Family Car of the Year Nominees 2016
Family Car of the Year Nominee
Minivans have fallen out of favor lately as car shoppers have gravitated toward crossovers and SUVs, and while there are many utility vehicles that are good for carrying big families, it's hard to top a minivan when your primary objective is moving people (and stuff) in comfort. With spacious seating for up to eight, the Odyssey impresses us on many fronts. It offers a carlike driving experience with good maneuverability, an easy-to-stow third row and even a built-in vacuum cleaner on select trim levels. Whether you have kids in car seats or teenagers sprawling about, the Odyssey is an ideal choice for big families.
Family Car of the Year Nominee
The Impreza is a home run for first-time drivers. Not only does the Impreza have stellar crash-test ratings, it also provides foul-weather confidence with its standard all-wheel drive. The Impreza starts at less than $20,000 and provides plenty of cargo room in its hatchback form. Let's not forget its fuel economy of 28/37/31 mpg city/highway/combined with the continuously variable automatic transmission. On the safety front, you can get the EyeSight collision avoidance system with autonomous braking on higher trim levels. Forget home run, the Impreza is a grand slam for first-time buyers.
The Rogue is one of those segment-buster SUVs that can work for small or large families, thanks to its optional third row, increasing seating capacity from five to seven. And with a starting price rivaling much smaller SUVs, the Rogue’s size-to-dollar ratio is off the charts. Two-row Rogues have an ingenious cargo management system called Divide-N-Hide for maximizing the large cargo area behind the second row. Underfloor compartments can hide valuables or stinky football cleats, and cargo dividers create multiple shelf variations for carrying a wide range of goods. The Rogue can carry objects up to 8 feet long with the front passenger seat folded, and that second row can be split into a 40/20/40 configuration for maximum versatility. It’s more than just a people-and-cargo hauler, though, with luxurious trimmings for its segment and techy optional features like the 360-degree Around View Monitor and a forward collision warning system with autonomous braking that helps the Rogue earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest safety designation, Top Safety Pick Plus.