The new Volkswagen Passat was the one German offering among the 15 most family-friendly models.
Need a car that’s family-friendly? There’s a surprisingly broad range of offerings available and that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck picking from a pile of minivans.
In fact, there were only two of those classic family-movers among the list of the 15 most family-friendly cars compiled by Parents magazine and online research firm Edmunds.com. The list also included a mix of midsize sedans, crossovers and SUVs, a pair of hybrids and even some downsized economy models sized for various-sized families and budgets.
Of the 15 vehicles on the list, 14 of them have already earned a coveted “Top Safety Pick” designations from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and, Parents and Edmunds noted, every model comes with a mix of safety features including, at a minimum, antilock brakes, electronic stability control and a minimum of six airbags.
Only two minivans, including the Honda Odyssey shown here, made this year's list.
Japanese makers dominate the list, with seven individual models, followed by four Detroit offerings. But Korean makers Hyundai and Kia landed three products with Germany’s Volkswagen rounding out the tally.
Curiously, some of the prices quoted were out-of-date, however, and did not include destination charges, typically adding about $800. The revised figures for base models – in this case gathered from Edmunds’ competitor, TrueCar.com, are shown, below, however, and include those delivery fees. TheDetroitBureau.com also adds the EPA fuel economy numbers for the models in the high-mileage category, listed as City/Highway/Combined miles per gallon.
TheDetroitBureau.com has reviewed all 15 models on the list so you can click on the highlighted links, below, to check out what our reviewers had to say about them.
HIGH MILEAGE CARS
- Toyota Prius V, starts at $27,310, 44/40/42
- Honda Civic Hybrid, starts at $24,990, 44/44/44
- Chevrolet Cruze Eco, starts at $20,120, 28/42/33 (with Manual Transmission), 26/39/31 (with Automatic)
BUDGET
- Chevrolet Sonic, starts at $14,660
- Ford Focus, starts at $17,295
- Hyundai Elantra, starts at $16,120
CROSSOVERS
- Mazda 5, starts at $20,420
- Kia Sorento, starts at $23,950
- Honda CR-V, starts at $23,325
SEDANS
- Volkswagen Passat, starts at $21,360
- Toyota Camry, starts at $22,815
- Kia Optima, starts at $20,250
LARGE VEHICLES
- Dodge Durango, starts at $29,990
- Toyota Sienna, starts at $25,870
- Honda Odyssey, starts at $29,205
To compile the list, Parents and Edmunds say they consider prices and features, conducted their own tests and then “consulted parents who own and drive these vehicles every day.”