Hyundai Santa Fe review – an arresting and upmarket seven-seater
Top 10 best large family cars 2024
Large families require a large family car – we run down the best options on sale today
For some families, a typical hatchback or small SUV just isn’t going to cut it. Worry not, as there are plenty of large family cars on the market to cater to buyers with kids, cargo or larger-than-average dogs. Picking the right large family car to suit your needs can be tricky, but we’ve rounded up our 10 favourites, with a variety of options including SUVs, estate cars and MPVs.
Space is the key priority for large family car buyers. There needs to be enough room for at least five passengers to travel in comfort, while the boot should also be large enough to accommodate everyone’s luggage. Other typical family car duties should be accounted for as well – fuel efficiency, safety, ride comfort and practicality to name a few.
We’ve tested every car on this list, and all meet the above criteria, but come in different shapes and sizes with a range of different powertrains, so there’s likely to be a model to suit every buyer's needs, tastes and budget.
If you’d like a more general look at family cars of all sizes, you can read our list of the top 10 best family cars on sale, and we’ve covered the top 10 best seven-seater cars, as well.
The best large family cars on sale
We run through the best large family cars available to buy in 2024. Read on to see our top picks…
- Priced from around £47,000
The latest Hyundai Santa Fe is certainly a visual departure from its predecessor, but despite the new chunky look, it still delivers in all the key areas that matter to family buyers. It's spacious, immensely practical and has a high-quality interior to give more premium brands something to worry about.
Buyers can choose between five, six and seven-seater layouts, with all seats able to accommodate adult passengers in comfort. There are loads of storage compartments around the cabin, plus handy USB ports for charging all the kids’ devices. The real party happens up front, though – the driver gets a pair of large digital displays and premium-feeling physical controls for important functions, such as climate control and media volume.
On the move, the Santa Fe is clearly set up for comfort over sportiness – a sensible decision in our book. The plug-in hybrid system allows for pure-electric driving at low speeds which boosts refinement around town, although the large 20-inch alloy wheels can make the ride feel a bit unsettled at times. The lack of a diesel engine option will put off buyers who need a car for towing, but for most families, the Santa Fe will tick all the boxes.
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- Priced from around £65,000
The Kia EV9 is one of very few electric SUVs with seven seats, and it’s our favourite of the lot by some margin. It’s big and it’s expensive, but for families who want cutting-edge EV tech and acres of interior space, the EV9 is the large electric family car to beat.
Being an electric SUV, the EV9 has an eerily quiet and smooth ride that’s hard to find this side of a Bentley. All models come with seven seats as standard, while you can opt for a six-seater layout with swivelling captain’s chairs in the second row. Whichever layout you choose, you’ll find yourself in Kia’s most premium cabin yet, with excellent materials used throughout and an impressive level of standard equipment. Like other EVs, the floor is completely flat, adding to the interior space, while the boot grows to a class-leading 828 litres with the third row of seats folded.
Even in entry-level Air specification, the EV9’s electric motor gets it up to speed without much trouble. Rear-wheel drive models can achieve up to 349 miles of range which will be enough to suit most families. Plug in at a rapid-charger, and it will complete a 10-80% charge in just 24 minutes.
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- Priced from around £37,000
The Skoda Kodiaq has long been a Carbuyer recommendation for buyers looking for a large family car, given that it’s won our annual award for the category for the last two years in a row. The all-new second-generation model arrived in 2024, improving upon its predecessor in several key areas.
There are few cars that can match the Kodiaq for practicality. Buyers can choose between five or seven-seater layouts, the boot is huge and the interior is dotted with lots of clever features to make it that little bit more useful. The boxy exterior shape translates to plenty of headroom, although it’s a shame that the plug-in hybrid model isn’t available with seven seats – something that can be had with the Hyundai Santa Fe PHEV.
Rounding off the Kodiaq’s wide breadth of abilities is an excellent driving experience. It controls its size well through the corners, never feeling aloof, and every engine is punchy enough. Forgo four-wheel drive, and the diesel Kodiaq will return around 53mpg, while the petrol mild hybrid will manage 47mpg.
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- Priced from around £42,000
Fresh from a mid-life facelift in 2024, the Kia Sorento is more compelling than ever for large family car buyers. It does everything a large SUV should do; it’s spacious enough for seven passengers, the ride quality and refinement are great, and the interior feels suitably upmarket for the price tag.
The recent update introduced an entirely new dashboard design, which packs the brand’s latest tech. It looks great, plus there are still a handful of physical controls which are easy to use while on the move. Importantly, there are ISOFIX points in the second and third rows, which makes the Sorento a great choice for families with small children. The boot is vast, too, with all models getting over 600 litres of cargo space with the rearmost seats folded – on par with the Santa Fe, but some way off the cavernous Kodiaq.
Kia offers the Sorento in diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid guises, all of which have plenty of power and complement the Sorento’s cruiser-like driving experience. The latter will prove the most efficient – so long as you keep the battery topped up – while the other two achieve around 42mpg, which isn’t quite as impressive as the Kodiaq.
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- Priced from around £36,000
If you don’t want the added bulk of an SUV, we think the Skoda Superb Estate is an excellent large family car alternative. The all-new model introduced in 2024 brings an even bigger boot than before, a higher quality interior and a range of efficient engines. Its price has crept up, but it still undercuts many of its rivals from more premium brands. What’s most impressive is that the Superb never feels like the budget alternative – in fact, it’s even better in many regards.
Practicality is the key selling point for the Skoda Superb Estate. The boot is giant, growing to over 1,900 litres with the seats folded flat, while storage in the cabin is great, too. There are a few of the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ features which improve practicality, including the neat cargo flaps in the boot and the ‘Smart Dials’ for controlling temperature and media volume. There’s enough space for three to sit in the second row, while the upfront experience is fantastic – it’s well-equipped, the seats are comfy and the tech is intuitive.
On the move, the Superb Estate clearly isn’t trying to be a sports car, but what it lacks in precision it makes up for in refinement. With petrol, diesel and PHEV models to pick from, there’s a Superb to suit every buyer, and all are pleasant to drive.
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- Priced from around £49,000
The electric SUV market has really picked up in recent years, and the Peugeot E-5008 is one of the best models aimed at large families. An all-new model for 2024, the E-5008 comes as standard with seven seats, giving it an edge over rivals such as the Mercedes EQB and the BMW iX3. Cheaper hybrid 5008 models will join the range soon, opening up Peugeot’s seven-seater to a wider audience, but it’s the EV we’re focusing on here.
What’s most impressive about the E-5008 is its range; opt for the long range model, and the E-5008 will travel up to 415 miles on a charge, putting it right at the front of the electric SUV pack. Even the smaller 73kWh battery can muster 310 miles, which will be plenty for most families. As with other EVs, the driving experience is fairly serene, save for some tyre roar at higher speeds. It’s comfortable and well-suited to British roads, although don’t expect rapid EV performance – the single-motor models are adequate, but far from thrilling to drive. For most buyers, the excellent visibility and low-speed manoeuvrability will be of much greater importance, anyway.
As with all Peugeots of recent years, the E-5008’s cabin is quirky and upmarket, but the unusual ‘i-Cockpit’ dashboard can result in a compromised driving position for some drivers, so make sure to try it out. The technology is up to scratch and there are even some physical controls for infotainment shortcuts, making the system easier to use on the move.
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- Priced from around £48,000
While the electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz takes the spotlight with its retro charm, the Multivan exists as the workhorse of the German brand’s MPV lineup. Its van-like styling may not inspire in the same way as its electric sibling, but the Multivan is one of the most practical vehicles around, while offering a driving experience similar to that of a regular Golf hatchback.
With no pure electric option, the Multivan is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, as well as a plug-in hybrid. Keep the battery topped up and the latter could offer the best combination of economy and performance, but we think most buyers will be satisfied by the diesel – the petrol can feel a bit strained with seven passengers onboard.
A near-£50k price tag puts the Multivan at the expensive end of the MPV spectrum, but the interior lives up to that figure for the most part. There’s no questioning the practicality and versatility on offer here – the rear seats can slide individually and turn 180 degrees, while there’s even an optional sliding table. Sure, there are some cheap-feeling plastics in the cabin, but there’s plenty of standard kit and the tech is pinched from the Golf, which is no bad thing.
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- Priced from around £18,000
If it’s good value you’re after, the Dacia Jogger is hard to beat – in fact, we think it’s the best value car on sale today. For less than the price of a new Hyundai i20, the Jogger offers seven-seater flexibility and even a handful of true big-car features. We’d avoid the entry-level Essential model and step up to the Expression trim which gets an eight-inch touchscreen, automatic air-conditioning and front and rear parking sensors. The top-level Extreme boasts heated seats and 16-inch alloy wheels but feels like less of a bargain.
Dacia offers the Jogger with one 1.0-litre petrol engine with 108bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox. While this won’t be winning any drag races, the Jogger still feels nippy around town and returns up to 48.7mpg. Overall, the ride is very comfortable when cruising along at low speeds, just make sure to slow down on twisty roads as the Jogger’s tall frame means it leans quite a lot in the bends. There’s even a hybrid version with 138bhp that boosts fuel economy up to 56.5mpg, but this is much more expensive than the standard petrol engine.
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- Priced from around £55,000
The Mercedes E-Class has long been an impressive executive car staple in the UK market, and the estate version offers an extra dose of practicality to the saloon car’s recipe. In fact, the E-Class Estate offers more boot space than the Mercedes EQE SUV and Audi Q5, proving that estate cars are often roomier than they look from the outside. You get a gigantic 615 litres of boot space, but be warned that this drops to 460 litres if you opt for the plug-in hybrid engine due to the location of the battery.
Another one of the Mercedes E-Class’ selling points is its attractively designed and comfortable interior – that’s true not only up front, but also for back seat passengers, with plenty of space, headroom and storage for the kids to put away their knick-knacks. It’s available with just one petrol engine option: a two-litre mild-hybrid with 201bhp, badged the E 200. There are two mild-hybrid diesel options, too, including a two-litre unit in the E 220 d producing 194bhp, and the three-litre E 450 d 4MATIC with 362bhp (the latter comes with four-wheel drive).
The best option for company-car drivers, though, is the petrol plug-in hybrid which uses the two-litre engine paired with an electric motor to produce 308bhp, as it has the lowest emissions and therefore sits in the lowest BiK tax bracket. You’ll also get around 70 miles of electric range – more than practically all of its competitors.
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- Priced from around £58,000
You may not have expected to find a Land Rover Defender on this list, but the latest-generation model excels in all the important areas for a large family car – something you certainly couldn’t say about the original car. Available in three lengths – 90, 110 and the frankly massive 130 – the Defender can accommodate up to eight passengers in comfort, with a premium and robust interior.
The Defender’s focus has long shifted away from rugged utility; today’s model is a luxury car first and foremost, backed up by impressive off-road capabilities. We doubt many family buyers will be taking the Defender up their local mountain, so it’s reassuring that it feels just as at home on the school run or popping to the shops. It's comfy, none of the engines feel overworked and it even handles fairly deftly.
Why tenth place then for the Defender? Well, it doesn’t come cheap – entry-level models start at nearly £60,000, while you’ll need £74,000 for the extra-long Defender 130. Stomach the cash, and you’ll be behind the wheel of one of the most capable family SUVs on the market.
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What to look for when buying a large family car
Nowadays family cars come in all shapes and sizes, with plenty of bodystyles that do a good job of ferrying around your family and all your luggage. If you have a large family, you’ll likely also need a larger family car and there are plenty of options that will fit the bill. Thanks to their immense popularity, driven by great practicality, you’d be forgiven for thinking your only option is a large SUV.
SUVs admittedly do a good job of ticking all the boxes you’d expect of a large family car, but there are also plenty of estate cars, large hatchbacks, and even family-sized electric cars which now fit the brief, bringing their own benefits.
For a large family car to excel it needs to offer plenty of interior space, with room for five or seven seats and a large boot. It should also be versatile enough to cater for the whole family day-to-day during the school-run, and useful for longer trips away with space to bring everything you need.
Buyers should be aware that there are far more five-seater cars on the market than seven-seaters, meaning bodystyle and engine options can be more restricted for the latter. For example, there are a huge variety of electric cars on sale today, but only a handful have seven seats. Seven seaters generally cost more, too, so it's worth considering how often you’ll be using the rearmost pair of seats, and whether they’re worth the extra cost.
Larger family cars tend to be heavy, meaning that fuel economy and performance can take a hit compared to a smaller hatchback or SUV. Fortunately, these days many of the largest family cars are offered with plug-in hybrid tech that can offset the downsides of a heavier car. For a plug-in hybrid to be most effective, it will need to be plugged in occasionally to keep the battery topped up, so make sure you have somewhere to recharge your car before making a purchase. Alongside fully-electric large family cars, these models also offer lower running costs for company-car drivers thanks to their low emissions putting them in favourable BiK tax brackets.
If your heart is set on an SUV, we have also put together a list of the 10 best large SUVs. Alternatively, check out our cheapest 7-seater family cars if you need space for seven…
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