Compare the best family cars

There are three overriding concerns for family buyers. Space, so that you can fit everyone in. Reliability, because you don’t want a non-starter on the school run. And economy, because family budgets are always at full stretch. These days, it’s definitely worth looking long and hard at electric cars.

The all-but unquestionable answer here is the Volkswagen Multivan, which offers palatial space for seven in an immensely practical package. It's pricey, though. Honourable mention goes to the Dacia Jogger, which is incredibly good value - but we wouldn't blame you if its poor crash safety rating turned you off.

If you’re trying to carry five, you probably don’t want to go down the route of a seven-seater, but you’ll still want a car with three individual seats in the back. This means you’re best looking for an MPV, such as the Volkswagen Touran, Peugeot 5008, or the (now electric-only) Citroen e-Berlingo or Vauxhall Combo-e Life.

In terms of family-sized cars with the most frugal powertrains, you could look at the Hyundai Ioniq Electric (which scores a tough-to-beat 4.5 miles per kWh), or a Toyota Corolla 1.8 Hybrid (up to 62mpg). If you’re still keen on diesel, then look at Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 116hp (which can get up to 68mpg).

Want to save money at the pumps? Check out our guide on how to improve your car's MPG.

While there are family cars with better individual safety ratings in some categories, the mainstream car with the best-combined adult and child occupant protection rating is the Nissan Qashqai, which scores 91% in both categories, according to Euro NCAP. The Skoda Enyaq has a higher adult occupant rating (94%) but loses out on child occupant protection (89%). The Hyundai Ioniq 6 has a better rating for adult protection than the Qashqai and Enyaq (97%), but a slightly lower child occupant score of 87%.
The only car with a better overall occupant rating than the Qashqai is the all-electric Mercedes EQS, but that’s only a family car if the family has won the lottery.

To find out more on car safety, read our explainer guide on Euro NCAP ratings.

The most affordable car on this list of best family cars is the Vauxhall Astra, with prices starting around £21,000. In its latest form, it looks snazzy and drives nicely too. Plus, it's large enough to keep the kids happy and hold your weekly shop.

Brands from Japan and Korea tend to rank the highest in surveys, meaning the most reliable family cars tend to come from the likes of Toyota, Kia and Honda, among others. It's worth noting that Kia offers a 7-year warranty on all models, as does Chinese-owned MG.