What’s the best family car? Answering that definitively is almost impossible, even for a title that has been steeped in all things automotive for almost 130 years. 

Why? because ‘family’ means so many things for different people, yet being able to cope with the rigours of 2.4 children is at the heart of many a car design’s brief. 

That being said, a good family car has to get the basics of comfort, space and practicality just right while also being a competent all-rounded that can handle longer schleps up the motorway and quick jaunts around town. 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re nurturing your first newborn while balancing work or you’ve got a car full of offspring and all the clobber that comes with them: there are a great number of cars that can fill the role of ‘family wagon’.

Offering a broad range of capabilities and successfully hitting the family car brief, the BMW 3 Series Touring estate is our top pick for its practicality, pleasing driving dynamics and impressive plug-in hybrid option. 

Stay with us as we reveal the best family cars on sale in the UK, no matter how you define ‘family’.