Lifestyle
Buying a family car is only the start of your journey. Once you have the best set of wheels for your household, what do you do and where do you go? Let us help show you some of the best road trips and driving tips Australia has to offer.
Family car garage configurations
Classic: Large SUV and small hatchback or sedan
A very classic approach to a two-car garage, you can look at a refined off-road SUV like a Ford Everest or even a large hybrid like a Toyota Kluger on one side, or perhaps an electric MG4 hatch or Tesla Model 3 sedan on the other.
Modern: Dual-cab ute and a medium SUV
If the sales charts are a guide, this is where Australian households are heading. Park a go-anywhere, do-anything double-cab Hilux or Ranger on one side and a multi-function SUV like a RAV4, Mazda CX-5 or Hyundai Tucson on the other.
Efficient: New-energy options on both sides
More and more families are looking to electric and hybrid solutions as a way to save on weekly fuel costs. With plenty of choices in the electric, plug-in and hybrid space, there's no reason you can't look to a completely new-energy garage.
Prestige: Family and executive luxury
You would be surprised at how many features, once limited to the upper echelons of the automotive market, are now available on family cars. A high-spec SUV from most brands, and a traditional luxury car from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, bring technology and refinement to your garage.
Drive Podcast: affordable family cars
Looking for a new car but have a tight budget? Here are our picks for the top five affordable family cars to own right now.
Latest Family Car Owner Reviews
We bought the VW as an interim car necessitated by the arrival of our first child, while we await delivery of vehicles impacted by COVID-19 delays (RAV4 Hybrid 13 months and XC90 Recharge four months). In the circumstances we bought the ‘base’ model as frankly we needed something. This meant availability was a significant factor […]
I’m in my late 60’s and have been considering an SUV. Read why this owner chose a Nissan X-Trail in their review.
After owning a 2012 BMW 320d, and having had some issues with it, I was in the market for a new car…Owner: Athavan Kuhanesan
I wanted something bigger than my old car, and something new that came with all the bells and whistles, and I wasn’t disappointed in the Outlander.Owner: Paul Skilleter
After the Kia Sorento won Drive Car of the Year we wanted to find out what everyone was talking about.
As a family of six with a new born, we travel to the snow over six times a year, and we also head up the coast a couple of times a year. In order to haul ski gear (we have a ski pod up top), two baby seats and four adult-sized people, we needed a bigger car. Enter the Hyundai Palisade.
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FAQs
Which cars have seven seats?
The best-selling seven-seat SUV in Australia is the Toyota Prado, which offers three rows of seating as standard from the GXL grade and up. If you’re looking for a cheap seven-seater, the most affordable option is the Mahindra XUV700, which is available from $36,990 drive-away. If you’re looking for a hybrid seven-seater, your options include the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Nissan X-Trail, Kia Sorento or Toyota Kluger.
Which family car is most economical?
According to Drive’s Best Value Cars data for 2023, the most fuel-efficient family cars include the Ford Escape plug-in hybrid, the Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid, the hybrid variants of the Toyota Yaris Cross small SUV and Toyota RAV4 medium SUV, the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid variants and the Kia Niro plug-in hybrids, all of which cost $3000 or less to fuel over a three-year period.
What is the safest car seat in Australia?
The only certified ranking of child car seats in Australia is the independent Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP). The CREP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, the Department of Transport Victoria, the TAC and KidSafe – but does not test every car seat available in Australia. Currently, the safest car seats in Australia according to this program are the Safe-N-Sound SafeFix seat installed using a seatbelt tether, and the Safe-N-Sound Safekeeper II. Both car seats received a 4.3 score for protection when installed in rear-facing mode. Here's a full list of car seats tested by CREP.
Most affordable family car to run?
According to Drive’s Best Value Cars survey for 2023, the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid seven-seat SUV is the most affordable family car to run – with a monthly cost of just $337.32. This can be attributed to low servicing costs, as well as very low refuelling and recharging costs. Generally speaking, choosing a car with a cheap servicing schedule, a more efficient powertrain, better insurance premiums, or cheaper registration costs can easily save you $1500–$2500 a year, and as much as $4000 a year in extreme cases.
Which family car has the biggest boot?
According to Drive’s 2023 seven-seat SUV comparison for 2023, the Hyundai Palisade offers the largest cargo area of the top-selling large SUVs in Australia, while the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has the largest boot of its medium SUV peers. Of the small SUV contingent, the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 both offer over 500 litres of cargo space. Unsurprisingly, eight-seaters like the Nissan Patrol and Lexus LX also offer massive boots when their third row is folded flat.
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