practical and nearly impossible to fault. 

Inside, the Skoda Karoq is spacious and versatile, with an easily accessible rear cabin making fitting child seats a breeze, and three older children can sit comfortably in the back.

Optional ‘Varioflex’ rear seats can slide back and forth as well as recline, so you can pick between comfort or boot space. You can also remove the rear seats entirely. Even with the rear seats in place and slid all the way to the rear there is a generous amount of boot space, with 521 litres beneath the load cover.

Even the base SE Edition model gets alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control and automatic emergency brakes as standard, but SE L is the one to go for if with its added comforts like heated front seats and larger infotainment display, rear-view camera, all-round parking sensors, and microsuede upholstery.

Even if the MG4 EV wasn't powered by a brawny and near-silent electric motor, it would still hold plenty of appeal thanks to its chiselled looks.

The fact that the MG4 is an EV, and a pretty darned brisk one, too, just makes it even more appealing when you consider the keenly pitched prices MG charges.

That's matched by sporty handling and a sense of fun that's missing in most electric cars. The infotainment could be slicker, but otherwise, the MG4 also looks after its driver very well, with plenty o space, good comfort, clear visibility and lots of toys. There's a bit less space in the back seats, but the boot is pretty big for very decent practicality.

For us, the MG4 EV is a real sweet spot in the electric family car class thanks to its cost, equipment, driving fun, and 323-mile range.

The short wheelbase version of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz has been with us for a few years now, and that's a very good family car in is own right. Now, though, after a wait that seemed to last for an eternity, the long-wheelbase version has finally arrived, bring the seven-seater practicality that turns the ID.Buzz from a good family car into a great one.

There's very decent space surrounding the rearmost chairs, too - not always the case in a seven-seater - and a decent 306 litres of boot space with all the pews in place. When you only need five of them, the boot grows to a truly whopping 1340 litres.

But the ID.Buzz is about much more than practicality. With its effortlessly cool retro-inspired design and its cheerful colour schemes, it's just such a characterful and jolly car to spend time in. The interior quality is impressive, too, while all the equipment you'll want is present and correct.

You'll also enjoy driving the ID.Buzz thanks to a comfortable ride and surprisingly composed handling given the size and shape of the car. Performance from the electric motor(s) is seamless and near-silent, while the car's range figures are also very presentable.

Times are tough, so shelling out over £30k for a family runabout just isn't an option for many. Fear not, because Dacia is on hand to sell you a brand new seven-seater for less than £20,000. 

For that money, there really isn't anything else that offers the practicality of the humble Jogger unless you ferret around on the used car market. That entry-level Essential trim isn't too basic, with cruise control, air-con and even rear parking sensors, but stepping up to Comfort trim gets you the all-important touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and as a result, it's a step we recommend taking.

The Jogger is decent to drive, too, with enough agility and ride comfort to keep your six passengers from complaining. A 110PS 1.0-litre engine might sound a bit weak, but the car is actually pretty light, so it gets down the road swiftly enough. There's a hybrid model for more pace, too.

Even more amazingly given that it's about the same size as a VW Golf Estate, is that the Jogger is a genuine seven-seater. Adults can just about squeeze into that third row for short journeys, which can't be said of some seven-seat SUVs. So what's the catch? Well, the Jogger misses some of the very latest safety equipment, and its interior is hardly luxurious. But that's no deal breaker at this price. 

Want a family SUV and stand out in the supermarket car park? The latest Kia Sportage is a distinctive and capable family SUV that also benefits from the brand's excellent (and transferrable between owners) seven-year warranty.

The striking exterior design certainly turns heads, but it still does the sensible stuff well. The interior is upmarket, solid and well-equipped, with a clever twin-screen infotainment system on most models. There's also plenty of useful storage solutions and little touches to make family life that bit easier. 

Space in the back is very good, although it's not quite as generous for three passengers as the Honda CR-V because there's a lump in the floor. Still, the 591-litre boot is huge, with a false floor and handy levers for folding the rear seats. 

It's Kia's intention that the Sportage's driving experience feels agile, and its reasonably successful on that score. While this does mean the ride is a little firm, it's a refined offering that's great for long distance drives. Clever tech includes a 360-degree camera and, on top models, a system that allows you to 'drive' the car in and out of tight parking spaces from outside the car using the key fob. 

You can choose from petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power if you're buying new, plus diesel with used models, so there should be something to fit every need. 

Not all families need an SUV, and if your budget doesn’t stretch to the BMW 3 Series Touring, the Honda Civic hatchback is an excellent option at a more affordable price point. The latest version has significantly improved the interior style and infotainment over its predecessor, and it's also a supremely practical choice.

There’s just one engine choice, a 2.0 litre self-charging hybrid. Economy is impressive, with 56.5mpg putting it in line with diesel rivals. It’s also more fun to drive than you may think: we’re not talking Ford Focus levels of engagement, but it delivers a satisfying experience from behind the wheel.

There’s class-leading safety with eleven airbags, and a variety of standard safety features including emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and intelligent speed assist. It’s achieved a five-star Euro NCAP award, unsurprisingly.

All in all, the Honda Civic is a great family car, which is nicely equipped, well built, good to drive and has enough space for everyone and their luggage.

Look up classy in the automotive dictionary and you'll find a picture of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate. Its understated elegance is a major part of its appeal to families, along with anyone who needs a bit more capacity than the equally sleek saloon version can muster.

The driving environment offers two large screens: one to deliver you driving information and the other to control the infotainment and almost every other feature. It's easy to use and looks great. 

Rear seat space is generous, too, while the boot offers 490 litres of space. That's more than this generation's predecessor, but a fraction behind the BMW 3 Series Touring. However, the C-Class Estate's boot is well shaped and practical.

The engine line-up offers a range of options that includes the C 300 e plug-in hybrid with an EV range of up to 65 miles, which is notably better than its BMW rival.

You might think it odd that the latest Superb Estate is the third Skoda to feature on this list, but the fact is that the Czech firm is truly brilliant at designing and building family cars. That's partly because Skoda usually provides more space than rivals do, yet also charges less money for it, and that's precisely the sort of value-for-money that many family car buyers are crying out for.

The latest Superb is case-in-point. It's simply huge, with masses of room surrounding all five seats, and with a huge 690-litre boot, it'll carry pretty much anything that a family needs it to. The interior is smart and functional, with strong quality and a good smattering of standard equipment. What's more, Skoda's trademark 'Simply Clever' features are present and correct: these are little touches designed to make everyday family life that little bit easier.

On the road, the big Skoda is comfortable and easy-going, making it just the job for family duties. And in true Skoda style, it's a useful slice cheaper than the all-but-identical Volkswagen Passat Estate.