Large, luxurious and capable of carrying three Isofix child seats across the second row, the Audi Q7 is a practical and stylish SUV. It might be advancing in age, but it's still an excellent buy, and it's becoming more affordable on the used market. 

Few cars come close to matching the Q7 for family car usability. The interior is vast and will comfortably fit seven adults. Each of the middle-row chairs slides and reclines independently, while the outer seats tip and tumble to provide access to the third row. You can also fold the rearmost seats flat into the floor, which means you get a large boot that will swallow pushchairs, buggies and large suitcases. 

The majority of buyers choose their Q7 with 3.0-litre V6 diesel power, and that's the sweet spot between performance, price and running costs. However, there are also powerful, smooth petrol engines, and the potent SQ7 was available with V8 diesel and petrol power throughout its life. At the other end of the scale, there's the Q7 e-tron plug-in hybrid, which combines that diesel V6 with an electric motor for ultimate economy potential, although you lose the third row of seats as a result.

Any Q7 is good to drive, with responsive steering and good body control over rough road surfaces. For the best comfort, we’d recommend buying a Q7 fitted with air suspension.

The Kia EV9 is the only fully electric car on this list, but it’s one that demands inclusion due to the ludicrous amount of space and practicality it delivers. Regardless of whether you compare it to electric cars or combustion-engined cars, the EV9 is hugely roomy, with each of its seven seats (you can also have it with six for more luxury) surrounded by enough headroom and legroom to accommodate a six-foot adult in reasonable comfort. Even with all the seats in use, you still get a shade more boot space than in your average supermini, and if you can live without the rearmost chairs, they fold into the boot floor to leave a gargantuan 828-litre load area.

The cabin looks smart and high in quality, too, even if it can’t quite match the plush feel of a premium-badged SUV, but you are compensated for this by a hugely generous list of standard equipment.

All versions are powered by a 100kWh battery. The entry-level car has a single motor and an official driving range of 348 miles, while higher-spec cars have an additional motor for much more power, but range only drops to 313 miles. The EV9 has a softer suspension than some of Kia’s other models, so it rides more comfortably - important in a car like this - and it also handles capably. Sure, the sheer size of the car can make it feel a bit cumbersome in tight urban areas, but lots of sensors and cameras are provided to help out.

The latest Hyundai Tucson is no longer the budget-focused model that its predecessors were, but it’s still a very appealing car nonetheless. This is an SUV that’s moved upmarket - much like its maker - and it now has a glamorous and glitzy look that makes it really stand out compared with the competition, even the more premium offerings.

The interior design is perhaps less visually arresting, but the quality on show inside the Tucson is in no doubt, with plush materials and thoughtful finishes. The cabin is absolutely stuffed with luxury kit, too, and the all-important infotainment system is one of the best in the business.

Where the Tucson really impresses, though, is on passenger space. There’s absolutely loads of the stuff, especially in the rear of the five-seat cabin, meaning that a tall passenger can sit comfortably behind a similarly lofty driver, and travelling three-abreast on the rear bench won’t be uncomfortable, either. Meanwhile, boot space that measures up to 620 litres is among the most generous luggage figures in the class.

There’s no diesel engine on offer, so you choose between petrol, mild hybrid, conventional hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. There isn’t a duffer among them, but do bear in mind that the more electrification your Tuscon has, the smaller the boot space you get. The ride isn’t quite as forgiving as some cars in the class, but it’s comfortable enough and things stay impressively tidy and controlled in the corners.

The Peugeot 5008 started life as a van-like MPV family car that prioritised space and practicality over style and luxury. However, in 2017, the 5008 was reborn as a smart 7-seat SUV, blending all of those attributes in a more desirable package. 

Despite its more appealing look and striking, high-tech cabin design, the 5008 still majors on space and practicality. This means you get lots of head- and legroom, with three separate seats in the second row that recline, fold and slide. Each middle seat has an Isofix mount and top tether points that make it easy to fasten three child seats. The third-row has top tether points but no Isofix mounts, so these can only be used with seat belt-secured child seats.

The 5008 is available with 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre diesel engines - the former is a solid all-rounder, and while the latter is pricey and automatic-only, it's great for towing. But it's the surprising 130PS 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine that's the star of the show: it punches well above its weight and is affordable. 

If you need more power still, there's a 180PS 1.6-litre, but it's auto-only and only available on higher trims. Oddly, though, it's not available as a plug-in hybrid: if you need one of those, you'll have to sacrifice the third row of seats and get the smaller Peugeot 3008. 

The Citroen C5 Aircross is a large and quirky family SUV that majors on comfort and practicality. We particularly like the interior, which has three individual rear seats and a large boot that will cope with everything your family can throw at it. It also seems designed for the rough-and-tumble of family life, with hard-wearing materials and plenty of storage. 

There are Isofix mounts for the two outer rear seats, plus two top tether points for these. The three rear seats all slide back and forwards independently, too. Although you can't use an Isofix seat in the centre rear seat, you can fit one using the seatbelt.

Unlike some of its rivals, the C5 Aircross doesn’t pretend to be a sporty car. The handling is soft and comfort-orientated, which means the suspension will soak up the lumps and bumps in the road without passing any unpleasant rattles or movements to the cabin.

The Citroen C5 Aircross has a similar engine lineup to the Peugeot 5008, meaning the excellent 1.2-litre Puretech 130 petrol is the pick of the range. It's punchy, reasonably refined, will crack 40mpg and is affordable to buy. 

The Nissan Qashqai has always been an immensely popular car, but the latest model has a wider range of talents than ever before. 

It's the little things that make the new Nissan Qashqai an excellent family SUV. The rear doors open much wider than usual, making fitting child seats a piece of cake. When you're not carrying the children, the rear seats drop entirely flat leaving you a massive boot for taking garden waste to the tip or collecting flat-pack furniture.

There's a clever hybrid model, which uses a petrol engine as a generator for the electric motor, rather than driving the wheels directly. This means it feels a lot like an electric car, but you don't have to faff around charging it. Importantly for the school run, it's also able to run under electric power for very short distances. Otherwise, the mild-hybrid 1.3-litre turbo petrol engines are both smooth and reasonably economical. They need some revs to get the best out of them, however. 

The original Skoda Kodiaq was about as sensible as family cars could get, and was replaced in 2024 with a mk2 version that turned the sensible dial all the way up to eleven. Here was a car with even more space for passengers and luggage, more technology and an even higher-quality interior finish.

The means ample space for seven, plus a big boot that's still a decent size with all seven chairs in use. Sure, you can have it with five seats instead, but we think the car is at its best with seven. The thing that sets the Kodiaq apart for family car buyers, though, is the suite of Skoda's trademark 'Simply Clever' features. These are ingenious little design touches aimed at making family life a little easier - such as an ice scraper concealed beneath the fuel filler flap - and they really work.

OK, so the Kodiaq is no longer the bargain it once was, but it still feels like great value-for-money and running costs will be reasonable. Prices for the latest version haven't had a chance to drop too far on the used car market yet, either, so if you're looking for something more affordable, there's still plenty going to the first-generation Kodiaq.

Premium family SUVs don't always need to be large and thirsty, as the Mercedes GLB proves. An alternative to cars like the Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40 and based on the A-Class hatchback, Mercedes has somehow managed to squeeze seven seats into the GLB's compact and stylish body. 

While it's hardly the roomiest model in this list, its clever packaging might make you think twice about an Audi Q7. Not only is it significantly cheaper, but being smaller and lighter, it's also easier to park, more agile to drive and doesn't need thirsty, powerful engines to get it along the road. 

You also get a simply wonderful tech-packed interior in the Mercedes GLB, while the middle bench slides backwards and forwards allowing you to prioritise where you need space. It has 100mm more space between the front and rear wheels than an A-Class, but the rearmost seats are only really suited to occasional use. That's fine for those times when your child wants to bring friends home for tea, though.

In terms of engines, there's the usual mix of petrol or diesel power. If you want your family SUV to be a little more exciting, Mercedes even offers an AMG version badged the GLB 35. It's not cheap, but it's pretty rapid, and sounds the part, too.

The Volkswagen Tiguan has always been a favourite with family car buyers, and the latest version - released in 2024 - will likely do nothing to change that, because it's an excellent all-rounder.

First off, it has the smartly conservative looks and desirable image that buyers have always loved about the Tiguan, along with the high-class interior quality and mountains of luxury kit that well-heeled customers demand. It's roomy enough to carry five adults in comfort, and it'll also take a vast slice of luggage at the same time thanks to a large 652-litre boot (although this drops to 490 litres if you choose the plug-in hybrid version).

It's a pleasant car to travel in, too, thanks to a reasonably settled ride and handling that's neat and tidy, while the engines we've tried have enough poke to pull you around at a reasonable rate, although it's also true that some have to work surprisingly hard to do so.

If you want a rugged and impressively spacious family SUV with true off-road potential, then the Land Rover Discovery will be the car for you. Great to drive and backed by Land Rover’s proven 4x4 technology, the Discovery is one of the most rounded seven-seaters you can get.

All versions of the Discovery will carry three child seats across the middle row of seats with three Isofix mounting points. There is plenty of head- and legroom in the rear, too. The third row will also accommodate two large adults without too much complaint: it's one of the roomiest big SUVs on sale. 

The Discovery is offered with petrol and diesel engines: most cars on the second-hand market will be powered by the latter. The petrol option isn’t bad, by any means, but the higher running costs - 25mpg is what to expect - makes it of limited appeal. It'll only really suit car drivers who only use their cars for short distances that don’t justify diesel power.

We recommend avoiding the early four-cylinder diesel model and plumping for a six-cylinder model: in 2020 the Discovery was facelifted and the four-cylinder was removed. Either the D250 or D300 offer smooth and effortless performance. There's no plug-in hybrid, however: for that you'll need the significantly smaller Land Rover Discovery Sport.