There’s a lot of competition in the family vehicle market, so it can be daunting to sift through countless vehicles to find one that fits your family’s needs. Here’s an overview of five of the most safe, reliable and comfortable family vehicles on the market.
2019 Honda CR-V
With its advanced safety features, strong resale value and reputation for reliability, the 2019 Honda CR-V is a great pick for families. The CR-V’s five-passenger seating strikes the right balance between spacious and compact. With the seats up, the CR-V provides 39.2 cubic feet of cargo room — more than enough to carry groceries, a stroller or luggage for your next road trip. If you need more space, fold down the second-row seat to access 75.8 cubic feet of room. Kelley Blue Book praised its EX trim level, noting that its leather seating, hands-free power tailgate, built-in navigation, dual-zone climate control and illuminated vanity mirrors features rival features found in luxury crossovers.
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe proves that family vehicles can be safe, smart and sporty. In addition to its high-tech cabin that’s loaded with soft-touch materials, the Santa Fe boasts five supportive seats with plenty of rear legroom — making it perfect for families with growing teens and tweens. Plus, it comes standard with the SmartSense suite of driver-assist technology, which includes Forward Collision Assist with Pedestrian Protection, Blind-Spot Collision Avoidance, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Smart Cruise Control. To keep your kids safe, the Santa Fe can even prevent the doors from opening when the system detects a vehicle approaching from behind.
2019 Toyota Highlander
There’s a good reason that the Toyota Highlander has long been a family-favorite SUV. This three-row SUV can seat seven or eight passengers. Go for the captain’s chair arrangement for easy access to the third row, or fold down the seats for 83.7 cubic feet of cargo space, making it ideal for moving furniture. The experts at Kelley Blue Book recommend opting for tri-zone climate control, heated and cooled seats, and the Blu-ray entertainment system to keep your kids entertained on long drives. Most importantly, safety comes standard on the Highlander. Every model comes equipped with Toyota Safety Sense™ P, which includes driver-assist technology like Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Front and Rear Parking Assist and Safety Connect that puts emergency assistance and automatic collision notification capabilities at your fingertips.
2019 Volkswagen Atlas
The massive 2019 Volkswagen Atlas has plenty of room for growing families. With three rows of seating, ample legroom and a backseat that can accommodate up to five car seats or booster seats, it’s no surprise that Parents Magazine heaped praise on this spacious SUV. In addition to its 96.8 cubic feet of maximum cargo room, the Atlas comes standard with roof rails, making it a breeze to transport mountain bikes, kayaks or camping gear for your next family outing. It’ll even keep everyone comfortable with standard features like dual-zone climate control and 17 cup holders.
2019 Kia Sedona
This budget-friendly minivan starts at $27,200, but there’s nothing cheap about its thoughtful features and kid-friendly design. Kia overlooked no detail when designing the Sedona — from its stain-resistant seats to its anti-pinch sliding doors that protect little fingers from harm. Its convenient Slide-n-Stow® seating allows you to tuck the third-row seats into the floor, so you don’t have to remove seats to access its 142 cubic feet of cargo space. In addition to its advanced driver-assist technology, it’s got stylish good looks to fight any reservations you might have about driving a minivan.
Whether you’re about to bring home your first baby or teach your teen how to drive, these vehicles have what it takes to satisfy just about every family’s needs.