The best family SUVs - driven, rated and ranked

Best for: Space

The EV9 looks like it just landed from a sci-fi movie set. People stare at it on the street; they seek you out in shops and cafes to talk excitedly about it and to ask what it’s like. And yet it handles the tediousness of family life elegantly and serenely. 

Rhe single-motor EV9 has more than enough poke for A- and B-roads. It just lacks the punch of the all-wheel-drive car when accelerating from a standstill.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

It's smooth, quiet and brilliantly easy to operate and will officially do up to 349 miles on a charge. Our testing suggests the big-battery versions should crack 300 miles in real-life conditions, but you can supplement this quickly with 220kW rapid charging. 

But the real plus point of the electric powertrain is in its packaging. It enables the EV9 to make the most out of its gargantuan proportions.

It’s available with six or seven seats, and either way the third row is roomy enough for adults. Four of the five rear seats get their own cupholders and USB-C charging ports, as well as Isofix child-seat anchorages. The rearmost pair stow and deploy electrically and are easy to access.

Furthermore, the boot is big enough for a reasonable amount of shopping cargo with all seats in place. While in five-seat mode, the loading space is extremely generous. There's even a front boot, which is perfect for keeping the charging cables in.

Best for: Luxury feel

The Discovery Sport may well be the entry-level Land Rover, but that doesn't mean it's short on the brand's trademark capability, comfort or charm.

The heavier PHEV feels stiffer than its diesel counterparts and isn’t as comfortable with lumps and bumps.

Sam Phillips, Staff Writer

Since 2019 it has sat on the same PTA platform as the Range Rover Evoque, but it hasn't lost out on any of the characteristics that we liked about the original version. It's still higher-riding than many of its opponents and affords better visibility.

True to the Land Rover brand, the four-wheel-drive versions will also go further off-road than most owners will ever need. However, it also handles in an impressively tidy fashion, with accurate steering, good body control and surprising agility.

Its practical interior is available with seven seats for those who need them. The current versions have plenty of premium appeal and benefit from the latest Pivi Pro infotainment system, which help give it a similar feel to the firm's upper-crust Range Rover offerings.

Most of the petrol and diesel engines have 48V mild-hybrid assistance, but the particularly slick P300e plug-in hybrid is the standout version, thanks to its well-engineered integration that allows a smooth transition between petrol and electric.

If you want a family SUV with more versatility and off-road ruggedness than the class average, the Discovery Sport delivers that with very few compromises. Still one of the best 4x4s by far.

Best for: Interior ambience

From a value-for-money, bargain-basement brand to a genuine premium player, Hyundai's head-spinning progress over the past decade or so almost beggars belief.

It handles better than most drivers will ever need it to and is pretty refined at a cruise, but it can’t maintain that refinement away from the motorway, in terms of both comfort and engine noise.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Yet you need to take only a cursory look around the Santa Fe to appreciate just how far the Korean firm has come. This futuristic SUV features distinctive looks and a spacious and classy cabin, plus a range of drivetrains that includes a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.

The key to the Santa Fe's appeal is its interior, which blends a real upmarket vibe with plenty of space. Unlike many seven-seat rivals, there's actually room in the third row for adults and access is fairly straightforward.

There's a vast boot, too: 725 litres with five seats in place. Quality is excellent, with numerous high-grade materials, loads of standard kit and a decent infotainment set-up.

It's not the most exciting car to drive, but the steering is light and precise and the Santa Fe handles corners with surprising composure for something so tall and heavy. It's at its best when taking it easy, which is no bad thing when you consider its family-friendly credentials.

The relatively soft suspension can become a little discombobulated over really challenging surfaces, but the rest of the time the Santa Fe is a refined and relaxing companion that's as happy mooching about town as it is taking in a long-haul trip.

If you need a show-stopping car that fits seamlessly into family life, the Hyundai takes some beating. Compared with a lot of rivals, you will get far more space and equipment for the money, too.

Best for: Dealing with family life

The Nissan Qashqai is one of the most popular cars in the UK, and is considered the go-to choice for drivers considering a family car. 

Pleasingly, Nissan has retained conventional buttons and rotary dials for the climate controls, which means adjusting the temperature or fan speed is a seamless process.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

The smartly designed SUV comes with a choice of mild-hybrid petrol engines with either 136bhp or 156bhp. They're both frugal units, but you will have to work them both hard to achieve any decent level of performance.

Inside, the Qashqai is well equipped to deal with day-to-day family life. It has a 479-litre boot and a solid interior, which should handle anything your kids can (sometimes literally) throw at it. 

Importantly, the Qashqai is one of the more affordable models on our list. Prices start at around £30,000, while standard equipment includes integrated Google Maps, a reversing camera, parking sensors and a 12.3in touchscreen infotainment system. 

Best for: Electric range 

Once an MPV, the Renault Scenic returned last year as an electric SUV. While you can no longer select it with seven seats, it’s still a brilliant family hauler with lots of space and a pleasant interior.

The Scenic is barely any louder on the move than a Volkswagen ID 7, which is to the Renault’s credit, given the German saloon is larger, more luxurious and commensurately more expensive.

Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

Entry-level cars come with a 60kWh battery as standard with a claimed range of 260 miles, but the 87kWh long-range option offers a mighty 379 miles on a charge. Power can range from a meagre 167bhp to 215bhp, which is acceptable. 

Make no mistake: that’s a seriously impressive range. It puts the Scenic straight to the top of the segment, even outclassing the Tesla Model Y’s 331 miles and the 348 miles touted by the Skoda Enyaq.

It’s practical and smart inside too, with a sizable, responsive 12in touchscreen infotainment system.

Its 545-litre boot is also impressive, and while rear passenger space isn’t quite class-leading, it’s still airy nonetheless.

Best for: Comfort

The Hyundai Tucson is one of the most versatile family SUVs on sale today, thanks to its combination of practicality, frugality and interior quality. 

On the move, the Tucson is more dependable than exciting, but in truth, that’s what Hyundai has rightly aimed for. This is one of those cars with which you feel instantly familiar.

Matt Prior, Editor-at-large

Drivers can select their Tucson with a choice of petrol or hybridised engines, all based around the brand's tried and tested 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine. 

The range starts with 157bhp, rising up to 252bhp in the plug-in hybrid, which offers up to 39 miles of electric-only range. 

But the jewel in the Tucson's crown is its interior, which is close to best-in-class. It's full of premium-feel materials, plus there's plenty of space in the front and the back for most passengers.

Add to that a 616-litre boot and you've got yourself a very usable family SUV indeed.

Best for: Refinement

The Volvo XC40 has been a real success in the UK. It first went on sale in 2017, but to this day it sports a charismatic and alluring design that looks great compared to many other blander family SUVs.

On the motorway, the XC40 has an excellent, fluent and quiet ride to match its impressive cabin sealing

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Its good looks continue on the inside. The XC40 offers a refined cabin with genuine richness, quality, usability and comfort. 

It's fair to say, though, that the XC40 isn't the most practical family car out there, with a 452-litre boot and a cramped rear. 

Best for: Engine selection

The BMW X3 was given an extensive overhaul at the end of 2024, bringing with it a new design and some powertrain updates. 

Both the exterior and interior makeover give the X3 a fresh new look and some extra character.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Thankfully, it's still one of the better SUVs in terms of driving dynamics, with a direct attitude and bags of grip. That said, it has compromised some of its comfort this time around, with a fidgety ride and a distinct firmness on UK Tarmac. 

The X3's strengths are found in its performance. A selection of 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines are available (the latter with mild-hybrid assistance), while a plug-in hybrid offers 50-56 miles of electric-only range and 295bhp. The powerful X3 M50 tops the range with 393bhp.

BMW's family SUV is packed with technology with some physical controls, but it's also a bit confusing and fidgety to use. Regardless, it's still a nice place to sit with plenty of space in both the front and rear.