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Best new cars for Small Families
More New Cars for Small Families
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Top Picks for Small Families

Small families often look at sedans, hatchbacks, station wagons, SUVs and minivans, so our short list — compiled from a pool that included our Best Bets and all the newer cars we've driven since — included dozens of contenders. Our experts looked at safety features, gas mileage, interior comfort and driving refinement to pick the winners.

 Best New Car for Small Families
2013 Honda CR-V
Starting MSRP $23,525

For those of us with practicality as an inherent trait, the CR-V wins with its roomy cabin space, versatile cargo area, stylish aerodynamic exterior and angled swoosh-like rear-quarter window. The winner of our Compact SUV Shootout, the CR-V comes with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that will never struggle to carry a small family (and all of their stuff), and its suspension will make the ride as smooth as butter, without the extra calories. While the cargo space is quite large enough to handle necessary runs to the warehouse store or a tricky-to-haul double stroller, the rear seats can fold flat to create a cavernous space.
   
  
 Best Deal for Small Families
2013 Subaru Impreza
Starting MSRP $18,665

Take a glance at the Impreza, and you'll see mature styling in the sedan and family functionality in the four-door hatchback. Get inside, and you'll find excellent visibility and roominess for a small family. Add to that Subaru's signature standard all-wheel drive, great gas mileage and a friendly price tag, and you have a great, affordable car for small families and their pets. With a low hoodline, generous range of seat-height adjustment and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, every driver in the family will feel at home in the Impreza, regardless if you're a vertically challenged new driver or a 6-foot-tall seasoned pro.

   
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Suggestions for Small Families
2013 Chevrolet Equinox Recommended for Small Families Chevrolet Equinox (2013)
Starting MSRP $24,580

With a luxurious interior fit and finish and plenty of family-friendly features, the Equinox made this category a tight race. The Equinox's sliding backseat creates enough room for kids and their legs, which is always a bonus.

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2013 Hyundai Sonata Recommended for Small Families Hyundai Sonata (2013)
Starting MSRP $21,670

Hyundai's Sonata is a great example of how a functional and great-looking product at a competitive price will lure family-car shoppers in droves. With a turbo engine, the Sonata is also fun to drive. You can't beat that formula.

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2013 Kia Optima Recommended for Small Families Kia Optima (2013)
Starting MSRP $21,975

The 2013 Kia Optima is light-years ahead of its competitors in terms of interior fit and finish. Add in family-friendly features like a cooled glove box to keep snacks cool while chauffeuring the brood to after-school activities, and you'll have one happy, well-fed family.

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2013 Subaru Forester Recommended for Small Families Subaru Forester (2013)
Starting MSRP $22,090

The Forester balances driving fun, ride comfort and outright practicality, making it a great fit for small families. Throw in Subaru's all-wheel drive, and your kids will be the first ones in the carpool lane, even on snowy mornings. (Sorry, kids!)

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2013 Subaru Outback Recommended for Small Families Subaru Outback (2013)
Starting MSRP $24,290

The Outback conquers any drive with ease, looks good and is reasonably priced, which makes it a great pick for a family car. Buyers beware: A newfound obsession with biking, hiking, skiing and triathlon racing may follow.

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2013 Toyota Camry Recommended for Small Families Toyota Camry (2013)
Starting MSRP $22,850

Toyota's attempt at making the bland family sedan into something a bit sexier and fun to drive — two adjectives that are rarely used to describe a family hauler on wheels — has been a success with the 2013 Camry.

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2013 Toyota Prius v Recommended for Small Families Toyota Prius v (2013)
Starting MSRP $27,445

The Prius v's shining star is its enormous cargo area, which is 58 percent larger than in the regular Prius. It will easily swallow suitcases, backpacks, diaper bags, portable cribs and double jog strollers. Take that, sedans, and shove it in your tiny little trunk!

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2013 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen Recommended for Small Families Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (2013)
Starting MSRP $21,190

With enough legroom for a rear-facing infant seat without requiring the front passenger to swallow their knees, the Sportwagen is a contender for growing families. Add its fun turbo-diesel engine, and you'll beg for extra errands.

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