Yahoo Finance Best Family Cars
Once upon a time, a station wagon or minivan was what people pictured as the go-to transportation choice for a family. Then, for a while, a midsized SUV was a pretty good proxy for a typical “family vehicle.” But these days, there’s no such thing as a typical family. After all, a young couple with one or two small kids doesn’t have the same needs—or the same budget—as a family with three lanky teenagers. And what if you have an infant, but you’re also caring for an aging parent?
To help families select vehicles that fit their needs, we started out by studying the specific requirements families have during different stages of growth and change. Our pool of choices included only vehicles that earn a Consumer Reports recommendation and boast a competitive Overall Score. Each delivered strong performance in our more than 50 tests; received good marks in safety areas including insurance industry and/or government crash tests; and rated average or better for reliability and owner satisfaction, based on our exclusive owner surveys.
To create family-focused recommendations linked below, we filtered our test-based ratings by emphasizing various factors: ease of child-seat installation for families with young children; short-person access and ability to see out the rear windows for school-age kids; rear-seat head and leg room for families with teenagers; and front and rear ease-of-access for families with aging parents. The result: a selection of standout vehicles for the needs of your family.
Best Cars for . . .
Families With Young Children
Families With School-Age Kids
Families With Teenagers
Families With Grandparents
Families With a Bit of Everything
Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the November 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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