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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangThe Best Compact Cars For a Small Family
Forget the giant SUVs, here is a list of the best cars for your small family. We look at several options that might be the perfect fit for your family.
Save Time Shopping for Your Next Car
Let’s face it, you have better things to do with their time than searching for a new car. But if you’re looking to buy new, you deserve to go in with a good head on your shoulders. There are cars and SUVs to avoid if you’re looking for a new car for your small family. So, here’s a rundown of some new cars, trucks, crossovers, and EVs we’d recommend if you are looking for a smaller car with some great features.
Subaru Solterra or Toyota bZ4X
Some call it the lamest EV known to man; others call its range paltry and its performance grossly lacking. But after a recent price drop, Toyota and Subaru’s first joint battery EV is a pretty solid deal for families that just need an around-town runabout that ditches gasoline for good. A base bZ4X XLE runs you $37,070 these days, and the range-topping Limited trim is $41,800. That’s less than the price of a RAV4 PHEV.
For the money, you get just over 200 miles of range and just over 200 horsepower. The base Solterra is $38,495, still a solid deal by EV standards, and perfectly suitable for the budget of two middle-class working parents on a lease or finance basis. For the kind of EV-friendly family that wants something low-key, this is your chariot.
Mazda 3
Don’t tell us that the affordable, quirky sedan is a dead species because the Mazda3 is putting the whole sector on its back. With engine power of up to 250 horsepower, competitive fuel economy, and a base price of $24,150, you can do far worse for the money at this price point.
Sized conveniently between a Corolla and Camry (or Civic and Accord), the Mazda 3 splits the difference better than any other sedan on the market. With 35-plus inches of rear legroom, that makes a difference on long trips.
Honda HR-V
As plain Jane of a crossover as Honda’s made in a long time, but it’s still an excellence in execution of its primary function, being an affordable, efficient family runabout. A base HR-V LX runs for just $25,400 and squeezes 26 MPG city and 32 highway out of a two-liter four-cylinder VTEC engine.
Yes, the power and road performance is not its strong suit, and it could probably blend into an empty field, given how mundane it is. But sometimes, that’s all a family needs. Something you can raise a family with and not care much about the dings and scratches.
Toyota Corolla
There was the temptation to just put the straight-ICE Corolla in this spot. But as far as impressive fuel economy goes, the base-$24,825 Corolla Hybrid makes a strong case for being a better bargain. Firstly, the base ICE-only Corolla is $22,325, and the Corolla Hybrid is only 23,825. The non-hybrids admittedly stellar fuel economy of 32 MPG in the city and 41 on the highway is dwarfed by the hybrid’s 50 in the city and 43 on the highway.
With optional electric all-wheel drive, the hybrid is better suited to snowy winters or the occasional gravel road. All in all, the Corolla Hybrid is a better, more capable, more efficient Corolla, and that’s enough to warrant its spot here over the standard Corolla.
Ford Maverick
For the aspiring tradesman with a dream, a brand-new, facelifted Ford Maverick pickup with a fresh warranty can be your ticket to worry-free commuting from job to sweaty job. With a new, larger center screen, optional 360-degree camera, and a two-liter EcoBoost engine delivering 238 horses and 26 MPG combined, a base non-hybrid Maverick will run you $26,995.
A 2.5-liter, four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain with a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery can also be had for extra efficiency and better fuel economy. We’re taking 43 MPG in the city and 33 on the highway compared to 23 in the city and 30 on the highway in traditional gas engine configuration. We wish more small pickups came in this form-factor. But we’ll get back to that thought in a minute.
Kia EV6
The EV6 is a watershed vehicle for Kia, the moment their EV-manufacturing credentials were officially validated with a vehicle so forward-thinking and cool, it’s like what the introduction of the Tesla Model S was in the 2010s. It just has a flair ten years newer. A base EV6 with a 58 kWh standard range battery and 168 horsepower can be had for $42,600.
Granted, that’s a bit less power than the Toyota bZ4X, which is commonly bemoaned as being slower than molasses in January. Funny how the EV6 still has a better industry rep, but it’s likely due to sportier models far out of reach for most American families. Still, the most bare-bones EV6 has legs as a relatively affordable exit strategy from internal combustion.
Subaru Crosstrek
If you can forgive the sub-optimal power, a 2025 Base trim Subaru Crosstrek can seat five, bring 34 MPG in the highway and 27 in the city, and be had for $25,810. That’s phenomenally cheap for a super-capable full-time all-wheel drive system, alloy wheels, 36.5 inches of rear legroom and a spacious rear hatch
Even the uber-capable Crosstrek Wilderness trim is only a hair over $32,610. In this day and age, a budget family car with a little personality is always a welcome thing. We wish more normal cars were this exciting.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Ditto everything we said about the Ford Maverick, and give it a K-Pop idol soundtrack in its optional Bose eight-speaker premium audio unit. The Santa Cruz is an excellent little light truck and every bit the rival to the Maverick. At $28,750 to start, the Santa Cruz is a touch more expensive than the equivalent Ford and offers no hybrid option.
But by the merits of 36.5 inches of rear legroom and a roughly four-foot bed, there’s enough space inside and out for most cargo loads a small family is liable to haul around. On the off chance you need to haul some cement bags or lumber around for a DIY project, it’ll serve well in a pinch. With a fuel economy figure of 22 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway out of a 2.5-liter four-pot, it’s on par with the Maverick in every respect.
Hyundai Elantra
Shoutout to the Honda Civic as well; it’s as much an Elantra equivalent as anything else in the market. But with the non-hybrid Elantra’s entry point of $22,125 and $25,450 for the hybrid, only the Corolla bests the Elantra in terms of affordability in the economy sedan space.
The Elantra has slightly more rear legroom, better fuel economy by a hair, and a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The Civic is still admirable, but these factors make the Elantra our pick for the final spot. Imagine saying that 20 years ago.
VW Golf GTI
There are lots of reasons to love the VW Golf GTI. It’s a small, spacious, functional German family hatchback with ample storage space, great rear legroom, and a delightful two-liter turbo four-cylinder engine jetting 241 horsepower to the front wheels at a base price a smidge under $32,000.
Granted, swapping out the HVAC and infotainment buttons for a touchscreen can be a tad jarring. But the rest of the car is so darn good, you might not even care that much. Your kids are sure to get a kick out of the drive while cheering in the back seats.
