Compare the best large family cars

Q: How much can large family cars tow?

The unquestioned champion here is the Land Rover Discovery , as you might expect. It can tow a maximum of 3,500kg if you’ve got a braked trailer or caravan (although you might need a licence upgrade if you passed your test since January 1997). It can also tow a maximum of 750kg unbraked. Helpfully, it’ll also do that across a nearby desert, or up an Alp, so a muddy caravan park entrance should present no issues. If you don’t want a big SUV, then a Skoda Superb can tow 2,200kg of braked weight.

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Best big family cars of 2022

The best large family car isn’t just about being the most spacious, it’s also about providing a little luxury and comfort for the family (and yourself). Here, then, are the best big family cars in the UK…

1. Skoda Kodiaq

9/10

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£291^* / month (£31,189)

A perennial family favourite at this stage, and one of those cars that blurs the boundary between the expected cheap-and-cheerful Skoda character and something that’s approaching premium-levels of quality and comfort. The Kodiaq is cavernous inside, exceptionally comfortable, and should be very reliable, too. The downside? No plug-in hybrid nor electric option, but you can have seven seats.

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2. Audi A6 Avant

9/10

Battery range up to 32 miles

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£395^* / month (£39,891)

If you want your family to swish around in proper, exec-class comfort but still want a car that’s basically sensible, then the handsome Audi A6 Avant fits the bill. It’s large enough in the back seats and boot to be an effortless family friend, but the styling and cabin design look and feel a cut above most others. It’s not big fun to drive, but it’s very refined and comfortable.

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3. Skoda Superb

9/10

Battery range up to 45 miles

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£311^* / month (£26,112)

OK, take everything we’ve said about the Audi A6 Avant and replace the word ‘Audi’ with ‘Skoda’. Seriously — that’s how good the Superb is. That’s a 660-litre boot into which you can pack whatever you need, and the rear seats are massively spacious. It may lack premium-badge kudos (and it could be a little more refined) but the Superb estate is one of the best family cars there is. There’s an impressive plug-in hybrid version, although that does lose a little bit of boot space.

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4. Audi Q7

9/10

Battery range up to 34 miles

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£577^* / month (£56,935)

Audi’s big ‘un might look all executive-aggression on the outside, but inside it’s a proper family car with space for seven (and decent space in the third row at that). Quality levels are as high as you’d expect them to be, and you can get a plug-in hybrid version too. You’ll want the V8 turbo SQ7, of course…

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5. Skoda Enyaq

8/10

Battery range up to 338 miles

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£423^* / month (£38,480)

The Enyaq is one of the most ideal family cars around, as long as you don’t need seven seats. The cabin is gorgeous, and very well-made, and the back seat is very roomy. There’s a whopping 580-litre boot out the back, and you get a 300-mile-plus electric range if you go for the big 77kWh battery. An electric car star.

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6. Land Rover Discovery

8/10

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£668^* / month (£55,831)

The Discovery has had some of its thunder stolen by the new Land Rover Defender, but it remains a brilliantly practical, subtly luxurious family car. The split tailgate of old is gone, but there’s still a fold-out bench in the boot for picnics, and it’s one of the few SUVs to have proper space for adults in the third row of seats.

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7. BMW X7

8/10

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£1,096^* / month (£83,295)

It’s almost unbelievably ugly on the outside, but the X7 is impressively classy on the inside, and you’ll be so comfortable that you won’t care what anyone out there thinks about you. Almost too big for UK roads, but the pay-off is lots of space for seven.

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8. BMW 5 Series

8/10

Battery range up to 32 miles

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£441^* / month (£38,453)

Rather like the Audi A6, the 5 Series is best sampled as a Touring estate, which blends the family practicality that you need with the style and image (and driving experience) that you want. The 5 Series has long been a favourite, but it’s starting to feel a little bit cramped inside compared to some.

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9. Mercedes E-Class

8/10

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£564^* / month (£43,368)

The E-Class is the car that makes the 5 Series feels a little cramped. There’s lots of space in the cabin and, as long as you don’t go for the 300de diesel plug-in hybrid, there’s masses of space in the boot. The digital dashboard can look a little garish, as can some of the colour combos, but that aside the Merc is a class act. Just don’t call it a Stuttgart taxi…

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10. Peugeot 5008

7/10

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£370^* / month (£29,668)

Peugeot’s 5008 has been around for a while now, but it’s still a good large family car choice, thanks to standard seats for seven. The third row of seats is too small for adults, but they fold away or can be removed entirely to open up a massive 1,060-litre boot. The cabin is stylish, but the driving position can feel a little bit cramped.

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Large family cars FAQs

Which large family car has the biggest boot?

The Peugeot 5008 is the one with the most loadspace. With the third row of seats folded away, you have 780 litres of boot volume (up to the luggage cover), or 1,060 litres if you remove the third row seats entirely (they’re actually not too heavy, and lift out easily enough). Do that, and fold down the middle row, and you have 2,150 litres of stowage. If you don’t want an SUV, then the Skoda Superb Combi (that’s Czech for estate) is the best bet, which can swallow 660 litres up to the luggage cover, or 1,865 litres if you fold the back seats and cram it up to the roof.

Find out more in our guide on the best cars with big boots.

Do large family cars have Isofix points?

Yes, but it’s a question of how many. Virtually all family cars — even the ultra-affordable Dacia Jogger — will have Isofix anchors on the outer two seats in the back, and many will have an extra set in the front passenger seat. If you’re trying to carry lots of kids in car seats, though, then there’s a handful of cars with Isofix in all of their rear seats. The Mercedes GLB gets three Isofix points in the back seats, and an extra two if you specify it with the additional sixth and seventh seats in the boot. The Volkswagen Touran gives you a full complement of five Isofix points too, while the Land Rover Discovery gets two Isofix points in the back seats, and two more in the folding third-row seats, plus one extra in the front passenger seat. The Kia Sorento has four Isofix points - two each in the middle and third rows - while the Audi Q7 has a full complement of six Isofix points — the front passenger seat, and all of the rear seats.

Find out more in our guide on the best cars with three Isofix points.

How much can large family cars tow?

The unquestioned champion here is the Land Rover Discovery, as you might expect. It can tow a maximum of 3,500kg if you’ve got a braked trailer or caravan (although you might need a licence upgrade if you passed your test since January 1997). It can also tow a maximum of 750kg unbraked. Helpfully, it’ll also do that across a nearby desert, or up an Alp, so a muddy caravan park entrance should present no issues. If you don’t want a big SUV, then a Skoda Superb can tow 2,200kg of braked weight.

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