What are the best small family cars?

Some say that your car reflects your personality but it can also reflect your family situation. We take a look at the vehicles best suited for a small family.

Lawrence Minnie

15 Dec 2021 · 06:10Buying a Car

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Family Unit

One of the largest considerations for the car-buying public is whether or not the vehicle will fit their family situation. Depending on the size and composition of your family, you will want to get a vehicle that matches.

Below we take a look at the vehicles from smallest to largest for a small 3 or 4 person family.

Entry Level

The entry-level city car will be the first stop for most new car buyers. In this segment, your best choices will be a model that offers the most internal space and convenience features. Vehicles such as the Renault Kwid, Mahindra KUV100, and Suzuki SPresso are on the cheaper side of the equation while the Hyundai i10 Kia Picanto and Mazda2 sit towards the more premium side of the segment.

Hatchback

The Volkswagen Polo rules the roost here with vehicles such as the Mazda3, Hyundai i20, and Kia Rio following. These 5 door hatches have serviced families for years now and continue to be the first choice for many small families

Sedan

The small sedan is a version of the small hatch with a boot. Fiat's Tipo does well here but struggles against the more well-established VW Polo sedan, Ford Figo, Honda Amaze, and segment leader Toyota Corolla Quest.

Crossover

The newest segment to emerge is the small crossover. These are basically mini SUVs and it is hard to say which one is currently best. Hyundai's Venue, Kia's Sonet, and VW's T-Cross have done very well while Toyota and Suzuki continue to battle it out with the Urban Cruiser and Brezza respectively. Nissan, Renault, and Fiat all also have offerings in the Magnite, Kiger, and 500X.

Mid Size SUV

At the top of what we would consider small is the mid-size SUV. These vehicles provide everything that a growing family needs and more. The Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson are obvious choices while more left-field options such as the Renault Koleos continue to surprise. The VW Tiguan remains a segment leader while you can expect good things from Toyota's new Corolla Cross and its hybrid offering.

Written by Lawrence Minnie

Lawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.Read more