Top 10 Spacious Family Cars

As families grow, so will the amount of space required when going on adventures! There is nothing worse than passengers in the back having bags on their laps with the boot overflowing, especially on those longer journeys. Luckily there are plenty of great options! If you need a spacious family car and are wondering where to begin on the roster of models available today, we’ve outlined some of our favourite spacious family cars below.

Skoda Karoq

The Skoda Karoq is a well-priced all-rounder. Sitting happily as Skoda’s alternative to the Nissan Qashqai, VW Tiguan or Peugeot 3008, it is sturdy, well made and comfortable.
Exceptional space makes this a great mid-sized family SUV - in fact, in the Car of the Year Awards, it was named Best family SUV for its practicality. If the car of the year awards are something that interests you, we also have another blog directly based on the Toyota Yaris - Car of the Year 2021...

Although it looks just like all its Skoda siblings on the outside, it does share a lot of its platform with both the Ateca and the Tiguan - as all three are manufacturers who now fall under the VW Group. The differences? Well, the Karoq is slightly more compact than the Tiguan, and is less dynamic, favouring comfort over sportiness. However, it remains spacious inside with low seats that can slide back and forth and plenty of boot space. It’s more practical than the Ateca, too, so it really has carved out a unique niche in a market already filled with good models.

Peugeot 3008

The Peugeot 3008 is a different looker from the Peugeot brand. Its bold styling comes from a mid-life redesign the 3008 undertook, taking some inspiration from the 208 hatchback and the 2008 SUV. Besides its looks, the 3008 is a practical, family-friendly car. The flat floor and wide middle seat make it a perfect option when you regularly need enough space to comfortably house three rear passengers. Additionally, the boot is larger than most popular compatible SUVs, such as the Nissan Qashqai. Plus, its modern dashboard makes the alternatives on the Karoq or Nissan Qashqai for example look basic by comparison. The interiors also feature high-quality materials and ambient mood lighting in the interior.

Skoda Scala

The Scala is a family car that offers up all the tech and features you want in a well-built, affordable package. Unlike the Octavia’s Saloon-like silhouette, the Scala offers up a Hatchback which is both bigger and cheaper than the VW Golf. It is also cheaper than rivals such as the Vauxhall Astra and the Ford Focus, but contains all of the VW brand’s top-notch tech. Although it may be cosier than some of the other vehicles on this list, anyone tall will not be complaining about a lack of headroom!

Volvo XC40

The XC40 is a small SUV which is nonetheless spacious, stylish and comfortable. There are plenty of engine choices here, and the B4 and B5 (194bph and 247 bhp) are both 2.0 litre engines, and both aid efficiency and performance by utilising mild hybrid technologies. The T4 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Recharge and more powerful Recharge T5 also offer respectable 0-60mph rates of 7.5sec and 7.1sec, in whatcar.com testing.

At speed, the XC40 sucks up the road’s lumps and bumps, oddly enough riding well on its ‘sports’ suspension (fitted as standard in the R-Design versions). The suspension in ‘dynamic’ mode is softer, but offers slightly less body control over speed bumps. The PHEV Recharge models carry a little extra weight due to their batteries, making them a little less forgiving on poorly made roads compared to the models mentioned above, but they still offer up a smooth and comfortable drive. A broad cabin stops your passenger's elbows from touching and their knees from bashing the seat in front. Unfortunately, the boot is nothing to rave about but should do everything most families would require of it.

Volkswagen Tiguan

The Tiguan is a popular family car for a reason. Spacious, comfortable, and good to drive, you sit high at the wheel giving great road perspective and its upmarket reputation belies a price tag that comes in considerably less than some of its high-class competitors like the BMW X1 and the Volvo XC40. It’s VW’s best-selling brand internationally. Being slightly longer than the Ateca and Karoq, the Tiguan feels to have more leg and headroom for larger passengers. Also, with the addition of a folding passenger seat, this car is perfect for moving longer or more awful items!

There’s plenty to choose from in terms of engines, ranging from the 128bhp 1.5litre petrol (the TSI 130) to the 316bhp 2.0litre petrol (exclusive to the sports SUV Volkswagen Tiguan R). The PHEV (plug-in hybrid) alternative offers reasonable electric-only range, too, and low CO2 emissions. In pure electric mode, it offers a top speed of 81mph, and VW quotes an official range of 31 miles. Family SUVs can be a bit clumpy in terms of their ride, but the Tiguan offers a really comfortable ride, with firm enough suspension to make sure it doesn't hop and skip everywhere on less perfect modes.

BMW 3 Series Touring

The 3 Series Touring is a classic of German tech, offering up comfort, efficiency, and all the right tech. As a family car, it succeeds in terms of practicality too, offering 500 litres of luggage space and plenty of space for the driver and passengers to get comfy on those long trips. The best thing about the Touring is how great it is to drive. It’s balanced, but offers up enough versatility to work on winding, pockmarked British roads as well as motorways. The 3 Series proves that you don’t need to be driving a sporty SUV to combine space and driveability; this Estate offers just the same fun, space, and likely costs less to run. Enjoy the sumptuous materials in the interior, and a brilliant and intuitive dashboard infotainment system.

Skoda Octavia Estate

This is the ultimate in sensible family driving. The Octavia has a pretty similar offering to the VW Golf in all honesty - but it’s got better capacity, and it’s cheaper. What’s not to love? The Estate offers a massive 640 litre boot, and with folding rear seats, that is upped to a humongous 1700 litres. With plenty of boot space, comfort for the family, widescreen infotainment to satisfy passengers large and small and plenty of handy features (like bins in the doors, folding tables on the back of the front seats and a double-sided liner for the boot), this is a no-brainer.

Ford Focus Estate

Offering just that bit more room, the Estate is a great and popular family car that seems to tick every box. Adding 230+ litres to the Hatchback’s 375 litres of boot space, if boot space is a priority for you and your family, we have an area on our preference page specifically for the Best Cars for Boot Space. The Estate also offers more comfort for passengers in the back, with additional headroom courtesy of the longer roofline. We like the Ford Sync media system, which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Find out more about the 2018 Ford Focus via the blog we created when it was revealed - Everything You Need To Know About The New Ford Focus.

Tesla Model 3

This is a family car for the future. Although electric cars are coming on leaps and bounds across countless manufacturers, Tesla is still a bit of a guiding star. The Model 3 recently out-sold the Nissan Leaf as the best-selling EV in the world. Even the entry level Standard Range Plus turns up the heat, making 0-60mph in only 4.2 seconds - so Tesla’s reputation for speed and style lives on. Its range is also impressive, coming in at up to 360 miles on a full battery. The Tesla Supercharger network is accommodating up and down the nation for longer trips. This car boasts a deceivingly large interior considering its smaller size compared to the Model S. It has plenty of head and leg room.

Tesla Model 3 has previously won the 2019 "Car of the Year" award from the UK's Autoexpress. Here are some of things they said about the Model 3:

In Conclusion

Which family car has the biggest boot?

Volkswagen Tiguan

Which family car has the most seats?

Each of the vehicles listed only holds up to 5 passengers.

What's the best family car for teenagers

Entertainment-wise - the Tesla Model Y has plenty of fun features in the onboard tablet display.

What family car has the most space?

Volkswagen Tiguan

Can I get a large electric family car

Yes, there are plenty of great options. Check out our top 10 electric family cars guide!

We hope this list helps you to narrow down your next choice for a family car. Need to chat about leasing? Get in touch with Rivervale today on 01273 433480 or request a callback at a time that suits you!