Our Top 10 Family Cars

As one of the most popular and versatile car types, the family used car market is never short on variety. From hatchbacks to SUVs, MPVs to estates, family cars come in all shapes and sizes, styles and drives, but all the best family cars have the following all-important family-friendly features:

• Lots of passenger room for the whole family (including a four-legged friend!)
• A large boot for everyone's luggage
• Comfortable with excellent safety features
• Economical enough for everyday use

And that's not all. Great family cars can also be stylish and fun to drive, with the tech and entertainment features to keep little ones happy. Many family cars double up as commuter vehicles too, which means they need to be as good over longer distances as they are for the school run. It's quite a list of requirements, which is why it can be tricky to know where to start when you're looking for your next used family car.

To help, we've gathered our top 10 family cars right now, each of which is available on the used car market. Here's why we think these are the best family cars out there.

1. Audi A3

• 3 or 5 door hatchback
• Boot space - 380 litres with seats up, 1,220 litres with seats down
• 3 Isofix points
• Great handling
• Spacious and practical

A fantastic all-rounder, the Audi A3 is our top family car of choice. With the perfect mix of practicality and desirability, this family hatchback is powerful but economical, feels premium and spacious inside and handles with precision and assurance. Later models come with several safety systems, including a semi-autonomous traffic jam assist function.

2. SEAT Leon

• 5 door hatchback
• Boot space - 380 litres with seats up, 1,210 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Ample space for passengers and luggage

If you're looking for a nippy family car that doesn't scrimp on spaciousness, the SEAT Leon could be for you. Most versions come with a great range of family-friendly features too, such as air conditioning and an infotainment touchscreen. It feels sporty to drive, yet doesn't compromise on grip and handling.

3. Vauxhall Astra

• 3 or 5 door hatchback
• Boot space - 370 litres with seats up, 1,210 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Comfortable
• Economical

There's a reason why the Vauxhall Astra is still one of the most popular family cars. It's surprisingly roomy inside, with plenty of leg and head room, and more recent models have been stepped up in quality throughout to compete with its chief rivals. It feels safe and secure, and offers great fuel economy.

4. Ford Focus

• 5 door hatchback
• Boot space - 316 litres with seats up, 1,215 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Spacious rear seats
• Quiet at speed

The Ford Focus has been a regular on best family car lists for years, and for good reason. It looks sporty and has steering to match, making it an enjoyable and nimble drive. The boot and rear seats aren't quite as spacious as they could be, but those looking for extra room could opt for the equally well-appointed Ford Focus Estate.

5. Nissan Qashqai

• 5 door SUV
• Boot space - 430 litres with seats up, 1,585 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Great for both urban and long-distance driving

The first non-hatchback in our top ten used family cars, the Nissan Qashqai is a fantastic option for those looking for a family set of wheels with more height. It was developed on UK roads (a.k.a. built to deal with potholes), which shows in how smooth and bump-free the drive is. With later models, the boot comes with handy dividers too, which either segment the load space or raise the floor for a flat loading lip.

6. Citroen Grand Picasso

• 5 door MPV
• Boot space - 165 litres with seats up, 793 litres with middle seats slid forward, 2,181 litres with middle seats down
• 3 Isofix points
• Versatile interior with 7 seats

Built for large families in mind, the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is a spacious family car with plenty of legroom between the rows of seats. There are 12V sockets for both front and middle rows to keep gadgets going, and it's super practical, becoming either a five seater or a seven seater to suit. It handles well for a larger car, making it a stylish yet sensible option for bigger families.

7. Volkswagen Tiguan

• 5 door hybrid hatchback
• Boot space - 550 litres with seats up, 1,505 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Spacious with excellent fuel economy

Another superb choice for those looking for a big family car, the VW Tiguan feels like a premium vehicle with a low, almost hatchback-like feel for the driver. It comes with excellent safety features, including stability control and side and window airbags. It's a smooth and quiet drive, with all of VW's trademark class.

8. Hyundai Ioniq

• 5 door hybrid hatchback
• Boot space - 550 litres with seats up, 1,505 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Spacious with excellent fuel economy

For anyone looking for a hybrid family car, the Hyundai Ioniq is more than worthy of consideration. With a decent boot, a back-up camera as standard and autonomous safety kit, such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and hill start assist, the Ioniq ticks all the boxes. It's available as a full hybrid or as a plug-in hybrid with a bigger battery you can charge externally.

9. Skoda Superb

• 5 door hatchback/estate
• Boot space - 565 litres with seats up, 1,670 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Lots of space and a large boot

The Skoda Superb is one of the most spacious family cars on the market. Most models include air con, a 6.5in touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity and a DAB radio. Quiet with great handling, it's particularly well-suited to long-distance driving in comfort, even with the whole family on-board. A great value family car.

10. Mazda 3

• 4 or 4 door hatchback
• Boot space - 375 litres with seats up, 1,360 litres with seats down
• 2 Isofix points
• Premium interior
• Sporty feel

Another solid family car that doesn't feel too much like a family car, the Mazda 3 features sleek and bold styling. There's a good amount of space and nice interior touches such as the user-friendly infotainment system, which has a seven-inch touchscreen and a rotary dial with shortcut buttons on the centre console between the front seats.

Of course, our top ten family cars represent only a fraction of the choice available here at Carbase. So, if one of these doesn't catch your eye, why not browse our full selection of family cars now?

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