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How to buy a car that suits your family
Finding the best car for your family isn’t easy. With so many great family cars competing on size, fuel efficiency, and safety, it’s about knowing which features matter most for your lifestyle. Australian families are spoilt for choice, from hatchbacks to small, medium and large SUV’s to family vans that offer ample space for passengers and cargo. While there’s no shortage of popular family cars in Australia that deliver on safety, performance, and accessibility, finding the best family car comes down to choosing the right car for your family needs. Choosing the best family car can feel like a balancing act between space, features, and value. Whether you’re a growing family in need of more leg-room or reliability, here’s our guide to choosing your next family car.
Great Family Cars require Great Features
Safety
When buying the best car for your family, safety should come first. With little ones on board, investing in one of the safest family cars offers peace of mind on every drive. When considering safety, we recommend looking for crash prevention equipment and occupant protection features.
Crash prevention equipment
Modern family cars in Australia now come equipped with advanced technology designed to protect you and your loved ones on every drive. Look for key inclusions like:
Autonomous emergency braking, anti-lock brakes, and stability control to help maintain control in unexpected situations. Features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and a reverse camera improve visibility, while adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and speed sign recognition make long drives safer and more effortless.
Occupant protection
We recommend looking for family cars that offer advanced safety features such as reinforced structural integrity for crash protection, multiple airbags, and head restraints to minimise whiplash. Modern family cars in Australia also include pre-crash systems that detect potential collisions and prepare safety measures, along with seat belt pretensioners that tighten instantly to reduce impact.
Hot Tip: To make comparing models easier, we recommend checking the ANCAP safety rating, which evaluates how a car performs in both real-world and laboratory crash tests.
Size and Seat numbers
Families planning for more children may benefit from extra seating space, while considering cargo space is essential for carrying prams and strollers, luggage, or sports gear. Some SUVs offer less cargo than expected, and larger sedans may compromise on other features. Families who travel often will benefit from extra legroom, room for prams, or generous storage for luggage and gear, ensuring your family car matches both daily and lifestyle needs.
Technology
Modern family cars are now loaded with advanced technology designed to make every drive safer and more convenient. Whether you’re looking for the best family car in Australia or simply comparing popular family cars, you’ll find that most new models come with essential features like Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calls and music streaming, plus smart safety and convenience systems to support you on every journey.
Value for money
Value for money and ongoing costs become even more important when you have a family. Beyond the purchase price, consider expenses like fuel efficiency, insurance premiums, registration fees, servicing, and tyre replacements. Costs such as depreciation, tolls, and parking can add up over time, which can make it essential to choose a family car that fits both your lifestyle and long-term budget.
Costs can include:
Insurance premiums – Every year, insurance costs rise for newer or advanced models, as repair costs tend to be higher.
Servicing costs – We recommend researching the associated model make costs with your family car, as these costs include regular logbook services, tyre rotations, brake pad replacements, and fluid top-ups.
Fuel consumption – Fuel consumption is especially important for larger family SUVs that use more fuel on school runs or family trips.
What is the best family car to buy?
Best small family hatch: Toyota Corolla Hybrid
The 2025 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is one of the best small family cars for those seeking value for money and fuel efficiency. This hybrid hatchback blends everyday practicality with eco-friendly performance, making it a smart choice for families who want to save on fuel and running costs.
Powered by a petrol-electric engine, the Corolla Hybrid delivers outstanding fuel economy of around 4.0L/100km. This family car is perfect for city driving and daily commutes. Its responsive hybrid system offers smooth acceleration and confident handling, ensuring a comfortable drive whether you’re running errands or heading out on a family trip.
Inside, the cabin is designed with families in mind. The Corolla Hybrid boasts space, comfort, and equipped with thoughtful family-friendly features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While rear seating may be slightly smaller than some rivals, the hatchback design makes the most of every inch, offering flexible storage and easy access.
With its affordable servicing, low maintenance costs, and long-term reliability, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid proves that choosing a fuel-efficient family car doesn’t mean compromising on comfort or quality.
Best small family SUV: Honda HR-V Hybrid
The 2025 Honda HR-V Hybrid is another strong contender for families searching for popular family cars in Australia. While popular choices like the Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos, and Toyota Corolla Cross are often on the shortlist of great family cars, the Honda HR-V stands out for its balance of practicality, comfort, and efficiency.
The HR-V offers excellent value for money for families who want a reliable, modern SUV. The HEV Hybrid model is especially appealing, pairing strong performance with impressive fuel economy as low as 4.3L per 100km – ideal for keeping ongoing costs low in a car for the family.
Inside, the HR-V feels premium, featuring a well-designed cabin with faux leather, heated front seats, and intuitive tech. One of its standout features is the clever Magic Seat system, allowing the rear seats to fold flat or flip up to make extra room for bulky items.
Although it only seats four, the Honda HR-V Hybrid remains one of the best small family cars for parents prioritising fuel efficiency, smart design, and low maintenance costs. It’s a great family car option for those wanting a stylish yet practical ride that adapts to busy family life.
Best medium family SUV: Nissan X-Trail
The 2025 Nissan X-Trail earns its spot as one of the best family cars in the medium SUV category. Popular among families for its space, comfort, and reliability, the latest-generation X-Trail delivers a balanced mix of practicality and performance that makes it a top contender for anyone looking for a family car. The X-Trail offers one of the most spacious interiors in its class, including seven-seat options- ideal for growing families or those needing extra room for kids and gear. The third row might be best suited to younger passengers, but the flexibility makes this SUV ideal for everyday life and weekend adventures.
On the road, the X-Trail feels smooth and composed. Its light steering and comfortable suspension make school runs and long drives equally enjoyable. While the 2.5-litre petrol engine isn’t the strongest in the lineup, the clever continuously variable transmission (CVT) helps deliver an efficient and responsive drive.
Best seven-seat family car: Toyota Kluger
The 2025 Toyota Kluger deserves a spot on your shortlist. As a large seven-seat family SUV, it offers the perfect balance of space, comfort, and fuel efficiency – ideal for growing families or those who love road trips.
Now available exclusively as a hybrid, the Kluger delivers impressive fuel economy at a claimed 5.6L/100km. Inside, there’s generous middle-row legroom and a practical third row that’s easy to access, making it one of the great family cars for everyday use or long journeys.
While the cabin design leans more functional than luxurious, the Kluger makes up for it with smooth driving performance, strong hybrid efficiency, and the reliability Toyota is known for. This makes the Kluger a standout car for the family in the large SUV segment.
Thinking about purchasing a new family car?
With over 40 years of experience helping Australians buy and sell vehicles, Car Search Brokers makes finding the best family car simple and stress-free. Get in touch with our friendly team today so you can get back to spending time with the family, while we handle the hard work of finding the perfect family car. For expert advice and a hassle-free process, call 1300 650 890 or reach out today and Car Search Brokers will find the best family car for you.