In the race of modernization and technological advancement, traditional family cars are still very famous among the users, and a number of family car buyers are equally interested in the traditional family cars just like they are in SUV or hatchbacks or even the mpvs.
The traditional family cars offer a significantly lower vehicle height and quite few other benefits as compared to those modern SUVs and MPVs in the market. But at the same time, there are lighter body styles to offer an extra aerodynamic body then their SUV counterparts. At the same time, being lightweight, they are equally better fuel savers as compare to their SUVs, saloons and hatchback counterparts in the market.
As compare to the other options available in the market, these traditional family cars are cheaper to buy, but sitting lower in the seat and closer to the ground is the favorite choice of the keen drivers and as they prefer to drive these kinds of cars.
So, shifting from a standard family car like Ford focus to the traditional larger models will definitely cost you money and it will be a bit more than a smaller car. Definitely, if you are paying this extra amount, you will get extra benefits as well.
You will get more cargo and interior cabin space and even large standard gadgets and equipment list and at the same time, you will get more powerful yet fuel economical engines to enjoy the ride of your traditional family car.
We have picked 5 excellent and the best traditional family cars for you that meet all your requirements that a keen driver demands generally. This selection of the best cars covers almost everybody style from saloon to hatchbacks and estates. Every vehicle listed is the best in class and a proved better family companion at the same time.
Every model is provided with a larger standard toolkit and gadgets and at the same time, they have a range of engine choices for their buyers. These engines allow them to enjoy more performance and achieve their priority goals e.g. fuel economy and performance at the same time.
In order to ease your buying process, we have tried to add trims of these models in our list to make you wise decisions. As much as information about the engine and performance we can do, we have presented. This way you can more deeply understand the things about these cars.
If you are not sure about how important the space offered by a family car is, our this selection will clear your mind but if you think that space is the issue then jump to our list of the best hatchbacks. Let’s start with the Insignia Grand Sport Hatchback.
Key points: 4.3 / 5
Price: £17,635 – £33,375
Brand: Vauxhall
Model: Insignia Grand Sport
Engine: 1.6 CDTI (136 Hp) Automatic
Power: 136 hp/3500-4000 rpm.
Engine displacement: 1598 cm3
Torque: 320 Nm/2000-2250 rpm.
Fuel System: Diesel Common rail
Drive wheel: Front wheel drive
Number of Gears: (automatic transmission) 6
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h – 0-62mph: 10.9 sec
Maximum speed: 203 km/h – 126mph
Fuel consumption city: 6.1 l/100 km. – 40mpg
Fuel consumption motorway: 3.5 l/100 km. – 70mpg
Fuel consumption combined: 4.8 l/100 km. – 50mpg
Emission standard: EURO VI
CO2 emissions: 134 g/km
Offering the great value for your money in the UK market, the all new Vauxhall Insignia is a great family car which combines the comfort of an executive car with the space of a family car and price in the most excellent segment at the same time.
The all new Insignia offers a similar package to the Skoda superb vehicles but it is bigger, bolder and at the same time offer good value for the money in the UK market.
The all new Insignia covers all the aspects and areas where other models lack behind in the market. It offers a great practicality and good value for your money by offering sufficient leg and headroom on both sides; either you are sitting at the front or in the rear seats.
While being a family car, it offers an excellent 490 litres of boot space to handle the luggage of the occupants. There is a great assortment of fuel economical yet powerful GM engines offered in the vehicle.
You can pick one from the family of the engines but our pick of the range is a 134hp diesel engine, it is a 1600cc diesel version of the Vauxhall engines capable of doing 0 to 62 miles per hour in just over 10 seconds and offers a dramatically elevated fuel economy of 70 miles per gallon on motorway cruising.
Apart from all these stats, there is another factor that pushes the Insignia into the best family cars list. It is one of the most beautiful and stylish family car offered in the market.
Key points: 4.3 / 5
Price: £20,695 – £37,060
ENGINE: 2.0 litre TSI AWD 6AT (280 HP)
CYLINDERS: INLINE 4
DISPLACEMENT: 1984 cm3
POWER: 206 KW @ 5600-6500 RPM, 280 HP @ 5600-6500 RPM, 276 BHP @ 5600-6500 RPM
TORQUE258 lb-ft @ 1700-5600 RPM, 350 Nm @ 1700-5600 RPM
FUEL SYSTEM: Turbocharged Direct Injection
FUEL: Petrol
CO2 EMISSIONS: 165 g/km
TOP SPEED: 155 mph OR 249 km/h
ACCELERATION 0-62 MPH (0-100 KPH): 5.8 s
Fuel Consumption COMBINED: 57.1 mpg US OR 4.1 L/100Km
DRIVE TYPE: All Wheel Drive
GEARBOX: 6-speed automatic
Skoda pushes the quality standards very hard to make its reputation in the UK market and definitely across the globe. The Skoda Superb is actually a superb model introduced by the automaker and it offers a great value for the money and costs just closer to the BMW 1 Series, but the value offered is not less than the BMW 5 Series touring estate in any aspect. It is a car from the upper class to serve the lower class.
Just because of its well-controlled price, it doesn’t mean that the vehicle has any issues overall nor it has lower quality or mean features. But we can rest assure you that the car has well controlled, properly justified and a well-made structure.
It offers a great driving experience and at the same time, its larger interior gives you an impression of being in the limo because of the ample leg room in the rear seats. The superb offers a supportively solid driving experience with acres of space in the cabin and cargo areas.
If we talk about the engines offered at the Skoda superb, you will see that they are ultra-fuel economical and offering the fuel economy of more than 77 miles per gallon. The Skoda superb Greenline diesel engine offers around 100 miles per gallon when cruising on the motorway and an average figure is not less than 80 miles per gallon. Here is an interesting article about Upgrade your Car Audio System.
On the other hand, the 2.0 litre petrol engine sprints hardly and makes 62 miles per hour dash in just 5.8 seconds, it is 276hp solid performer in the engine family. The blend of performance and practicality offered in the superb models is just outstanding and cares the customers by offering all the tastes from performance to practicality and elegance to the economy.
Key points: 4.3 / 5
Price: £22,025 – £37,455
Brand: Volkswagen
Model: Passat 2.0 TSI (220 Hp) DSG
Engine displacement: 1984 cm3
Position of cylinders: Inline
Number of cylinders: 4
Valves per cylinder: 4
Power: 220 hp/4500-6200 rpm.
Torque: 350 Nm/1500-4400 rpm.
Fuel System: Direct injection
Turbine: Turbocharging
Maximum speed: 246 km/h – 155mph
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h 0-62mph: 6.7 sec
Fuel Type: Petrol
Drive wheel: Front wheel drive
Number of Gears: (automatic transmission) 6 DSG
Fuel consumption city: 7.8 l/100 km. 30mpg
Fuel consumption motorway: 5.3 l/100 km. 44mpg
Fuel consumption combined: 6.2 l/100 km. 38mpg
Emission standard: EURO VI
CO2 emissions: 143 – 142 g/km
Volkswagen founds its Passat family car as one of the most admired family saloon on the UK market in past decade. The Passat saloon is widely used and loved by company car drivers and private hire firms at the same time, it is equally famous for the family car buyers. The reason behind is just the practicality of the vehicle.
It has very strong competition in the market where the makes like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are directly in the focus. Audi also gives a strong competition to the model, but VW has its ambitions to deliver excellence at the best competitive prices. They are doing very well in this field and making the Passat a premium family car. Here is an interesting article about Upgrade your Car Audio System.
Although it is a bit pricey in this list you know that when class changes, prices always change. The all new VW Passat is a stylish, luxurious and the best performer at the same time. It presents a good value for your money as well. It has a spacious cabin, luxurious interior and a family of powerful engines.
These engines are equally fuel economical and refined performers to offer a well refined driving experience and relaxed cruising on the motorway. The VW Passat has the majority of its trims powered by diesel engines but if you are after a petrol engine then Passat has a very costly option for you petrol-electric Passat model.
For the space lovers, Passat estate is one of the handiest options as it has an exclusively great boot. For extra road grip and the best off road experience, Passat all-wheel drive trim is the best option and it is called Passat all track. This trim offers a light off road ability but an excellent road grip.
The VW Passat is the only VW model after VW Golf that manages to cut the metal for almost every buyer in the market. It has a massive list of trims to opt from.
Key points: 4.3 / 5
Price: £20,295 – £28,595
Brand: Mazda
Model: 6 III Saloon (GJ facelift 2018)
Engine: 2.2 litre SKYACTIV-D (175 Hp)
Engine displacement: 2191 cm3
Position of cylinders: Inline
Number of cylinders: 4
Fuel Type: Diesel
Fuel delivery System: Diesel Common rail bi-turbo
Power: 175 hp/4500 rpm.
Torque: 420 Nm/2000 rpm.
Maximum speed: 216 km/h – 135mph
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h – 0-62 mph: 8.4 sec
Drive wheel Front wheel drive
Transmission type: 6speed automatic transmission
Fuel consumption city: 6.0 l/100 km. 36mpg
Fuel consumption Motorway: 4.2 l/100 km. 58mpg
Fuel consumption combined: 4.8 l/100 km. 49mpg
Emission standard EURO VI
CO2 emissions 127 g/km
We have seen a British local sitting at the top of the list, a Czech model at the second position an then a German giant following his own child company but they were all from Europe, lets dive into the universe of automotive and shift the continent. Let’s go too far in East Asia and meet MAZDA in Japan. Mazda is one of the best brands in the UK and its mazda6 family saloon is equally famous in the UK as the other models we have discussed. Mazda6 offers the best driving experience in the class and has a vastly comfortable ride on the b-roads and it doesn’t hit your faith and trust in Mazda as engineers at Mazda has exclusively managed the vehicle and make it a well maintained, well-engineered and perfectly balanced saloon for the b-roads in the UK.
It has an ultra-modern suspension system, so with a very small body lean, it requires an active driver involvement but it is still very intelligent to save you from potholes in the UK roads and other poorly constructed road surfaces if you are not in the UK.
The all new mazda6 is a comfortable, well equipped, stylish and well-balanced family car with subjective looks and handsome body. All the features and traits it offers for the buyers are not less than any top sitters in this list but there is the only thing that restricts us to push it into the upper positions is its price. The Mazda6 is a relatively steeply priced model and according to the experts, its interior doesn’t match the exterior styling as well.
Otherwise, Mazda6 has no exceptions. The pick of the bunch engine is 2.2 litre diesel engine which is an ultra-fuel economical while being a refine performer at the same time.
This engine offers just under 70 miles per gallon of fuel economy on average but on the motorway cruise, it is even better. The 2.2 litre engine takes just under nine seconds to reach 62 miles per hour and in this way, it is a bit slower as compared to many other options.
Key points: 3.9 / 5
Price: £23,525 – £39,645
Brand: Audi
Model: A3 Saloon 8V facelift 2018
Engine: 1.6 litre TDI (110 Hp) S tronic
Engine displacement: 1598 cm3
Position of cylinders: Inline
Number of cylinders: 4
Fuel System: Diesel Common rail Turbocharging / Intercooler
Power: 110 hp/3200-4000 rpm.
Torque: 250 Nm/1500-3000 rpm.
Maximum speed: 126 miles per hour – 203 km/h
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h – 0-62 mph: 10.7 sec
Drive wheel: Front wheel drive
Transmission type: 7-speed S tronic automatic transmission
Fuel consumption city: 4.2 l/100 km. 56mpg
Fuel consumption Motorway: 3.4-3.7 l/100 km. 70mpg
Fuel consumption combined: 3.7-4.0 l/100 km. 63mpg
Emission standard EURO VI
CO2 emissions 98-106 g/km
Audi A3 is one of the smallest saloons in the list, even the hatchbacks we have discussed were relatively spacious and handy but this is a very condensed model in the list. So why it is on this list? Well, there are many factors that pushed the A3 into the top 5 best cars, e.g. its price tag remained the best choice in the desired price bracket. It is a luxurious and high-end quality model in the list but not focused on the interior space or cabin space. The A3 interiors are the best in class interiors as well and overall build quality is also at its peak and all these features in the price bracket of 23k-40k are not possible when you opt for any other make. Over the A3 hatchback models, the A3 saloon models offer an excellent boot space of more than 420 litres. The A3 is an all in all compact yet stylish package with very low competition in the market.
For the economy watchers, the pick of the bunch engines, the 1.6 litre turbocharged diesel engine is the best choice when it returns just over 70 miles per gallon on the motorway.
The 1.6 litre diesel engine is paired with an automatic DSG transmission which offers even refined cruising. If you are after a petrol engine then a 1.4 litre TFSI is a refined performer and offers excellent fuel economy as well. It returns around 50 miles per gallon on average.
