Want a nearly new car that'll make life with kids easier? Check out our 10 favourite used family cars with the space and features to make family life a little less stressful.
Buying a used family car used to be pretty straightforward – you picked either a hatchback or a saloon car depending on the size of your brood. These days, you've got a much bigger choice of car body styles, with everything from small SUVs to large SUVs, people carriers, crossovers and the dependable estate car. With that in mind, here's our list of 10 of the best used family cars from a range of body styles, listed alphabetically.
Best used family cars 2026
- BMW X1
- Dacia Jogger
- Ford Kuga
- Hyundai Tucson
- MG HS
- Nissan Qashqai
- Renault Austral
- SEAT Leon
- Toyota Corolla estate
- Volkswagen Passat
1. BMW X1
BMW’s entry-level SUV can’t be a good family SUV, surely? Well… no. It’s a fantastic one. Despite being the cheapest BMW SUV, it emphatically offers the typical BMW qualities, such as a high-end interior and a decent driving experience. What’s more, it’s surprisingly practical, with a huge amount of rear-seat space and a boot that matches the 3 Series Touring for luggage capacity. There are tried-and-trusted petrol and diesel versions, or a perky plug-in hybrid with 30 miles of zero-emission driving. For this generation of X1, there's also the iX1 fully electric option.
Shop used BMW X1 cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our BMW X1 review
2. Dacia Jogger
We love cars that can fit the whole family without breaking the bank, and the Dacia Jogger gives you acres of space for not a lot of money. Its boxy dimensions can hold seven people in reasonable comfort, and if you remove the rearmost pair of seats you're left with a huge boot that'll accommodate even the most ambitious family camping trip. The interior is mostly made of hard-wearing grey plastic, but there's a little added charm thanks to some cloth on the dashboard, and higher-spec models get mod-cons such as wireless Apple CarPlay. It's available as a petrol or fuel-sipping hybrid, and it's comfortable to drive.
Shop used Dacia Jogger cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Dacia Jogger review
3. Ford Kuga
If you’ve outgrown the Ford Focus, the Kuga is a logical step up. And you do have to step up, because it has a higher ride height than the Focus for a more commanding view of the road ahead. Short of a fully electric option, the Kuga offers every type of engine so there’s a powerplant for nearly every driver, including hybrids and plug-in hybrid options. Speaking of the driver, the Kuga stands out as a slick-handling car in a class that tends to forget about fun. It does the practical day-to-day stuff really well, too, with lots of rear-seat space and a versatile boot. Add in its refinement and fuel economy and you’ve got a simply brilliant family car.
Shop used Ford Kuga cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Ford Kuga review
4. Hyundai Tucson
Like the Kuga, the Hyundai Tucson offers petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines, albeit wrapped in a dazzlingly futuristic design. Inside, it’s all screens – don’t worry, they do actually work well – and plush materials, to the point that you feel like you wouldn’t be able to notice much of a difference in quality between this and an Audi. Further back, there’s impressive legroom and genuine space for three adults, plus a class-leading boot space. If you’ve become an accidental pushchair collector, you won’t need to leave any at home. We’d go as far as saying the Tucson is the best used family SUV you can buy. That and the mechanically identical Kia Sportage.
Shop used Hyundai Tucson cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Hyundai Tucson review
5. MG HS
The latest MG HS isn't just cheap, it's surprisingly good as well. Smart styling hides a very spacious cabin and a big boot, plus an interior that manages to feel techy and easy to use. And there’s a seven-year warranty for total peace of mind until the early 2030s. Just try not to think about how grown up your kids will be by then. The HS plug-in hybrid is a great choice if you can charge at home. It offers 75 miles of pure-electric driving – with the reassurance of a petrol engine for longer trips – and is significantly more refined than the petrol-only version.
Shop used MG HS cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our MG HS review
6. Nissan Qashqai
Chart the Nissan Qashqai's popularity on a graph and it'll look like a terrifying rollercoaster. Once the most popular car in the UK, it nosedived in recent years as rivals eclipsed it in terms of technology and modernity. The recently updated Nissan puts it firmly back on the map, with in-built Google Maps sat-nav, big screens and easy-to-use controls (praise be for non-distracting physical climate control knobs). It still does all the boring stuff well, with a big boot, spacious back seats and a comfy ride that won't wake the kids on long drives. It's not sexy, but it is brilliant at becoming an extra family member.
Shop used Nissan Qashqai cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Nissan Qashqai review
7. Renault Austral
The Renault Austral won't be the first SUV you thought of but, if you look past the usual suspects and get to the Austral, you're treated with one of the best midsize SUVs. It has the practicality aspect ticked, with decent rear-seat space, luggage capacity and three sets of Isofix points. Up front, the Austral's interior is high-tech and high-quality, with a pair of superb screens running impressive software from both Renault and Google. The Austral uses a hybrid petrol engine to great effect: up to 60mpg is achievable if you drive gently. And, with an automatic gearbox as standard, you won't have to juggle changing gear with opening yet another snack for the kids.
Shop used Renault Austral cars for sale or read our Renault Austral review
8. SEAT Leon
The SEAT Leon offers the quality and space of a Volkswagen Golf, but at a lower price and with a more exuberant style. With sharp lines and fancy LED lights, the Leon cuts a dash, but that form is certainly backed up by function. There’s more space in the rear seats than the previous Leon – not to mention a couple of USB sockets to keep kids’ tablets charged – and a good-sized boot, which grows to vast if you pick the Leon Estate rather than the hatchback. There are soft materials where you want them and more hard-wearing ones where you’re likely to get shoe marks and biscuit crumbs, and there's a strong kit list including a large touchscreen that’s slightly easier to use than the Golf’s.
Shop used SEAT Leon cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our SEAT Leon review
9. Toyota Corolla Touring Sports estate
The Toyota Corolla estate is the ultimate no-stress family car. It's so easy to drive that a monkey could take the wheel, and its hybrid system juggles petrol and electric power to achieve around 60mpg. The Corolla is comfortable and well-equipped – even base-spec cars get heated seats, a reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and push-button start. The boot space is big enough for you to get into the habit of thinking everything will fit. We haven't even mentioned Toyota's near-bulletproof durability, or its 10-year service-activated warranty.
Shop used Toyota Corolla Touring Sports cars for sale or read our Toyota Corolla review
10. Volkswagen Passat
Family cars are forbidden from entering the Winter Olympics, but if they could, the Volkswagen Passat would be a multi-medallist. The boot is absolutely vast, the rear-seat space is more impressive still, the interior is classy and tech-filled, and it's a comfortable long-distance cruiser. Go for the eHybrid PHEV and you'll get around 80 miles of clean electric driving – and there's fast-charging so you can continue using the EV power even on long trips.
Shop used Volkswagen Passat cars for sale or read our Volkswagen Passat review
