U.S. News: 2025 Best cars for families

Published 12:15 am Tuesday, March 11, 2025

U.S. News & World Report has announced its 2025 Best Cars for Families award winners. To determine the winners, the U.S. News automotive team evaluated 100 vehicles and selected winners across nine categories.

“When it comes to shopping for the right car, those with families have an array of considerations that will play a vital role in their decision-making,” said Alex Kwanten, U.S. News managing editor, Autos. “Whether a family’s needs call for a midsize sedan, a large three-row SUV or something in between, the 2025 Best Cars for Families offer something for everyone. The awards recognize new models from nine automotive segments, and each winner offers an outstanding blend of space, safety, reliability, convenience and connectivity.”

Few will be surprised that Honda and Kia tied for the most glory this year, each earning two awards. Both of the winning Honda vehicles took home trophies in their respective categories for the first time since 2022. The Honda Accord captured Best Midsize Car for Families, while high marks in safety and fuel efficiency helped the Honda Accord Hybrid win the Best Hybrid Car for Families honor.

Among Kia’s wins, the Kia Telluride secured its sixth consecutive Best 3-Row Midsize SUV for Families award. A first-time winner, the three-row Kia EV9 SUV was recognized as Best Electric Vehicle for Families due in part to its spacious, comfortable and nicely equipped cabin.

Other first-time winners include the Jeep Wagoneer L for Best Large SUV for Families and the Mazda CX-70 for Best 2-Row Midsize SUV for Families. The Wagoneer L, a stretched version of the standard Wagoneer, boasts a vast amount of room for people and cargo, while the CX-70 has strong fuel economy, a high-end interior and excellent safety scores.

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid was a standout for its combination of comfort, fuel efficiency, solid safety tech and family-friendly features. The Highlander Hybrid was named the Best Hybrid SUV for Families for the sixth-consecutive year and the 12th time overall. Also continuing winning streaks, the Hyundai Tucson is the Best Compact SUV for Families for the fourth time, while the Chrysler Pacifica is the Best Minivan for Families for the second consecutive year.

The full list of winning vehicles and their categories includes:

Best Compact SUV for Families: 2025 Hyundai Tucson

Best 2-Row Midsize SUV for Families: 2025 Mazda CX-70

Best 3-Row Midsize SUV for Families: 2025 Kia Telluride

Best Large SUV for Families: 2025 Jeep Wagoneer L

Best Hybrid SUV for Families: 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Best Minivan for Families: 2025 Chrysler Pacifica

Best Electric Vehicle for Families: 2025 Kia EV9

Best Hybrid Car for Families: 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid

Best Midsize Car for Families: 2025 Honda Accord

The 2025 Best Cars for Families award criteria considers each vehicle’s overall rating from the U.S. News Best Car Rankings to determine quality, incorporating elements like safety data, predicted reliability ratings, passenger and cargo space and the consensus opinion of the automotive press. The award methodology also considers the availability of family-friendly features such as in-car wireless internet, teen driver controls, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert and hands-free cargo area access. The winners were selected based on the highest composite score in each of the nine vehicle categories

For more information on the Best Cars for Families awards, visit cars.usnews.com