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Best Family Cars of 2010

For the third straight year, Parents magazine and Edmunds.com have come up with a list of what they've judged as the best family cars on the market.

After judging hundreds of vehicles for performance, reliability, safety, and family-friendly features, they narrowed it down to 15 vehicles in five categories.

Parents Editor in Chief Dana Points showcased three of them on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning."

And we have the complete list for you, as well.

All the cars on the list are budget-friendly: Five start at less than $20,000 and one starts at just $13,300. The Best Family Cars of 2010 feature will appear in the June 2010 issue of Parents magazine, which hits newsstands on May 15.


From the Crossover category:
Honda CR-V
Starts at $21,545
MPG: 21 city/28 highway
Call it a compromise free crossover. The CR-V has a breezy, carlike feel and excellent handling. Its cozy cabin has two glove boxes and handy under-seat compartments to keep all your kids' stuff organized. The rear seats fold down in various configurations, with minimal effort, to fit double strollers and science projects, and loading bulky gear is less laborious thanks to the superlight lift gate and low rear deck. We also like that even the base model comes with a folding center storage tray, front and rear power outlets, and a conversation mirror (which lets you see what's going on in the backseat without having to turn around).

Features:
•Compromise-free crossover
•One of the best choices available in the all important areas of on-road drivability and practicality
•Breezy, carlike feel and excellent handling
•Our readers love the way it drives in all weather conditions
•Cozy cabin with two glove boxes and handy under-seat compartments to keep all the kids' stuff organized
•Rear seats fold down in various configurations with minimal effort. Perfect to fit double strollers and other bulky gear.
•Even the base model has: folding rear storage tray, front and rear power outlets and a conversation mirror which lets you see what's going on in the backseat without turning around

From the Big Car Category:
Chevrolet Traverse
Starts at $29,224
MPG: 16 city/24 highway
It's just as versatile as a minivan, but this sporty SUV has way more street cred. The Traverse is remarkably spacious, with seating for up to eight passengers and a third row that's comfy even for grownups. The second row seats slide forward (perfect positioning for handing your kid his sippy) and back (for tweens who need more legroom). You can get a week's vacation worth of luggage into the rear cargo well, and with the seats folded down this vehicle could almost double as a delivery van. Still, the sure handling will make you forget all about its size.

Features:
•Its nimble handling almost makes you forget how big it is, until you realize that it's….
•Remarkably spacious with seating for up to 8 and a third row that's comfortable enough for grown ups
•The second row slides forward to put kids in perfect position for moms to easily hand back sippy cups or toys
•If you're heading out on a road trip, you could easily fit a week's vacation worth of luggage into the rear cargo area
•Base LS models come with OnStar, satellite radio, a six-speaker CD/MP3 player with an auxiliary audio jack and folding second and third row seats

From the Hybrid category:
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Starts at $27,625
MPG: 41 city/36 highway
Looking for a larger, plusher hybrid? Try the new Fusion, which was named 2010 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit auto show. The ride is luxurious, and the snazzy cabin has power seats and soft ambient lighting. Your kids will love the voice activated Sync audio system, which plays music on command. You'll appreciate the capless gas tank, which keeps your hands clean when you refuel. If you want to spend less, the non-hybrid Fusion starts at an affordable $20,000.

Features:
•Great for green minded families who don't want to sacrifice style, comfort or safety
•Sportier than you expect a hybrid sedan to be
•Can run on battery power alone up to 47 mph
•Luxurious ride
•Comfortable power seats
•Soft ambient interior lighting
•Keyless entry pad
•Kids and parents will love the voice activated Sync system which plays music on command (this is a standard feature)
•Smart Perk: Capless gap tank that lets you keep your hands clean while you refuel

SEDANS
•Honda Accord, Price Starts at $21,055, MPG 19 city/31 highway
•Subaru Legacy, Price Starts at $19,995, MPG 18 city/31 highway
•Volkswagen Jetta TDI, Price Starts at $22,830, MPG 30 city/41 highway

BUDGET
•Honda Fit, Price Starts at $14,900, MPG 27 city/35 highway
•Mazda 5, Price Starts at $18,510, MPG 21 city/28 highway
•Kia Soul, Price Starts at $13,300, MPG 24 city/31 highway

CROSSOVERS
•Chevrolet Equinox, Price Starts at $22,615, MPG 17 city/32 highway
•Honda CR-V, Price Starts at $21,545, MPG 21 city/28 highway
•Toyota RAV4, Price Starts at $21,675, MPG 19 city/28 highway
*Toyota has addressed the accelerator problem (which resulted in a recall for this model last January) in all new RAV4s being sold; we feel comfortable recommending it.

HYBRIDS
•Toyota Prius, Price Starts at $22,800, MPG 51 city/48 highway
•Honda Insight, Price Starts at $19,800, MPG 40 city/43 highway
•Ford Fusion Hybrid, Price Starts at $27,950, MPG 41 city/36 highway
* Toyota has addressed the braking problem (which resulted in a recall in February) in all new Prius models being sold; we feel comfortable recommending it.

BIG CARS
•Ford Flex, Price Starts at $28,950, MPG 16 city/24 highway
•Honda Odyssey, Price Starts at $26,805, MPG 16 city/24 highway
•Chevrolet Traverse, Price Starts at $29,224, MPG 16 city

LexFather

I'm glad my family is different than these people

I8ABMR

seriously!! I dont know if I would want to drive any of those cars. They are the standard cars that litter the streets

SLegacy99

I figured that the legacy would be on that list. Except they got it wrong. It is rated for 23/31, laudable for a 170 HP AWD midsize.

(Cj)

I still don't know why this list was posted here. I honestly don't think anyone on this forum cares about any of these cars.

SLegacy99

Have you noticed that CL attracts a variety of car owners and we discuss everything from Tata to Maybach. If you don't like it then you don't have to be here.

IS-SV

Okay vehicles, but my family life doesn't box me into these thankfully.

Parents Editor in Chief Dana Points showcased three of them on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning.", now that's some kind of expert.........

mmarshall

Incorrect........yes, they do. I myself have reviewed and written up a number of these vehicles, from general CL interest and specific requests I've gotten publically and through PMs. Same with Mike (1SICKLEX).

mmarshall

In theory, the new Legacy/Outback would be an excellent choice, but I'd wait at least another model year....there are issues, on the 2010 models, with the front suspension/steering systems, resulting in wandering, tracking, and steering-wheel shimmy problems that normal alignment/balancing cannot deal with. I have dealt with this specific issue in another thread.

J.P.

Guys lets keep it on topic.

CJ it is your choice to read a thread or not, if you do not like the topic then do not read it.

mmarshall

Overall, this is an excellent list, though, and I agree with most of it. One factor, though, that needs to be pointed out is that some of the smaller, 4-cylinder powered models may not be suitable for larger families. Their engines sometimes just don't have enough power reserve for handling heavy loads or hilly terrain. It is important for a family to test-drive one under the conditions that they will likely be using it.....not just with a light load of a driver and one or two pasengers.

Part of this, as I see it, is the fault of the manufacturers themselves, for not offering larger engines in the vehicles as an option. The Honda CR-V is a perfect example. Though an excellent vehicle from a build-quality point of view (IMO, one of the best), it lacks a V6 option that the rival RAV-4 does, and forces you into the larger, more expensive Pilot if you want or need the V6.

IS-SV

Overall I agree with these vehicles as being good for families, but only half have any appeal to me.

SLegacy99

The CR-V has always been a terrible accelerator. I'm not so sure that the problem is lacking a V6 so much as it is that Honda's 4 cylinders are getting older.

syzygy

I have no intention of ever purchasing a single one of those cars listed.

IS-SV

Yes a bit slow for my taste too, just like Subaru Outbacks and Foresters with 2.5L normally aspirated 4 bangers. It's more about power to weight ratio with all 3 of the vehicles mentioned (all under 185hp with curb weight north of 3200 pounds).