Choosing a family car can be tricky
There are so many things to consider before making your decision, with a whole variety of needs and requirements there to influence a selection. Fortunately, Swansway Group has a host of family-friendly cars so you can easily find the one that fits you best.
Be that economical cars, spacious cars or those cars with seven seats, there are plenty of options out there. We’ve picked out some of the best family cars on the market today below.
The all-rounder - Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen’s Tiguan has consistently been a great all-rounder in the SUV segment. It offers a great blend of premium features and good standard equipment, while the exterior design ties together some of Volkswagen’s key styling touches in one good-looking package. There’s also a seven-seater option in the Tiguan Allspace should you want added space but with the same great looks.
It’s available with a good range of engines, too, with efficient petrol and diesel engines being great choices for those who don’t want to frequent the pumps too often. There’s also a plug-in hybrid model, which combines a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and battery for supremely low running costs.
And for those who want a little more performance, there’s the Tiguan. This takes a powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine - the same as you’ll find in the Golf R - and sends power to all four wheels to provide some serious performance.
The seven-seater one - SEAT Tarraco
SEAT has been making real strides in its line-up of SUVs recently, adding to its popular Ateca - which shares a platform with the Tiguan - with the seven-seater Tarraco. Unlike a lot of other seven-seaters, the SEAT Tarraco offers a decent amount of space regardless of which row you’re sitting in. Though kids will no doubt find the rearmost row the most spacious, there’s still enough room there for adults to get comfy too.
It also gets a full five-star NCAP safety rating, meaning that you can drive the Tarraco safe in the knowledge that everyone inside is being protected as much as possible. Regardless of which model you go for there’s plenty of standard equipment on offer too, with entry-level cars still receiving 17-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and rear parking sensors to name but a few options.
There’s also the option to add some seriously high-end features as well. In tip-top FR trim, the Tarraco gains a sporty-looking bodykit and 19-inch alloy wheels, while inside there are sports seats which really add to the overall look and feel of the car.
The off-road-ready one - Land Rover Discovery
For the adventurers among you, there’s the Land Rover Discovery. As well as being able to offer seven seats, the Discovery’s high-tech four-wheel-drive system means that it’s near-unstoppable over tricky surfaces, making it a good choice for those drivers who often find themselves off the beaten track. Land Rover’s excellent Terrain Response system really comes into its own off-road, where it can intelligently work out the surface and tailor the car’s settings accordingly.
Inside, the Discovery combines high-end features with robust, hard-wearing touches. It uses Jaguar Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro system, which is both great to look at and really intuitive to use. Entering destinations into the guidance system is simple, while Apple CarPlay works well too.
Jaguar Land Rover has also overhauled the list of engines available with the Discovery, integrating mild-hybrid technology to make them more efficient than before. Available as both petrol and diesel, they’re linked to a smooth-shifting automatic gearbox that’ll ensure the miles whisk past.
The efficient one - Honda HR-V
If an efficient car is what you’re after, then Honda’s recently renewed Honda HR-V will be right up your street. It’s only available with a hybrid engine and it’s an intelligent one at that; similar to the one you’ll find in the Jazz, it features two electric motors linked to an engine. However, the Honda HR-V uses the engine almost like a generator, sending power through the battery and motors rather than directly to the wheels. This gives the HR-V an almost EV-like driving experience.
This is all backed by Honda’s excellent attention to detail. The firm has really pushed the latest HR-V’s cabin upmarket through the use of high-end materials and clever finishes, while the new nine-inch touchscreen is a whole lot better than before too. All cars get heated seats, LED headlights and a digital drivers display as standard regardless of spec, too.
Then there’s the practicality it offers. Honda has equipped the HR-V with its famous ‘Magic Seats’ which ‘roll’ forward, freeing up a huge amount of space. There’s also the option to fold them up like cinema seats, offering up a real deep load area in the footwell which is ideal for transporting taller items.
The versatile one - Volkswagen Caddy
Looking for outright versatility? The Volkswagen Caddy could be the right option for you. It’s now in its latest generation too, which means that it benefits from some of Volkswagen’s latest technology and its most efficient engines.
A tall roofline means that the Caddy offers boatloads of headroom, but there’s the option to remove the middle row of seats too which frees up a lot of load space. Everything has also been made to a robust standard, meaning that it should stand up to whatever is thrown its way by the family.
Volkswagen also equips the Caddy with a generous amount of standard equipment off the bat, while its level of inclusive driver assistance systems is impressive; a driver alert system, lane keep assist and forward collision detection are all included as standard. In the middle of the dash sits an 8.25-inch display similar to the one you’ll find in the latest Golf and it’s here that you’ll access all of the car’s major functions.
Remember too that for those who want to travel further afield in the Caddy there’s the Caddy California, which integrates some adventure-ready features such as a bed and attachable tent to the Caddy’s already impressive list of features.
The stylish one - Peugeot 3008
Peugeot has pivoted to become a car maker behind some seriously good-looking cars and the 3008 is a great example of that. On the face of it it could be easy to dismiss the 3008 as yet another crossover, but it combines edgy design with a cool interior to become a car that is both practical yet desirable.
So the exterior of the Peugeot 3008 is dominated by sharp lines and rounded edges, with a recent facelift adding in blade-like daytime running lights similar to those seen on the 508 saloon car. Around the back, the lights have a three-claw design that has been seen on other Peugeot models.
But as mentioned, it’s not all just skin deep. The cabin has a really stylish design but there’s a 10-inch infotainment screen as well, alongside Peugeot’s i-Cockpit drivers display ahead of the steering wheel.
The trendy one - Jaguar F-Pace
Jaguar may have had a slightly more ‘traditional’ image over recent years but has worked hard to transform and freshen this with recent models. Take the Jaguar F-Pace, the brand’s first SUV. It’s now into a new generation and has a more striking design than ever, using some styling cues from the F-Type sports car but applied to a larger, more practical canvas.
It’s also great to drive, with a range of punchy yet efficient engines. Of course at the top of the range sits the hulking F-Pace SVR with its 5.0-litre supercharged V8, but plug-in hybrid versions show that there’s an F-Pace for those who want a slightly more eco-friendly driving experience too.
Inside, the new F-Pace has undergone a big transformation. Key to this is the implementation of Jaguar’s Pivi Pro infotainment system, which replaces the older and slightly outdated version. It’s miles quicker in its operation, with clear and easy-to-read menus which are a lot more intuitive to work through.
There’s good scope for customisation too thanks to a variety of colours and trim levels. Opt for R-Dynamic specification and you’ll find the F-Pace given all the look and charm of the SVR version but with significantly lower running costs.