Family Cars
Family cars live and die on practicality — boot space for the pushchair, easy access to child seats, and enough room that everyone's comfortable on a long journey. Here's what's worth thinking about.
Body styles worth considering
Estates (like the Skoda Octavia Estate or VW Passat Estate) combine a big boot with car-like driving manners and often lower running costs than an SUV of similar size.
SUVs (Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and similar) offer higher driving positions and flexible interior space, at the cost of slightly higher fuel use.
MPVs (people carriers) like the SEAT Alhambra or Ford Galaxy remain some of the most space-efficient options if you regularly carry more than two children or need three child seats side by side.
Practical things to check
Count the ISOFIX points and check they're easy to access — some cars fit ISOFIX only in outer rear seats, which matters if you need three seats across.
Measure boot space with the pushchair or usual luggage in mind, not just the headline litre figure — shape matters as much as volume.
Rear door opening angle and door width affect how easy it is to load a child seat without contorting yourself in a car park.
Running costs for families
Larger family cars cost more to fuel and insure than small cars, but depreciation and reliability often matter more over a typical ownership period — a well-regarded family SUV or estate can hold its value well.
Whatever you're looking at, it's worth reading our guide on what to check before buying a used car before you view anything in person.