Best luxury family cars
Good family cars all focus on safety, practicality, and frugality, but substituting that last one with luxury opens up a whole new world. These cars focus as much on pampering the children as it does on cosseting the parents, even if they come from different market segments.
Bentley Bentayga (From R 3 825 000)
Seeing as we’re taking a comfy flight of fancy here, let’s start with something that combines the ultimate in luxury with a family-friendly SUV body style. It comes in 5- or 7-seater format, although two really fortunate children could also enjoy their own, multi-adjustable seats in first-class luxury.
It can only handle 484-litres of cargo in 5-seater format, though, so best send your driver ahead with the luggage if you’re planning a long trip. The kids will be entertained by their own entertainment arrangements, and cooled to perfection with individual climate control.
Related: The top 3 things you need to know about the Bentley Bentayga.
Mercedes-Benz GLS (From R 1 913 766)
Impressive though their S- and G-Class models undoubtedly are, the Mercedes-Benz GLS is really the one your family needs. With oodles of space, a multitude of (usually power-operated) seating arrangements, and all the available gizmos your heart could desire, this behemoth has to count as one of the ultimate luxury family cars.
Motive power ranges from a staunch 243 kW/700 Nm in the “entry-level” Benz GLS400d to 466 kW/850 Nm in the bonkers AMG GLS63S. Not only will your kids get to school really comfortably, but really quickly too.
Related: This review of the mid-range Mercedes-Benz GLS580 called it one of the quickest lounges around.
Audi S8 quattro (From R 2 537 500)
Not all well-heeled families need or want a luxury SUV, but prefer a high-end saloon instead. They could settle for something that the mainstream deems suitable, such as the uber-ubiquitous S-Class, or they could take a walk on the alternative side and go for an Audi S8 instead.
Even with a full range of available in-car technology and a spacious and understated but beautifully-detailed cabin, the Audi S8 also presents a very appealing mixture of speed and effortless, quiet comfort. The adaptive air suspension deserves particular mention here, because the resulting ride comfort is exemplary over a wide range of road conditions.
Related: The Audi S8 is a consummate luxury car as much as well-dressed thug, as we found in this review.
Lexus LS (From R 2 239 400)
If you prefer your luxury to be a bit more unique than a German sedan, we should point you in the direction of the Lexus LS. This sedan is distinctive-looking inside and out; and interprets luxury in a Japanese way, with finely-detailed trimmings and an emphasis on quality and comfort rather than headline-grabbing numbers.
Power is provided by a 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, sending 310 kW and 600 Nm to the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic gearbox. If you want to give your family transport a green slant, you could opt for the LS 500h (Hybrid), which has quite a loss less power but slashes a claimed 3.6 litres/100 km from this large saloon’s fuel consumption.
Related: The alternative luxury car – Read our Lexus LS 500 review here.
Audi e-tron (From R 1 745 000)
New, high-performance EVs are coming in thick and fast now, and the Audi RS e-tron GT quattro is one of the best. Outputs of 440 kW and 830 Nm are claimed to shunt the latest Audi RS-car to 100 km/h in only 3.3 seconds, and its quoted range of 433 km is also pretty impressive (albeit unlikely in high-speed cruising). Best of all, it’s still an Audi, with lots of modern tech, and excellent build quality.
If this beast's very high performance is surplus to your requirements, though, the mainstream e-tron or e-tron Sportback will definitely make your family happier than an RS e-tron would: They’re a lot more spacious and comfortable, and still pretty rapid even in base “55 quattro” trim. As well as about R 1.5-million less expensive in said base spec...
Related: This video review reveals the Audi e-tron Sportback to be a great family car that doesn’t feel like an EV.
* All prices were accurate at the time of publication, but are subject to change without prior notice.
