Best 15 Family Cars of the Year

KBB.com Editors Expand Considered Vehicle Categories, Partner with Families to Put Models to Real-Life Test

IRVINE, CA -- March 19, 2015: Determining the best family car depends largely on what kind of family you have. For example, if you and yours are the outdoorsy types, an SUV may be the best way to go. Urbanites might benefit from a minivan or sedan. Those in between, well, that’s what crossover SUVs are for. The market has responded to these different circumstances with a plethora of shapes and styles to suit virtually any need. Helping ease the struggle to find the best new cars tailored for families of all sizes, the editors of Kelley Blue Book have named their recommended list of the 15 Best Family Cars of 2015.

“Once again, we recruited families to assist our expert editors in this laborious evaluation, putting the Best Family Car candidates to a real-life test, including vehicles in two new car categories – full-size pickup trucks and compact cars,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “Evaluated on comfort and driving, safety, child seats, cargo space, rear-seat entertainment, and extra features, this year’s group of winners are deemed the most worthy of family duty.” See table below:

Year	Make	Model
2015	Chevrolet	Impala
2015	Chevrolet	Tahoe
2015	Ford	F-150
2015	Honda	Accord
2015	Honda	Civic
2015	Honda	CR-V
2015	Honda	Odyssey
2015	Hyundai	Sonata
2015	Kia	Soul
2015	Nissan	Pathfinder
2015	Ram	1500
2015	Subaru	Outback
2015	Toyota	Camry
2015	Toyota	Highlander
2015	Toyota	Sienna

To determine the Best Family Cars of 2015, the editors began with a select group of 23 of the latest and greatest family-friendly models from a variety of manufacturers to determine which made the cut.  Starting with last year’s finalists, the team culled through those that were either due for imminent replacement, or which have been clearly surpassed by newer vehicles in the segment.  To that, the Kelley Blue Book experts added new vehicles that have debuted since last year, including a couple of redesigned models, then voted on candidates, narrowed the field and ultimately landed on this year’s winners. 

“This approach included analyzing three minivans, four compact SUVs, four mid-size SUVs, two full-size SUVs, two full-size sedans, and three mid-size sedans.  However, this year also included vehicles from other categories,” said Nerad.  “First were two full-size pickup trucks, unconventional choices to be sure, but roomy, comfortable, and with seemingly endless cargo space.  On the other end of the spectrum were three compact cars, often the first choice for anyone on a budget.”