U.S. News names the ‘21 Best Cars for Families’ winners

Mercedes-Benz and Honda had strong showings this year on U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of Best Cars for Families. Pictured: The Honda HR-V was named Best Subcompact SUV. HONDA

By Sanjay Salomon @SanjaySalomon

March 9, 2016

1 minute to read

What vehicles are the best picks for families? U.S. News & World Report has announced its picks for the most family-friendly vehicles available to consumers.

The consumer advice publication evaluated 256 vehicles and named 21 winners across different segments. The winners were selected based on a combination of strong professional automotive reviews, safety and reliability scores, seating and cargo capacity.

“Finding the best family car can be a time-intensive process,’’ said Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars, in a statement. “Whether you need extra room for car seats or want to monitor your new teen driver, the Best Cars for Families have options for every type of family.’’

Mercedes-Benz and Honda topped U.S. News’s list with four wins each in four different categories. The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, GLC-Class, E-Class and C-Class impressed critics with a host of family-focused technology offerings including built-in Wi-Fi hot spots, hands-free lift gates, tri-zone climate controls, and USB ports in the rear seats.

Meanwhile, Honda’s winning vehicles were praised for offering lots of cargo space for loading groceries, sports equipment, and more.

This year, U.S. News introduced two new categories, “Best Subcompact SUV’’ and “Best Luxury Subcompact SUV.’’ The BMW X1 was named the first winner in the luxury subcompact SUV category.

Meanwhile, the Honda HR-V became the first winner of the subcompact SUV category. The HR-V was the first of three Honda SUVs to win an award from U.S. News. The Honda CR-V won best compact SUV while the Honda Pilot won best three-row SUV.

Honda’s final winner was the Odyssey, which won best minivan for the sixth time in a row, marking the longest winning streak in the awards’ history. Critics were impressed with the Odyssey’s family-focused offerings, including a built-in vacuum and 16-inch rear-seat entertainment screen capable of showing two different movies simultaneously.

The Kia Soul pulled off a double-header victory, scoring a win for both “Best Compact Car’’ and “Best Hatchback for Families,’’ which is why only 20 cars appear in the following gallery.

Check out the Best Cars for Families according to U.S. News & World Report:

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