Life changes as your family grows, and that includes what you need from your car. In this guide, we list some of the best car options for families in Australia in 2023.
| Model | Finder score | Boot size | Safety rating (ANCAP) | ANCAP Child Occupant Protection | Annual running costs* | Click price for repayments or find a deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 | 82.75% | 580 litres | 5 star | 89% | $14,258.11 | From $36,550 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Skoda Superb Wagon | 86.67% | 660 litres | 5 star | 86% | - | From $55,790 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Ford Ranger ute | 85% | 1,230kg | 5 star | N/a | $16,340.20 | From $40,680 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Isuzu D-Max dual-cab | - | 1,075kg | 5 star | 89% | $16,933.40 | From $40,700 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Kia Carnival people mover | - | 627 litres | 5 star | 88% | $18,809.14 | From $51,690 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Mazda CX-9 | - | 230 litres | 5 star | N/a | $18,625.46 | From $45,990 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | - | 571 litres | 5 star | 86% | $17,567.61 | From $49,550 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Toyota Land Cruiser 300 | 81.50% | 1,431 litres | 5 star | N/a | $29,308.11 | From $88,990 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Subaru Crosstrek | 80.75% | 310 litres | 5 star | N/a | $13,771.73 | From $34,990 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
| Toyota CH-R | - | 318 litres | 5 star | 77% | N/A | From $30,915 on OnlineAuto.com.au's website |
Here are 10 cars that are well-suited to family life. Note, the useful features list is for the standard base model.
| 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 | 2 |
| Made for | Families of up to 5 |
| Yearly running costs (fuel, rego, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing, loan repayments) - 15,000km annually | $14,258.11 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Made for | Families of up to 5 adults |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments 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 (5-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
| 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 |
| Mde for | Adventure lovers who want to take bikes and camping equipment into the outback, dual-use as a family vehicle and work ute |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $16,340.20 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Made 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! |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyre, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $16,933.40 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Made 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! |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $18,809.14 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| Made for | A great one for growing families or those who need to occasionally carry up to six. |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $18,625.46 |
| 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(5-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
| 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 |
| Made for | Growing families, occasional seven-seat use |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $17,567.61 |
| 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 (5-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
| 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 |
| Made for | Up to 8 passengers who want to go off-road for adventure and camping |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $29,308.11 |
| 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 300 (5-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
| 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 |
| Made for | Great for a small family who likes to venture on trails or has a rough driveway |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | $13,771.73 |
| 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 (5-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
| 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 |
| Made for | Small family, up to two kids |
| Yearly running costs (Fuel, rego, loan repayments, insurance, membership, tyres, servicing) - 15,000km annually | N/A |
| 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 (5-door) | on OnlineAuto.com.au's website OnlineAuto helps customers save, on average, $4,616 on the price of a new vehicle. |
If you go on any car review website, you'll likely find 150 different brands with 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 a few features to look for in a car to help you create a shortlist of vehicles that you and your kids will be thrilled to ride around in
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 emergency. 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 if you become distracted. We never think it will happen, but we've all been there, the kids scream while we're trying to reverse park or something similar. This is where features like blind spot assist, rear traffic alert) and lane change assist can save lives. 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.
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 more. If you have two kids, then that number doubles. 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.
part from space, 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.
In the old days, cars were very rudimentary. They had a steering wheel (sometimes power assisted), seatbelts, a radio or 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. In the US alone, it's estimated rear cameras save as many as 95 lives per year and potentially 7,000 injuries.
Keyless entry is also one to watch out for. 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.
While shopping around dealerships, ask about family-friendly features because there may be some handy ones available. For examples, some cars come with a phone system that can update a nominated number, such as your employer or kid's school, if you get stuck in traffic.
Remember that acar that's easy to drive and operate should fit neatly into your life, rather than proving a nuisance.
Don't forget practicality when shopping for cars. If you find any of the controls hard to operate while driving, look for a car 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.
Look for a car with a large boot space. Occasionally, cars that appear big from the outside may actually have pretty poor cargo capacity because of 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 is always going to be a major deciding factor in the car you end up with. While a $70,000 SUV might be the perfect solution for a family of four, if you don't have the budget for it, 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 loan calculators to save hundreds of dollars over a car loan term.
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.
Picture: Supplied
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