You can buy a practical car that has enough room for all your stuff without resorting to a full-sized SUV or MPV. There’s a huge amount of compact, wallet-friendly family cars available on the market, from well-designed lifestyle crossovers, to super-practical small estate cars. Family car buyers have never had it so good, and we think the practical and stylish Ford Puma ticks all the boxes for family buyers looking for all of the above.
Written by Keith AdamsPublished: 26 October 2020Updated: 5 May 2023
Bursting on to the scene as a stylish, useful and affordable family-sized SUV, Ford has come up trumps with its latest Puma to produce a worthy winner of the Best Small Family Car award. Powered by a range of economical mild-hybrid EcoBoost petrol engines, the Puma delivers all the pep most drivers need while delivering excellent fuel economy. We don’t just love the Puma for the way it drives and how economical it is – you can see that Ford has really worked hard to make this the most practical family car possible, a fact evidenced by the brilliant Megabox in the boot. A useful space for all the family’s nicknacks.
Traditionally, the Honda Jazz might have found its way into the Best First Car category, but thanks to the sheer size of its interior, this sharp-looking contender works brilliantly as a small family car. And that plays into the Jazz’s hands – it’s small enough to manoeuvre in the city, yet versatile in the size and shape of items it can carry inside, while having bags of space for four adults to travel in comfort. It’s good to drive, too, offering a balance of economy and performance thanks to its efficient hybrid engines
The Kamiq completes Skoda’s range of family SUVs and this one is possibly the cleverest of the lot. It actually manages to stand out in a crowded market, thanks to its superb practicality and comfort, as well as its generous levels of equipment and safety features. Four adults fit comfortably, the boot is practical, it’s very easy to drive and the engines available are punchy yet frugal. In short, if you want a safe car in which to entrust your family, this is worth a serious look.
