Here are the best best family SUVs in 2025

One of the reasons SUVs are so popular these days is that they make ideal family cars. There are five- and seven-seater models to choose from, they always have large boots to chuck all types of luggage in, and they’re typically fitted with roof racks so you can bolt even more stuff to the top of them. There’s now a wide range of drivetrain choices, from traditional petrols and diesels, to more advanced hybrids and pure electric SUVs. A lot of them are great at towing, too.
So, in no particular order, here are a few of our favourites, spanning from the more affordable end of the spectrum to big and luxurious 4x4s.

Now in its third generation, the Dacia Duster is no longer as STAGGERINGLY cheap as it was when it burst onto the scene like a sub-£10k Micah Richards in 2010. It's sub-£20k now. Not mind-blowing, but a starting price 10 grand lower than a Mini Countryman's, for example, is still mint. The compromise you make is that, while the Duster now looks as modern and tech-laden as most of its competitors (it really did look basic back in the day), it still feels like costs have been cut in the cabin. Because they have. Still, that makes the Duster cool in its own utilitarian sort of way. And you have to say 'utilitarian' when talking about any Dacia. Them's the rules.
Here's our review of the 2025 Dacia Duster. Enjoy.

We're not sure why Hyundai decided to turn the Santa Fe into a seven-seat luxury SUV with a £45K starting price, but we're glad it did. It's a remarkable car - a proper alternative to a Land Rover Discovery or a Volvo XC90 now. That's quite the transformation for a model that back in the day you'd probably shrug about and say "aye it's canny.... for the money." It's no longer cheap, but you can easily spend similar money on a Qashqai these days, and the Santa Fe feels two leagues higher than the Nissan in size, quality and general road manners. In fairness there's no particular reason to single out the Nissan here, other than it's a common reference point. If you can live with the (deliberately) brutal looks, you'll absolutely love the Santa Fe. It's reasonably priced to run, too.
Check out our review of the Hyundai Santa Fe here

Kia truly is a brand transformed, especially if youremember this sort of stuff it used to make. The EV3 is fundamentally a very sensible car, reasonably priced, a battery range of more than 300 miles and backed by a seven-year warranty. Plus... has any medium-sized SUV family ever looked this striking? Inside it's a similar story, with the interior achieving a lovely balance between a high-tech aesthetic and ease of use; too many modern car interiors sacrifice intuitiveness at the altar of minimalism. Kias have always been easy to recommend, but who thought the day would come when a family SUV from Kia would be genuinely exciting? Yet here we are.
Check out our review of the Kia EV3 here

Land Rover re-wrote the script for the latest Defender, transforming it from a rough-and-ready off-roader (a decades-old and iconic one, at that) to a do-it-all luxury SUV. Some people didn't agree in principle, and it left a nice gap for the Ineos Grenadier to fill, but few can question just how all-encompassing the Defender now is. It's better than the old one at the off-road stuff by all the metrics, and it's almost as good a luxury car as a full-fat Range Rover. There's even an eight-seat version.
For more info read our Land Rover defender review here

If you want an electric seven-seat SUV your options are pretty thin on the ground at the moment. But the Mercedes-Benz EQB is probably all the seven-seat electric SUV you’ll ever need. Based on the same underpinnings as an A-Class, it’s actually a fairly compact vehicle, making it easy to park and manoeuvre, despite all the seats and interior space. It has all the practicality you could want from a family SUV, as well as a battery that’s big enough to do around 250 miles on a single charge.
Read our expert review of the Mercedes-Benz EQB, or check out our range of used Mercedes-Benz EQB

The MG HS is a big five-seat family SUV with a choice of turbo petrol or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrains. It's comfy and quite good fun to drive - especially the PHEV because it’s quick - but the real bonuses of the MG HS are its remarkably comprehensive equipment list and a generous seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty. A great value SUV that gives you a lot of space for the money.
Find out everything you need to know about the MG HS, or take a look at the latest MG HS leasing deals.

Peugeot is making some remarkable-looking cars at the moment, properly unique and eye-catching, inside and out. And in the latest 3008's case, that's not at the expense of it being basically a very appealing car. Plenty of space, exceptional cabin quality, and lovely to drive, the 3008 is probably the most appealing "non-premium" family car on the market. It's certainly the most interesting. And it's available with either a petrol engine or as a fully electric car, the latter boasting a 300-mile-plus real-world battery range. Nice.
Check out our review of the Peugeot E-3008 for everything you need to know

We could have put any one of Skoda's SUVs in here, to be honest. From the smallest – the Kamiq) – to the flagship Enyaq Coupe, they're all absolutely brilliant and do fundamentally the same job. They offer more space than most for the money, genuinely top-notch cabin quality, and an array of the Volkswagen Group’s great engines and battery-electric drivetrains. We've picked the Kodiaq because it does so much so well, and for a reasonable price. It's a seven-seat SUV with an exceptional interior and loads of space, and yet that's compact enough for the supermarket car park and fairly cheap to run.
Click here to read all about the Skoda Kodiaq

Mini owner BMW abandoned the idea of a Mini being "small" yonks ago, so if you still care about that sort of thing, look away now. 'Mini' is more of a concept now, an approach to design, than a statement of fact. The latest Countryman is the biggest Mini ever made, which also makes it the most practical. A full five-seat SUV, it maintains the essence 'Mini' while being a very capable day-to-day family runabout - something that its smaller predecessors couldn't quite manage. We recently lived with one for six months and properly enjoyed it - albeit, it was the high-performance JCW version.
Click here for our Mini Countryman review.

Why are SUVs so popular for families?

SUVs are popular because they meet the varied needs of families so well. They sit higher off the road, which in turn leads to higher seating positions, great for mums and dads trying to lift and then buckle child seats into the interior. They’re often very safe, as they are structurally solid and equipped with the latest advanced driver assist systems, while the boot capacity is also large so they can swallow lots of gear. They’re also great towing machines, and lots of them have seven-seater capability – ideal for larger families to travel as one unit, instead of having to split into two five-seater cars instead.

Are SUVs reliable family cars?

Yes, modern SUVs are – like so many new vehicles – incredibly reliable. And they’re all covered by an array of impressive manufacturer warranties, the minimum of which will give you at least three years and 60,000 miles’ worth of cover.

What’s the most spacious family SUV?

For maximum interior space you need the vast Land Rover Defender 130. You’ll need a lot of room to park it up safely, though.

Are SUVs safe family cars?

Yes, because they have very strong structures and, typically – as high-end models within a manufacturer’s product portfolio – they will have lots of the latest advanced driver assist safety systems fitted to them as standard. The Volvo XC90, for instance, has recorded some of the highest-ever figures for adult occupant and child occupant safety scores in Euro NCAP crash tests.

Which family SUVs are the most fuel-efficient?

There are plenty of hybrid and plug-in hybrid family SUVs these days – both Kia and Hyundai, for instance, provide almost exclusively hybrid drivetrains for their Niro, Sportage and Sorento, and the Kona, Tucson and Santa Fe ranges (respectively). Peugeot is also in on the act, providing two plug-in hybrid derivatives of its excellent 3008. But for the ultimate in low running costs, you need an electric SUV. So check out the BMW iX3 and Mercedes EQB, or even alternatives from Audi and Tesla.