Features & Tech

Which family cars can fit five baby seats?

In order for a car to accommodate five child seats, it needs to have five top-tether points – meaning it needs two rows of seating. Just be aware that installing and accessing a child seat in the third row of a seven-seat SUV could prove challenging.

With that in mind, the seven or eight-seater models that offer at least three ISOFIX-compatible seating positions and five top-tether points include the Mazda CX-8, CX-9 and CX-90, the Kia Carnival and Sorento, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Volkswagen Multivan, Audi Q7, BMW X7, Ford Everest, Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Land Rover Discovery, among others.

Read Drive's full story on which cars can fit more than three or more ISOFIX child seats.

Which family car has the biggest boot?

According to Drive’s 2023 seven-seat SUV comparison for 2023, the Hyundai Palisade offers the largest cargo area of the top-selling large SUVs in Australia, while the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has the largest boot of its medium SUV peers.

Of the small SUV contingent, the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 both offer over 500 litres of cargo space. Unsurprisingly, eight-seaters like the Nissan Patrol and Lexus LX also offer massive boots when their third row is folded flat.

What family cars can I buy for under $30,000?

If you’re shopping for a family car with $30,000 or less to spend, chances are you’ll have to opt for a small SUV or a base-spec medium SUV with front-wheel-drive. Options include the Mitsubishi ASX, Suzuki Vitara, MG ZS or HS or Ssangyong Korando, while the base-grade Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Hyundai Kona and GWM Haval H6 are just over $30,000 if you’re willing to spend a little extra.

Which cars have 7 seats?

The best-selling seven-seat SUV in Australia is the Toyota Prado, which offers three rows of seating as standard from the GXL grade and up. If you’re looking for a cheap seven-seater, the most affordable option is the Mahindra XUV700, which is available from $36,990 drive-away. If you’re looking for a hybrid seven-seater, your options include the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Nissan X-Trail, Kia Sorento or Toyota Kluger.

What is the safest car seat in Australia?

The only certified ranking of child car seats in Australia is the independent Child Restraint Evaluation Program (CREP). The CREP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, the Department of Transport Victoria, the TAC and KidSafe – but does not test every car seat available in Australia. Currently, the safest car seats in Australia according to this program are the Safe-N-Sound SafeFix seat installed using a seatbelt tether, and the Safe-N-Sound Safekeeper II. Both car seats received a 4.3 score for protection when installed in rear-facing mode. For a full list of car seats tested by CREP, click here.