10 Best Used Family Cars

Toyota Prius ・ Photo by Toyota

Buying a car for the family means considering a lot of variables. There are the kids and their stuff, fuel economy, reliability, safety, and affordability to figure into the equation. Often, the best way to get the most car for your money is to go with a used car rather than one that’s new off the lot. There’s a wide selection of used cars on the market today and many come with extended warranties and reputations for reliability over the years. Here are our picks for the 10 Best Used Family Cars based on their features, safety, and the J.D. Power Dependability Awards.

2015 Toyota Prius

The 2015 Toyota Prius offers the fantastic fuel economy of a hybrid vehicle along with the flexibility of a hatchback. It achieves an EPA-estimated 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway, so family road trips are a more affordable proposition when gas prices rise. There’s ample room for five passengers with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat that makes it easy to reconfigure the Prius to handle up to 21.6 cubic feet of cargo.

It’s a 2015 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ and received an overall four-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA.) Standard features include tilt and telescopic steering wheel, automatic climate control, cruise control, and a push-button start.

Photo by Toyota

2015 Buick LaCrosse

The 2015 Buick LaCrosse adds a touch of luxury to our list of 10 Best Used Family Cars to show that having the kids along for the ride doesn’t mean you can’t, or shouldn't, drive a nice car. The LaCrosse offers the comfort and features of a luxury car with a roomy interior and consistently strong dependability ratings. The IIHS gave the LaCrosse its highest rating of Good in all crash tests and NHTSA rated it a coveted five-stars in their evaluation. There are both front-wheel and all-wheel-drive versions available with a choice of two engines and five trim levels. Standard equipment includes OnStar, premium audio with AM/FM/CD/SiriusXM, heated and power outside mirrors, and remote start.

Photo by General Motors

2015 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2015 Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size sedan available in three trim levels. The standard engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 196 horsepower and start/stop technology. It achieves an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 25 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. An optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine provides 259 horsepower, but it does take a fuel economy hit as EPA numbers drop to 21 mpg and 30 mpg respectively. NHTSA gave the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu a five-star rating and the IIHS named it a 2015 Top Safety Pick. Standard features include OnStar 4G LTE and a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot.

Photo by General Motors

2014 Toyota Avalon

The 2014 Toyota Avalon is a full-size sedan that upholds Toyota’s reputation for reliability and safety. It received a top rating of Good in all IIHS crash tests and an overall five-star rating from NHTSA. Every 2014 Avalon has Smart Stop Technology that prevents unintended acceleration and daytime running lights. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and pre-collision are standard on higher trim levels. Additional standard features include a 6.1-inch touchscreen with AM/FM/CD and 8 speakers, USB port, and Bluetooth wireless technology. Dual-zone automatic climate control, a back-up camera, cruise control, and leather-trimmed heated front seats are also standard.

Photo by Toyota

2014 Toyota Camry

The 2014 Toyota Camry earns Toyota its third spot on our list of 10 Best Used Family Cars. It received a five-star rating from NHTSA and was an IIHS 2014 Top Safety Pick. Standard safety features include vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, and smart stop technology. Daytime running lights are also standard on the 2014 Camry. The standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine has 178 horsepower and gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. Choose the optional 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine with 268 horsepower and fuel economy falls to an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.

Photo by Toyota

2014 Lexus ES

The 2014 Lexus ES is the second luxury car on our list of 10 Best Used Family Cars. This is an entry-level luxury sedan with a roomy interior and two engine choices. The standard engine is a 3.5-liter V6 with 268 horsepower that achieves an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. The IIHS awarded it a top score of Good in all crash tests and NHTSA gave it an overall five-star rating. Standard features include heated and ventilated front seats that are 10-way power adjustable, a metal and leather-trimmed shift knob, AM/FM radio with a 6-disc CD changer and eight-speaker sound system, and heated side mirrors with memory.

Photo by Lexus

2013 Buick Verano

The 2013 Buick Verano is an elegant sedan with a roomy cabin and a large trunk. It received an overall five-star rating from NHTSA and was an IIHS 2013 Top Safety Pick, earning its highest rating of Good in all crash tests. The base engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower that achieves an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. A more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine offers 250 horsepower with an EPA-estimated 20 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. This engine also comes with a manual transmission, which is increasingly hard to find and offers a 1-mpg fuel economy increase.

Photo by General Motors

2013 Honda Fit

The 2013 Honda Fit offers the convenience of a hatchback with a smaller size, making it perfect for young families and those in urban areas. It’s an IIHS 2013 Top Safety Pick and received an overall four-star rating from NHTSA. Standard features include air conditioning, keyless entry, cruise control, and a USB port. Power comes from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired to either a five-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission. Fuel economy is impressive with the automatic achieving an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. Models equipped with a manual transmission also do well with an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Photo by Honda

2012 Toyota Corolla

The 2012 Toyota Corolla is a compact sedan available in three trim levels. There’s room for five passengers with standard cloth seating, power mirrors, and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. It’s an IIHS 2012 Top Safety Pick with a Good in all crash tests. The Corolla also received an overall four-star rating from NHTSA. Power comes from a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with 132 horsepower paired to a choice of transmissions. The five-speed manual transmission gets an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The four-speed automatic sees the numbers drop slightly to an EPA-estimated 26 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway.

Photo by Toyota

2012 Scion XD

The 2012 Scion xD is another small yet versatile car that’s great for families with young children who live in urban areas. Although not rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it was an IIHS 2012 Top Safety Pick with a Good in all crash tests. Standard features include cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 6-speaker Pioneer audio system. Power for the Scion XD comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 128 horsepower and a choice of either a four-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic. It achieves an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway with the automatic transmission and suffers only a 1-mpg drop on the highway with a manual transmission.

Photo by Scion