Best family cars
Here are the best family cars to make a parent's life easier and their young ones safer
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Looking for a great car for you and your family? Likely, you're looking for something safe and practical that has stress-reducing features and heaps of room. Here's a comparison of Australia's best family cars.
Best Family Car Comparison
| Model | Finder score | Boot size | Safety rating (ANCAP) | ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | Five-year running costs* | Click price for repayments or find a deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 | 82.75% | 580 litres | 5 star | 89% | $4,575.36 | From $36,486 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Skoda Superb Wagon | 86.67% | 660 litres | 5 star | 86% | - | From $64,990 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Ford Ranger ute | 85% | 1,230kg | 5 star | N/a | $5,917.08 | From $33,779 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Isuzu D-Max dual-cab | - | 1,075kg | 5 star | 89% | $5,329.68 | From $29,990 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Kia Carnival people mover | - | 627 litres | 5 star | N/a | $6,028.32 | From $50,390 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Mazda CX-9 | - | 230 litres | 5 star | N/a | $5,869.20 | From $45,990 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | - | 571 litres | 5 star | 86% | $4,995.72 | From $52,820 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 200 | 81.50% | 1,431 litres | 5 star | N/a | $7,439.76 | From $87,971 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Subaru XV | 80.75% | 310 litres | 5 star | N/a | $5,019.48 | From $34,009 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Toyota CH-R | - | 318 litres | 5 star | 77% | $4,917.72 | From $34,655 Find a Deal on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
Prices are for NSW postcode 2000.
*Running costs from RACV, include rego, insurance, membership, fuel, servicing and tyres for 15,000km annually over five years
Top 10 cars for people with kids
Here are 10 cars that are well-suited to family life. Note, the useful features list is for the standard base model.
Toyota RAV4 (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,515mm/N/A |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 580 litres/1,690 litres |
| Useful interior features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | 89% |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Families of up to five |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $4,575.36 |
| Summary | The RAV 4 is an all-rounder family car. There's a hybrid option for those that want better fuel economy and to leave less of an impact on the environment. The running costs are affordable, it's highly praised by car reviewers and has won many awards. Plus, it's practical and well suited to the rigours of family life. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Toyota RAV4 (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Skoda Superb Wagon (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,519mm/1,131mm |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 660 litres/1,950 litres |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | 86% |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Families of up to five adults |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | N/A |
| Summary | A 4x4 wagon, that's got excellent safety credentials. The Scout crossover variant is an interesting model for those who want something capable of tackling more rugged roads. Plus the car has a gigantic boot! If that wasn't enough, it has heaps of family-friendly features like a waste bin, umbrella in the doors, a removable LED torch, a tablet holder and heaps of storage. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Skoda Superb (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Ford Ranger dual-cab (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,400-1,430mm/1,549mm |
|---|---|
| Boot size (payload) | 1,230kg |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | N/A |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Adventure lovers who want to take bikes and camping equipment into the outback, dual-use as a family vehicle and work ute |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $5,917.08 |
| Summary | A tough as nails family ute that can double up as a work vehicle. If you have a dog, the Ranger makes a lot of sense, especially after muddy walks. Higher-spec Rangers are comparable to passenger cars in terms of equipment and tech. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Ford Ranger(five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Isuzu D-Max dual cab (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,460mm/1,570mm |
|---|---|
| Boot size (payload) | 1,075kg (and up) |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | 89% |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Tradies or those who need a ute for work but want it to double up as a family vehicle. Very tough and practical, with heaps of safety tech! |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $5,329.68 |
| Summary | Reasonable running costs, an excellent safety complement (likely the most-equipped ute on sale) and a powerful 3.0-litre diesel for towing up to a 3.5-tonne trailer or caravan. This is a ute that can really do it all! |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for an Isuzu D-Max (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Kia Carnival (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,995mm (overall width)/N/A |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 627 litres/2,785 litres (Third row folded) |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | N/A |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Five |
| Who's it for? | Big families, with lots of little ones. The Carnival can easily carry eight (including the driver). If you'd just had triplets, quadruplets or even quintuplets, this might be your ideal car! |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $6,028.32 |
| Summary | People movers like the Carnival are the ultimate family vehicle. You get a ginormous boot, room for up to eight people and solid safety gadgets. Plus, higher-grade Kia Carnivals have stress-reducing features like a power tailgate and hands-free door opening. Plus, some models have dual sunroofs and five ISOFIX anchors! |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Kia Carnival (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Mazda CX-9 (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,476mm/1,282.7mm |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 230 litres/810 litres |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | N/A |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | A great one for growing families or those who need to occasionally carry up to six. |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $5,869.20 |
| Family thoughts | Michael, Finder AU, Father of three Things I like about the Mazda CX-9:
Why did you buy a Mazda CX-9?
What don't you like?
|
| Summary | The safety list is extensive with both active and passive equipment. Seating for seven makes it practical. The styling of the CX-9 is sophisticated and modern. It's a highly-regarded car by reviewers, with great built quality. The CX-9 also offers reasonable value for money and there's an AWD version for those who want it. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Mazda CX-9(five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Hyundai Santa Fe (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | 1,480mm/N/A |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 571 litres/782 litres |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | 86% |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Growing families, occasional seven-seat use |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $4,995.72 |
| Summary | The Santa Fe is another great choice for large families. Higher-end models have family-friendly features like Passenger Talk, which uses a microphone to let the driver speak with third-row passengers. The Santa Fe also presents good value, is reasonably economical to run and is stylish. According to Hyundai, the Santa Fe with the third row up can accept five shopping bags and a folded pram. With the third-row seats folded down, it'll hold 17 shopping bags and 3 folded prams. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Hyundai Santa Fe (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Toyota Land Cruiser 200 (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | N/A/N/A |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 1,431 litres to roof |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | N/A |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Up to eight who want to go off-road for adventure and camping |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $7,439.76 |
| Summary | It's big, it's got a massive engine and it'll happily trundle along pretty much wherever you point it. Lower-end models come with a snorkel, while the higher-spec models are closer to a luxury SUV. The low grades are quite basic, but they get progressively more cushy as you move through the range. Running costs are high, but there's little else to rival it. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Subaru XV (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | N/A/821mm |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 310 litres/765 litres (up to 345 litres/919 litres on the hybrid) |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | N/A |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | Two |
| Who's it for? | Great for a small family who likes to venture on trails or has a rough driveway |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $5,019.48 |
| Summary | Hybrid option is nice to have. It's a practical all-rounder, which combines decent value, Subaru build quality, sensible running costs and AWD as standard! |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Subaru XV (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
Toyota CH-R (five-door)
| Internal space (cabin width/boot depth) | N/A/820mm |
|---|---|
| Boot size (seats up/folded down) | 318 litres/N/A |
| Useful features |
|
| Safety rating | 5 Star ANCAP |
| ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | 77% |
| Safety assists |
|
| ISOFIX child seat anchors | 2 |
| Who's it for? | Small family, up to two kids |
| Monthly running costs (Fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres & servicing) - 15,000km annually | $4,917.72 |
| Summary | The hybrid is tempting for those who want to cut running costs and environmental impact. The CH-R has reasonable running costs anyway with an excellent array of safety assists and funky styling. Higher-spec CH-Rs have three-stage, dual-zone climate control, in addition to things like privacy glass, a panoramic view monitor and leather seats. |
| Click price for repayments or find a deal for a Toyota CH-R (five-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
How to choose a car suited to parents
If you go on any car review website, you'll likely find 150 different brands, each producing between 1 and 15 different models, meaning there are potentially over 1,000 unique passenger vehicles available to buy today. How on earth do you narrow down this mind-boggling number of cars and pick one that'll make your parenting life less challenging?
Here are some beneficial attributes to look for in a car – factors that will help you create a shortlist of vehicles that you and your kids will be thrilled to ride around in:
Safety is the number one priority
First off, safety is paramount and is our key consideration. Everything else on the list will result in a more practical car, but a safe car could mean the difference between walking away from a smash with minor scratches or ending up in A&E. Fortunately, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) thoroughly crash tests new cars before giving them a star rating. The maximum possible rating is five stars and as car technology advances, the test becomes more stringent. That means newer models generally are considered to offer more protection in an accident than older ones.
Each ANCAP score is broken down into sub-categories of Adult Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection (pedestrians and cyclists), safety systems and most importantly, Child Occupant Protection. Ideally, a new car would have an 85% or higher child safety score. Active safety assists are like having an auxiliary back-up driver to keep you safe by providing an additional level of support in case you become distracted because your kids are screaming while reversing in a car park (blind spot assist and rear traffic alert) or during a lane change on the motorway (lane change assist). Some cars will even monitor the driver's concentration levels and alert them if they need a break. Adaptive cruise can reduce driver fatigue by automatically maintaining a set speed and distance to the vehicle in front. For pre-owned cars, you can use the howsafeisyourcar.com.au website to check the safety score.
Cabin space
Journeys with kids of all ages mean you have a heap of stuff to carry. Newborns and infants need feeding supplies, strollers, spare nappies, car seats and the list goes on. If you have two kids, then the number of bags increases exponentially. Older kids require booster seats, toys, food, drinks and a stroller. Likewise, pre-teens and teenagers will no doubt be bringing along half of their possessions and that's before you pack your own luggage. If you're going on holiday, you could be packed to the roof. So internal space is a crucial thing to look for in a new car.
Take your family along with you if you're testing cars down at a dealership. Make sure the car has sufficient child restraint anchors (known as ISOFIX points), preferably on the middle row. Does the car have seven or eight seats? That may prove useful as more young ones arrive over the years, extending the useful lifespan of your chosen vehicle.
Ease of use and driving assists
In the old days, cars were very rudimentary. They had a steering wheel (sometimes power assisted), seatbelts, a radio/cassette player and wing mirrors. Nowadays, even the most budget-friendly cars will have lots of accessories and fancy gadgets. Some of them might sound like a gimmick, but others are really useful and will definitely make driving a stress-free task.
Look out for models that have parking sensors and reversing cameras; they'll make tight multi-storey car parks that little bit easier and in the US alone, it is estimated rear cameras could save as many as 95 lives per year and potentially 7,000 injuries.
Keyless entry is legendary. If you've got your arms full carrying your sleeping child and shopping bags, you can simply open the door rather than having the hassle of remembering which pocket you put the fob in. A few cars even have gesture-controlled boot tailgate opening, again a boon for parents weighed down with bags.
One father, Joe W from Finder confirmed that power-opening doors are a must for parents.
A hands-free phone system helps you legally update your employer or kid's school if you get stuck in traffic. A car that's easy to drive and operate should fit neatly into your life, rather than proving a nuisance.
General practicality
Don't forget practicality when shopping for cars. If you find any of the controls hard to operate while driving, look for one that is more intuitive. Cars with triple-zone climate control will keep the whole cabin cool rather than just the front two passengers. Some manufacturers offer rear entertainment screens with built-in wireless headphones and DVD players, entertaining your children for hours on long trips.
Automotive designers have become masters at utilising the maximum available cabin space, integrating neat cubbies and storage bins that put essentials like wet wipes and snacks within arm's reach. A few car makers even install refrigerated consoles for storing drinks.
If you have young kids, leather seats are easy to wipe clean and can repel juice spills rather than absorb them. Removable mats will also limit the time you spend cleaning your car. Built-in sun shades quickly shield your young ones from the heat and bright lights as will rear privacy glass. Having roadside assistance and breakdown cover (included for several years with the purchase of a new car from some brands) will take the edge off an unexpected problem and prevent you from being stranded by the kerb for hours on end.
Boot space
Look for a car with a large boot space. Occasionally, cars that appear big externally may actually have pretty poor cargo capacity, due to the body shape or style. Boot volume is measured in cubic litres according to a German standard, VDA. The larger the number, with the middle row seats in use, the more room you have to carry stuff. Remember to check that the wheel wells and interior trim pieces don't physically restrict the useable space. You might enjoy cars with false floors, increasing storage and making loading a little easier as the floor is flush with the boot sill.
Price
Price is always going to be a major deciding factor. While a $70,000 SUV might be the perfect solution for a family of four, if you don't have the means to buy one, there's no point considering it. Check out running costs and servicing charges before committing to a purchase to see if you can truly afford a car. Decide on your budget first and make sure to use our car finance calculators to save hundreds of dollars over a car loan term.
Compare car loan options
Having kids can be overwhelming sometimes, leaving you with little time and patience for much else. Following this guide and using the below finance calculator will hopefully help you choose a great family car that you and your kids love, at a price that you can readily afford.
If you have found the vehicle you want, it might be worth comparing car loans below to see what the repayments would be on a number of different loan options. Comparing finance could potentially save you hundreds of dollars.
Compare car insurance providers
While buying a family car, you'll also need to consider how much it will cost you to insure it. Our car insurance guide gives you all the information that you might need to choose a car insurance provider that suits your needs. You'll learn about what car insurance is, the types of car insurance as well as its costs. The comparison table below will let you compare the car insurance providers side-by-side and get quotes.
Picture: Supplied
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