Ultimate new family cars

Our choice of small, medium and big family cars is great at saving you money, keeping you safe and getting you and your kids mobile

His choice of small, medium and big family cars is great at saving you money, keeping you safe and getting you and your kids mobile.

View more pictures of the ultimate new family cars

Small family cars

Hyundai i10

For just £6,495 you can get on the move with the brand new Hyundai i10. The supermini packs lots of equipment and appeal into its small size, and it’s safe with four airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard.

Space is good for a supermini – our road tester was comfortable driving, although room in the back is snug. Motoring doesn’t come much cheaper thanks to its low price, five-year warranty, 56.5mpg average fuel economy and low 119g/km CO2 emissions which equates to a £35 annual tax bill.

Vauxhall Agila

In April the new Vauxhall Agila is launched – a small five-door which Vauxhall claims has class-leading interior space. Like the Hyundai i10 it achieves between 50 and 60mpg and only costs £35 to tax each year.

Three engines will be available, a 1-litre petrol, 1.2-litre petrol with 84bhp and a 1.3-litre CDTi diesel with 74bhp. The Vauxhall Agila has five full-size seats with three-point seatbelts and will cost just £7,595.

Fiat Panda

The Fiat Panda went on sale in 2003 and has been a success story for Fiat, receiving positive reviews – even Top Gear’s James May owns one. It’s practical thanks to its height, which frees up interior space.

And it’s cheap as chips with prices starting at £6,995 for base models. Urban roads are where the Fiat Panda feels most at home, although it can cut it on the motorway thanks to its peppy 1.1-litre or 1.2-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel engines.

Medium family cars

Ford Mondeo

The latest Ford Mondeo is possibly all the car any family could ever need, thanks to its space, refinement and performance. It has grown in all dimensions over its predecessor and seats five adults - who can all plonk their bags in its huge 540-litre boot. 

A huge range of engines are available, from a 1.6-litre petrol to a 2.5-litre turbocharged fire-breather. Most will opt for a 1.8 or 2-litre diesel with between 125bhp and 140bhp and average fuel consumption over 40mpg. The Ford Mondeo achieved five stars in EuroNCAP crash tests and the range starts at £15,895.

Citroen C5

A new Citroen C5 is on its way in April, and we were amongst the first to drive one in the UK. It is the best looking Citroen C5 yet, and retains the last cars comfort and economy. It has grown too, making it more suitable than ever for families.

Citroen says the new C5 will score five stars in EuroNCAP crash tests, thanks to its strong body and seven airbags. There are plenty of goodies too, with adaptive headlights and sound deadening side windows on top models. Prices start at just over £15,000.

Mazda 6

The Mazda 6 shares some components with the Ford Mondeo – no bad thing – and it’s a similar size, but it has plenty of features which make it a slightly different proposition. It embraces “Japanese-ness” and has an edgy, technological feel.

Sportier models look dynamic thanks to subtle body kits and sexy wheels, while all Mazda 6’s are practical, safe and reliable. There are four engines available, and the most family-friendly is the 138bhp diesel.

Big family cars 

Ford S-Max

The Ford S-Max was the Car of the Year 2007 thanks to its balance between seven-seat space and driving panache. It might be a big car, but it handles with aplomb and is refined too.

Its design is appealing and it holds the unofficial accolade of being the coolest MPV, thanks in part to the range-topping 2.5-litre turbo model with sporty wheels and serious performance. More importantly it also boasts a full five-star EuroNCAP safety score and has a starting price of just £17,495.

Chrysler Grand Voyager

The Chrysler Grand Voyager is certainly the biggest car on this list – fold down its rear seats using the ‘Stow ‘n Go’ and you could probably use it to move house. If carrying seven people with room-to-spare is your priority you will love the Grand Voyager.

The 2.8-litre diesel and 3.8-litre petrol engines are powerful but average below 30mpg and place the Chrysler Grand Voyager in the highest ‘G’ tax band, costing £400 annually. The range starts at £25,995.

Mazda 5

The Mazda 5 is an attractive MPV which attempts to be “car-like” to drive – and on the whole it succeeds. It’s fun-to-drive (for an MPV) and can seat seven people – although the middle seat of the middle row is designed for shorter journeys and can be stowed away.

Access to the rear of the Mazda 5 is great, thanks to its sliding rear doors, which operate electrically on some models. There are four engines, but the two diesels are the best all-rounders with good performance and economy. The Mazda 5 range starts at £14,530.

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