Best family cars for outdoor pursuits

The holidays are here, and what better way to embrace the summer months by going off the beaten track and heading into the great outdoors with your family. If your troop is the adventurous type, you won't just need space in your car for your family members, but also for waterproofs, backpacks, wellies, bikes, the dog- the list goes on!

If you're looking for a car that's both family-friendly and capable of off-road adventures, it's hard to know where to start. To help you find the best car to suit your family, as well as all that goes with their outdoor activities, we've rounded up five of our favourites below:

The Nissan X-Trail

The Nissan X-Trail is a large family-friendly SUV which has plenty of room for the whole gang. One of the most practical SUVs on the market, the X-trail has more cabin space than any class rival. Featuring wide-opening doors and a massive rear load area, the X-Trail makes life easy when loading and unloading all your outdoor equipment- and your family too! Ideal for camping trips, the rear five seats of the X-Trail can fold right into the floor, making enough room for an air bed and a surprisingly comfortable night's sleep for two people

Prices start from £15,248 at time of review.

Mercedes E Class Estate

The Mercedes E Class Estate offers a huge amount of space in a wonderfully luxurious setting. The electronic tailgate opening reveals a basic boot space of 640 litres, while having the rear seats down gives you an incredible 1,820 litres. This is a car designed with drivers in mind. You'll find a wide-range of engine types and most cars come with a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard. What's more, there are a number of added safety features, such as Pre-safe, which primes the car if it senses a crash is likely. Attention Assist advises drivers to take a break if drowsy - a useful feature if you are likely to get worn out during your adventuring!

Prices start from £14,808 at time of review.

Land Rover Discovery

When you think of outdoor pursuits, it's inevitable that the Land Rover Discovery comes to mind and with good reason. This is a car made for outdoor exploring with the ability to alter the drive at the touch of a dial depending on the terrain. If your family enjoys taking to the water for kayaking, wake boarding or jet skiing, the Land Rover Discovery is ideal. Voted 'Tow Car of the Year 2016', it has an impressive 2500kg pulling power. There are also some great safety features if you are heading off-road, including wade sensing, which measures the depth of water you're driving into. What's more, there's also bags of space, with 280 litres as standard with all seven seats up and 2,500 litres with all rear seats down.

Prices start from £7,477 at time of review.

Mini Countryman

Of course, you may want a car for outdoor adventures but don't necessarily want something too large. In which case, the Mini Countryman is ideal for you. With the classic Mini look, this is a car large enough for the family who need more space than the traditional car offers. Don't let the small profile fool you- this car isn't afraid to go off-road. The Countryman has five seats and enough space for three children to sit in the rear. The boot offers 450 litres of space and also a novel centre rail system that you can clip things onto. There are both petrol and diesel vehicles available.

Prices start from £9,828 at time of review.

Volvo V60

If you're on the lookout for a car to suit your family's winter outdoor activities, the Volvo V60 could be the vehicle for you. With heated seats, side mirrors and windshield-washer nozzles, this car is ideal for facing the great outdoors in the colder months. There is plenty of headroom and space to stretch your legs on long journeys, as well as ample room for luggage and sports equipment. With an extensive list of safety features including six airbags and a system which reduces the chances of skidding, the Volvo 60 is well-equipped to transport your family to and from your outdoor adventures.

Prices start from £10,000 at time of review.

The best way to find the car that fits in everything you need is to come and have a look for yourself, so pop down to one of our branches today to find your ideal new used car.?