Best Family Car of 2025
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe: Finalist
- Starting price range: $35,675-$48,225; $39,175-$49,225 (hybrid)
- Estimated combined fuel economy: 22-24 mpg; 34-36 mpg (hybrid)
- Number of seats: Six or seven
Vehicle redesigns don’t get much more radical than the ground-up redo the Hyundai Santa Fe received for the 2024 model year. The conventional styling of the previous-generation Santa Fe was replaced with an aggressively boxy profile with equally angular styling details. A standard third-row seat was also part of the redesign; the previous Santa Fe was a two-row SUV.
While the Santa Fe’s looks aren’t for everyone, the great thing about its design is that it isn’t just for looks. Its squared-off shape helps the Santa Fe offer very respectable interior space within a footprint that is appreciably smaller than other three-row mid-size SUVs, so it’s easier to maneuver and park.
The Santa Fe’s cargo opening is exceptionally wide for easy loading and unloading, and it also makes for a great tailgating spot. The third row is usable by average-sized adults and will fit most kids with ease. Thoughtful small-items storage spots abound, including a center console bin with a dual-hinged lid that opens from the front or the back (so second-row passengers can access it) and a small storage container that pops out of the rear of the center console. That container makes a perfect small trash can, if you can convince your kids to use it.
We also like that the Santa Fe offers a gas-electric hybrid system that gets up to an EPA-estimated 36 mpg combined. Taken together, the Santa Fe’s space-efficient layout and smart, family-friendly features make it a finalist for our Best Family Car of 2025 award.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Specs and Reviews | Find a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Near You
2025 Kia EV9: Finalist
- Starting price range: $56,395-$75,395
- Estimated electric driving range: 230-304 miles
- Estimated combined efficiency: 80-89 mpg-equivalent
- Number of seats: Six or seven
The Kia EV9 is the first electric vehicle to make our Best Family Car finalist list. Yes, the EV9 is the first mainstream-brand EV that’s also a true three-row SUV, but it’s also simply a fine family hauler, period.
The EV9 is about the same size as Kia’s gas-engine Telluride three-row SUV (our Best Family Car of 2024 winner), and it offers ample space for both people and cargo. The third row is spacious enough to accommodate average-sized adults in decent comfort, especially if passengers in the spacious second row slide their seats forward a bit. The EV9 also excels at ferrying little ones; it scored well in our child-safety seat installation tests and also earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2024 Top Safety Pick award.
There’s enough cargo space behind the third row for a good-sized grocery run, and a smallish front trunk (a fairly common feature for EVs) provides a bit of extra secure storage. The EV9’s interior is full of smartly designed amenities. There’s an available small shelf/covered storage bin that pulls out from the rear of the center console that’s a good spot to set some after-soccer snacks (and to throw away those snacks’ wrappers and other trash). Third-row passengers aren’t neglected, either; they get dual cupholders, USB charge ports and overhead reading lights.
The EV9’s driving range and DC fast-charging times are fully competitive with other EVs, and the SUV also offers a driving experience that’s comfortable and quiet. All in all, the EV9 excels in so many family-hauling duties that it nabs a finalist spot for our Best Family Car of 2025 award.
2025 Kia EV9 Specs and Reviews | Find a 2025 Kia EV9 Near You