The coolest family cars you can buy – our expert picks

Finding the best family car is often a balancing act between practicality, affordability and economy, but who says ‘cool-factor’ can’t be a consideration, too? If you’re looking for a new family wagon but think today’s crop of estate cars and SUVs are a bit bland, perhaps our cool picks below will change your mind.

What makes a car ‘cool’ is up for debate and comes down to personal taste, so we’ve enlisted the help of three of our car-buying experts to share their top picks. Coolness aside, the cars below all satisfy the necessary family car credentials; they’re practical, comfortable, safe and can be driven everyday without a fuss – not something you can say about many of today’s sports cars.

We’ve focused on hatchbacks, estates and SUVs, which give you plenty of space for buggies, toys and all the other clutter that accompanies family life. While you could have a lithe coupe with a child seat in the back, it’ll be hard to have one as your main family car. All our picks have four doors or more, making it easier to get child seats in and out, and all come with ISOFIX seat-mounting points.

Read on to find out more about the coolest family cars on sale, as picked by our experts…

Andy’s picks

Volkswagen ID. Buzz

• Priced from around £59,000

What could be cooler than a family car styled to look like a 1950s surfer bus? With two-tone paint, a sleek van-like shape and that big ‘VW’ badge on the nose, the ID. Buzz is a far cry from traditional MPVs of old. It deftly treads the retro-futuristic line with enough style to hark back to its iconic predecessor, but without coming across as a pastiche, all while being one of the most spacious and versatile family cars on sale.

In line with Volkswagen’s ‘ID’ range, the ID. Buzz is electric only, using a rear-mounted 286bhp motor. Performance is nippy, but the sportier GTX turns things up a notch with a 335bhp dual-motor setup. Either way, you’ll be cruising to the beach with zero emissions, sitting on seats made from 90% recycled plastic bottles, 10% of which have been collected from the ocean. Pretty cool, dude.

Polestar 3

• Priced from around £70,000

Scandinavia has a history of churning out sleek understated design, but the Polestar 3 might just be the region’s coolest export yet. The electric family SUV stands out in a crowded segment with a crisp design that doesn’t shout too loudly, even though it's hiding a 483bhp dual-motor setup. It’s a big heavy car, so don’t expect supercar-beating performance, but the 3 still has the oomph to pin you back in your seat when you ask for it.

The inside of the Polestar 3 is an equally classy affair, with an uncluttered dashboard layout that we’ve come to expect from the Swedish brand. The ride is comfy and the cabin is quiet, making the 3 a great long distance cruiser – backed up by a 390-mile range. In a world of Bentley Bentaygas, BMW XMs and Porsche Cayennes, the Polestar 3 is a refreshing breath of cool air.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

• Priced from around £77,000

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E in 2019. Applying one of the most iconic nameplates in the motoring world to a four-door electric SUV was certainly a bold move, but for the most part, the Mach-E impressed us. It’s comfy, good to drive and has an impressive range – although we’d struggle to describe it as cool.

What is cool? Taking an electric family SUV and turning into a capable off-road performance car. Which is exactly what Ford did with the Mustang Mach-E Rally. Based on the top-spec 480bhp Mach-E GT, the Rally Pack adds a 19-inch all-terrain wheel and tyre package, a 20mm higher ride height and underbody shields for some serious high-speed, dirt road capabilities. Oh, and you get unique graphics and a big roof spoiler. We think that’s cool enough to warrant the Mustang badge.

Charlie’s picks

Volvo V90

• Priced from around £62,000

SUVs may be the family car of choice these days, but there’s still something cool about a sleek, low-slung estate car. Out of all the wagons on sale today, the Volvo V90 is arguably the coolest. We think it’s the ultimate distillation of the Swedish marque’s understated design language, with handsome proportions and elegant details, including the ‘Thor’s hammer’ headlights.

As of 2024, the V90 is only available as a fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid, but don’t assume that means it lacks performance. Opt for the T8 engine, and the V90 puts out a vast 449bhp to all four wheels, making it a serious wolf in sheep’s clothing. It doesn’t have an aggressive bodykit, the colour palette is muted, and there’s certainly no enormous grille up front – Germans, take note.

Mazda 3

• Priced from around £24,000

We’ll forgive you if you’ve forgotten about the Mazda 3; the Japanese family hatchback is a far less common sight on our roads than the Volkswagen Golf or BMW 1 Series. While most UK buyers play it safe and pick one of those popular German models, there’s a lot going for the quirky Mazda 3, not least its sleek pebble-like styling.

Sure, there are compromises that come with its curvaceous silhouette – notably the lack of boot space and limited rear visibility – but it’s a trade off that ups the cool-factor in our book. The 3’s engine range is pretty unusual, too, consisting of a selection of petrol engines up to 2.5-litres in size. The interior is a real highlight, and has been designed with the user experience at the top of the priority list, with excellent physical controls instead of glitzy touchscreens that are often a pain to use on the move.

Renault Scenic

• Priced from around £37,000

The Renault Scenic’s rebirth from humdrum MPV into electric SUV has transformed it into one of the coolest family cars on the market. It goes toe-to-toe with the best-selling Tesla Model Y and comes out on top in nearly every area – it’s cheaper, has a longer range and a more exciting interior. We think it looks pretty neat, too.

Buyers have a choice between a 60kWh battery or a larger 87kWh unit, the latter delivering an impressive 379 miles of range. Its front-mounted electric motor gives it enough grunt for everyday driving, and the suspension is supple enough to make long distance motorway cruises a comfy affair. There are lots of neat features, too – aluminium is used for several of the body panels to save weight, the interior features lots of recycled materials, and there’s an optional electronic sunroof that transitions from clear to opaque with the press of a button in a rather magical fashion. 

Tom’s picks

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

• Priced from around £65,000

There’s something inexplicably cool about taking an ordinary family car and giving it the performance to embarrass the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin. What’s even cooler is when said family car is an electric Hyundai with room for five and a vast boot. But high performance electric cars aren’t a novelty anymore, so what makes the Ioniq 5 N deserving of a spot on this list? 

The engineers in South Korea didn't just strap a pair of bigger motors to the standard Ioniq 5 and call it a day. Instead, that N badge brings with it a host of chassis and software upgrades, making this a seriously fun car to wind along a B road. There’s even a drive mode that simulates a performance petrol car, complete with fake gear shifts, rev limiters and all. It’s unashamedly fun, and we think there’s something cool about that.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

• Priced from around £41,000

Those in the market for an executive family saloon will no doubt turn to the German establishment as their first port of call. While BMW, Audi and Mercedes have cleaned up in this segment for decades, the Alfa Romeo Giulia serves as a left-field alternative for those who prioritise Italian style above all else. 

Yes, the Giulia lags behind some of the competition when it comes to the latest interior and hybrid technology – it has none of the latter – but it gets the essentials right. Its rear-wheel drive setup delivers excellent handling, the 2.0-litre petrol engine has plenty of punch and the ride is supple enough for long journeys. The Giulia Quadrifoglio turns things up to “undici” with a 513bhp V6, related to the turbocharged V8s found in modern Ferraris. If that’s not cool enough for you, just look at it.

Dacia Duster

• Price TBA

The Dacia Duster isn’t the fastest family car, nor is it the best-looking or the most refined. What it is, is a humble, rugged small SUV that punches above its weight – and price. It’s expected to cost under £20,000 when it arrives in the UK, making it one of the most affordable SUVs on the market. Despite that, the latest Duster is better than ever before, packing a smart interior, a rugged 4x4 design and a solid engine range.

For us, the simplicity of the Duster is what earns it a spot on the coolest family car list. As standard, it’s relatively light on features compared to other small SUVs, but it packs all the basics that you need. There are even a few unique touches, including Dacia’s YouClip system for attaching accessories to the interior, and the Sleep Pack – a boot-mounted box that unfolds to transform the back of the Duster into a mini-campervan.

Have a read of our list of the best-looking cars on sale – there are even some family-friendly options!