Best Family Cars for 2024
These are the best family cars, SUV, and trucks ranked by iSeeCars' analysis of each vehicle’s reliability and NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings, along with key family-friendly features.
Best Family Cars by Vehicle Type
iSeeCars has identified the best family cars across the sedan, SUV, truck, minivan, and electric vehicle categories. The vehicles are ranked by their Family Car Score, which prioritizes safety and reliability and then considers which family friendly features are available on each model. Additional vehicle information is provided in the ranking lists, including fuel economy ratings, advanced tech features, and connectivity options. Available safety features, like automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist, are also identified, along with new and used pricing.
Choosing the best family car means matching your family’s needs to the vehicle that most effectively meets them. Beyond the standard traits any car buyer should consider, including cost, fuel efficiency, and practicality, family cars need to easily accommodate car seats for young families or provide adequate rear seat space for teens and young adults. Larger families will likely need a third-row of seating capacity, suggesting either a minivan or three-row SUV as the best option. And buyers in colder climates should seriously consider all-wheel-drive models to improve confidence and safety.
When primary requirements like cost, size, seating capacity, and mpg are finalized a shopper should look at secondary items like interior design and standard features. Most new cars include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on even the base trims, but items like heated front seats and the largest infotainment display require a mid-grade or higher (meaning more expensive) trim. The best SUVs for families, such as the Kia Telluride, include a large touchscreen, plenty of USB ports, climate controls for the second-row seats, and adaptive cruise control as standard equipment.
Finally, family shoppers should remember that minivans like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna remain the most effective vehicles for family transportation. Their large sliding doors, low step-in height, and boxy shape make them easy to get in and out of while providing more interior space than even a 3-row SUV. And while their driving experience isn’t exactly sports-car like, they are surprisingly quick and nimble, making them the ideal family road trip vehicle – regardless of driving route.
The follow features were used to rank family friendly vehicles:
Comfort/Convenience Features – such as heated/ventilated seats, Rear climate controls, rear sunshades, and a powered liftgate
Connectivity Features – such as Apple Carplay, Android Auto, USB ports, Wi-Fi hotspot, and an A/C power outlet
Safety Features – such as automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control
Storage Features – such as fold-flat or removable seats and hidden storage areas,
Best Family Cars
Best Family SUVs
Best Family Trucks
Best Family Hybrids
Best Family Electrics
Best Family Minivans
How We Rank These Cars
The Best Family Cars rank vehicles by iSeeCars' analysis of each vehicle’s reliability and NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings, along with key family-friendly features.
The best family vehicle is specific to one or more trim levels for a given vehicle model, and has the highest combined reliability and safety score as well as the most important family-friendly features. In the event there is a tie, we use iSeeCars proprietary rating of the overall quality of the car (iSeeCars Score) to break the tie.
Separately, the overall iSeeCars Score shown for each vehicle is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability | 33.3%
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention | 33.3%
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety | 33.3%
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
