A family car has to comfortable, easy to use, easy to see out of, and most importantly safe. Family cars are usually larger and they also offer loads of technology and comfort features that should entertain the passengers throughout the whole journey.
And choosing the most comfortable family car is highly dependant on the size and price category. Some luxury German brands instantly come to mind, but Volvo and a few other brands are also fairly popular when it comes to family hauling duties.
If you want a smaller hatchback for a younger family, a 5-door Audi A3 seems like a great option. If you want a comfortable and spacious minivan, the Honda Odyssey is also a great option. Sedan-wise, a Mercedes E-Class combines great styling, safety, and features all families should appreciate.
SUVs are also incredibly popular with newer families and it’s really hard to fault the brilliant Volvo XC90. If you want a three-row SUV with loads of features but not exorbitantly expensive, you should check out the Kia Telluride and the more expensive and more comfortable BMW X7.
Most comfortable family hatchbacks
At first glimpse you’d never expect a hatchback to be a great family car, but if your family is relatively young modern-day hatchbacks are more than plenty spacious. And the choice here is extremely capacious, but it seems like the brand new Audi A3 Sportback is the best option out there.
The 2022 Audi A3 looks good, feels good, and drives good. With the new Audi A3, you are getting a plethora of amazing state-of-the-art luxury and safety features usually found on more expensive Audi models. Virtual cockpit now comes as standard and so do loads of safety systems.
But the best aspects of the new Audi A3 are the ride quality, engine sophistication, efficiency, and great transmission options, all of which are extremely important for younger families. Cargo-wise the A3 also offers class-leading trunk space and 5 doors as standard.
The VW Golf is not as refined, the BMW 1-series is a bit too twitchy for a family hatchback and the Mercedes Benz A-Class is a bit too blingy for an under-the-radar family car. Great all-arounder characteristics are what make the A3 the best family hatchback out there.
Most comfortable family sedans
The sedan market is saturated with numerous options ranging from more affordable, but still plenty capable options like the Mazda 6 up to the executive department mostly associated with the Volvo S60, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Audi A6, Jaguar XF, BMW 5-series.
It’s worth mentioning that all of these sedans are great for most families out there, but the Mercedes Benz E-Class seems like the best pick of the bunch. The newly refreshed 2021 Mercedes E-Class offers an updated styling and more importantly revised suspension that now offers class-leading ride quality.
There are loads of powerful and refined engine options and the interior space is cavernous for even adult families. You can option the new E-Class out with loads of technology features that should entertain the youngin’s while you drive.
Besides comfort and technology, the new E-Class also boasts impressive safety ratings and efficient engines. The Volvo S60 and the Audi A6 are the closest competitors, but the E-Class manages to edge them out when it comes to comfort and safety.
Best family SUVs
We live in an era in which SUVs dominate, and that’s especially so when it comes to larger families that require 7 seats. But if your family does not comprise more than 5 members, there are loads of amazingly comfortable SUVs to choose from.
If you want a more compact SUV, the BMW X1 seems like a great compromise between comfort, affordability, and build quality. If you want a larger SUV, the Volvo XC90 offers class-leading safety and efficiency but the long-term reliability is somewhat questionable thanks to incredibly complex engine architecture.
The BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, and Audi Q7 are also considered to be the very top of the mid-size executive family SUV segment, even though they do cost a lot, they certainly get the job done superiorly.
If you want a full-size 7-seater, comfortable SUV, the Kia Telluride offers the best value for money, but the Land Rover Discovery is similarly priced but even more capable. If you want the very top end of the executive full-size 7-seater SUV segment, go for the BMW X7 as this impressive SUV ticks all the most important family car boxes.
FAQ Section
Is a station wagon a good family car?
Arguably, station wagons are the best family cars out there, but the station wagon market is comprised of either some really expensive executive German station wagons, or some more affordable and not all that comfortable US and Japanese options and only a handful of relatively cheap but still capable options like the Golf Variant.
This segment is not all that popular at the moment, but the Audi A6 Allroad does seem like one of the best cars in general thanks to its wide breadth of ability. A few Volvo and Mercedes station wagons are also worth taking a look at if you want a station wagon.
Why should I ever consider a minivan?
Minivans are boring and there is no other way around it. If you don’t care about the car you are driving you are the type of person to buy a minivan because SUVs are way more interesting and they offer similar features.
The best minivan out there right now is the Honda Odyssey. The Odyssey is a great family car with lots of space for your kids, dogs, and cargo. This minivan also offers a bunch of family-oriented safety and comfort features, but the ride quality is nowhere near an executive SUV.
What is the safest family car out there?
Almost every new car these days is safe, but there are levels to this game. Some cars perform better than others, and you’d be surprised to realize that the Alfa Romeo Gulia offers higher safety scores than an Audi A4, Mercedes Benz C-Class, or the BMW 3-series.
The Mercedes Benz E-Class is the safest mid-size sedan, the VW Tiguan is the safest compact SUV and the Volvo V60 is the safest station wagon out there. The Hyundai Santa Fe is an incredibly popular family choice, and the safety ratings of the Santa Fe are also class-leading in the mid-size SUV segment.
