10 Best Family Cars Across Multiple Segments

So you've decided to procreate, and it's officially time to get rid of the sports car (or maybe not, as you shall soon see). The time has come to venture into the world of family cars, which covers a broad spectrum of vehicles across multiple segments and shapes.

The first thing you need is a list of family-friendly features. The best family cars all have a few things in common, including a host of standard safety features backed by excellent safety ratings, sizeable rear seats, a well-laid-out interior, tech features for the kids, and, if possible, fantastic fuel economy.

That's why CarBuzz created this list because busy parents rarely have the time to do proper car shopping. This list will help you make the most informed purchase decision, looking at a wide variety of family vehicles. Whether you're a family of three, four, five, or six, there's a good chance your new family car is on this list.

First, we need to address a question most car shoppers ask when the topic of the best family car arises. Do I need all-wheel drive?

To most, all-wheel-drive goes hand-in-hand with safe cars for families. After all, the hatches, wagons, and sedans are dying out, so most family cars are a crossover or an SUV of some kind. In most cases, AWD is an optional extra, costing as much as $3,000, but sometimes you get it as standard.

If you live in a cold-weather state, AWD is one of those family car must-haves. Even if you live in a rainy state, we'd opt for it just for the added layer of protection. That being said, all of the cars on this list come standard with impressive standard safety equipment, and we're not just talking about the more advanced stuff like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The primary active safety systems required by law are pretty good these days, including anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and tire pressure monitoring. We wouldn't worry too much if you can't stretch the budget and tick all the boxes.

Another thing to consider is the various family lifestyles. If you're a family of city lovers who prefer watching the outdoors on TV, then why bother? But if you're the kind of family who spends their weekends outdoors, your next family car has to have AWD or 4WD and reasonable ground clearance.

As you can see from our section on AWD, the best family car also depends on the family. We've considered that, and below, you'll find a selection of the 10 best family vehicles across multiple segments. We also included two alternatives to each vehicle simply because new car shoppers might have a specific brand in mind.

If you're shopping around for the best family cars, there's also a good chance you may be trading in the first car you purchased as an entry-level buyer, in which case you may get a better trade-in at a specific dealer. The same is true if you're trading in your cheap and used fast car.

We start off with the most obvious solution first. The Odyssey is one of the best cars for large families because you get three rows, all with enough space for adult passengers. Even the third row can seat full-size Americans in comfort.

It's not much to look at, but it does have a reliable V6 engine and top safety ratings. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Odyssey a Top Safety Pick + rating, the highest accolade a car can receive. And that's basically all you need to know because what could be more important than that when transporting your most precious cargo?

Luckily, Honda made more than just a safe and reliable family car. The Odyssey is also loaded with useful features, even in base specification. Tri-zone climate control is standard in all models, and rear passengers can set their own temperature. Higher up in the range, you get niceties like a rear-seat entertainment system, but you can always just buy each kid an iPad.

Alternatives: The Kia Carnival is nearly as spacious and has a more rugged SUV-like style. The Toyota Sienna is also a worthy rival, but it's a bit dull to drive, and people might mistake you for an Uber driver.

Kia knocked it out of the park with the Telluride three-row SUV. Kia's oddly-styled SUV is all things to all men. It packs a decent punch thanks to a 291-horsepower V6 engine and comes with a plush, family-friendly interior and standard features you wouldn't expect in this price bracket.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also gave it a Top Safety Pick award, so you know the safety features are up to scratch.

The entire range is equipped with forward collision warning, forward collision-avoidance assist with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning detection, blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, and navigation-based intelligent cruise control.

Our only issue with the Telluride is the relatively restricted space in the third row. While it's easy enough to get in and out, adults wouldn't want to be stuck there for long.

Alternatives: The Hyundai Palisade is the Kia's corporate cousin, so if you can't swallow the styling, there is a worthy alternative. The Honda Pilot is also a great, reliable car, but it's a bit dull compared to the South Korean duo.

Not in the mood for a minivan or an SUV? The Subaru Outback is a nice in-betweener. It's a lifted wagon, but also so much more than that. We can tell you from our real-world family reviews that the Outback is particularly easy on the back when loading a child safety seat. Laugh all you want, but those of you who know know.

The Outback doesn't have a third row, but it's fully geared for a family of four or five. It has a massive 32.6 cubic-foot trunk and nearly as much rear legroom as an S-Class.

The Outback also won the coveted IIHS Top Safety Pick + rating, which it received after completing the agency's tough updated side test.

It may also be the best family vehicle if you love adventure. The Wilderness trim offers just enough off-road ability without compromising the handling.

We'd avoid the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder and opt for the 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four. 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque work much better with the standard CVT gearbox.

Alternatives: The Mazda CX-5 remains a good car, even if it's on the older side. Toyota's new Highlander is also a worthy alternative, but not as good off-road as the Subaru.

The RAV4 will always end up on a list of good family cars because it hits all the suitable targets and is made by the company with the best reputation for reliability. It's also available as a hybrid car in two flavors. You can get a standard hybrid or opt for the Prime, in which case you'll get 42 miles of electric-only range. It is on the expensive side, however.

Out of the three available models, we'd go for the standard hybrid. The ICE model is a bit low on performance, and you'll feel it when the car is loaded with family and gear.

It has many standard safety features thanks to Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 being standard across the range. It's an all-around good family car if you only need space for four.

The RAV4 has been around for ages and even made our list of the best Toyota AWD models ever.

Alternatives: There are loads of compact SUV options, including the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and Kia Sportage Hybrid.

Chrysler recently built the 100,00th Pacifica Hybrid, although it's a fairly expensive minivan. This is good news for the American brand, as it will shortly only have one model in its range. What makes it so desirable?

It has loads of tech features, decent ratings from various crash tests, brilliant rear seats that can be arranged in multiple ways, and a potential fuel consumption of zero miles per gallon.

The Pacifica Hybrid is one of a few three-row vehicles offering a plug-in hybrid system. It's equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 and two electric motors. The combination only produces 260 hp, but you get 32 miles of all-electric range. If you have a home charger and the daily commute to the school and office is less than that, you can go for weeks without using fuel. But that V6 is always there if you need it for longer trips. It's the best of both worlds.

Alternatives: There aren't any other minivans with a PHEV system. The best-selling PHEV in America is the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, but those have a nasty habit of falling over during crash tests.

This car is literally named after the place it will be used the most, and it's the go-to SUV if you like big family cars but can't afford an Escalade. It only scored four out of five in the NHTSA safety test, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best three-row vehicles out there. The Chevy is so big that it simply crashes through whatever in the real world.

It comes standard with a 5.3-liter V8 engine producing 355 hp and 383 lb-ft. If you opt for one of the higher trims, you can add a 420-hp 6.2-liter V8. It may not be a driver's car, but it makes a lovely V8 burble, which is in short supply nowadays.

The interior is cavernous, and third-row legroom gets close to rivaling the minivans on this list. This is the way to go if you want the most space without buying a minivan.

Alternatives: The Cadillac Escalade is all this plus more luxury, but you pay a lot more. The Toyota Sequoia is also one of the best large family vehicles, but no crash test data is available for it yet.

The Armada might seem like an odd inclusion, but it's a lot of luxury car for a reasonable amount of money. The Armada is sold as a luxury car to rival the Land Cruiser 300 in other parts of the world, so the interior is properly put together. This will change somewhat, as the next Armada is said to be Range Rover-like.

Nissan USA removes some of the high-end features you'll find in other parts of the world, but the inside still feels like it's from a high-end car. The entry-level cloth seats might not be vomit-friendly, so we'd pay a bit more for an easily wipeable leatherette.

The Armada is extremely old-school with its ladder frame and lazy V8, but it feels great and can tow 8,500 pounds. If you add the part-time 4WD system, it's an adequate off-roader, too.

Alternatives: The Toyota 4Runner is always a winner, but at this point, it may be worth waiting for the imminent replacement model. The Chevrolet Suburban above is also good but doesn't feel as high-end as an Armada.

We wanted to give at least one spot to a good old-fashioned large sedan, and the Toyota Camry makes the most sense. But this is the last year you'll be able to get the Charger with a V8, so it makes sense to get one before they're gone. While getting one of the final limited-edition models is nearly impossible, the standard car should do just fine. Don't mess around with one of the V6 models, as the vehicle will likely return with an inline-six. Get the R/T with a 5.7-liter V8 or the 6.4-liter NA V8.

Apart from being a good muscle car, the Charger is also family-friendly. It has decent safety ratings, and there's loads of legroom. The sloping roofline limits headroom in the back, but if your two kids are still tweens, they'll have nothing to complain about.

Features and quality-wise, it's not as good as the Camry, but that isn't available with a V8…

Alternatives: There are almost no V8 muscle cars left. The Chrysler 300C sold out in less than a day, but you can still get one with the standard 5.7-liter V8. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are the best options if you want a brilliant all-around sedan.

While we're not blind to the flaws of electrification, there's an excellent case to be made for running an EV in the suburbs. The Kia EV6 is what most would consider a small crossover, but it has more interior room than most high-end luxury cars. Thanks to the flat-floor skateboard design, there's a copious amount of space for five passengers. Even if you're the youngest and you get the middle rear seat, you'll have loads of space because there's no tunnel running the entire length of the car. The 24.4 cube trunk is also large, and the minimum range of 232 miles is more than most people need daily.

The EV6 also received a Top Safety Pick + award from the IIHS.

Alternatives: The Fisker Pear looks quite promising, but it's still not ready for the public. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is also a brilliant car; everything we said about the EV6 applies to its corporate cousin. If you want something sportier, it might be worth waiting for the N model and all of its cool features.

Bet you weren't expecting to see a Porsche 911 on this list, but we can tell you from experience that you can easily transport a nine- and six-year-old in a 911 equipped with rear seats. People often wonder why they're even there, and it's no mystery. The rear seats in a 911 are used more often than you'd think, which is why Mercedes-AMG finally caved and put a pair of seats in the back of the new AMG GT. Sure, a 911 only has two doors, but that's a small price to pay to retain some dignity.

Look, we're not saying it actually belongs on a list of the best family cars in 2023, but it will buy you some time. You can get a car seat in the back, and then you've got at least a decade before the kids outgrow the rear seats.

All we're saying is that it is possible to delay the inevitable, which is buying a Cayenne.

Alternatives: The AMG GT will arrive next year with similar seats. On the cheaper side, the Toyota GR86 has a nice set of small rear seats.