U.S. News Announces Its 2025 Best Cars for Families Awards

U.S. News & World Report announces its 2025 Best Cars for Families awards. U.S. News evaluated 100 vehicles and named winners across nine categories.

“When it comes to shopping for the right car, those with families have an array of considerations that will play a vital role in their decision-making,” said Alex Kwanten, U.S. News managing editor, Autos. “Whether a family’s needs call for a midsize sedan, a large three-row SUV or something in between, the 2025 Best Cars for Families offer something for everyone. The awards recognize new models from nine automotive segments, and each winner offers an outstanding blend of space, safety, reliability, convenience and connectivity.”

Honda and Kia tied for the most awards this year, with two each. Recognized for its combination of comfort, fuel efficiency, solid safety tech and family-friendly features, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid was awarded the Best Hybrid SUV for Families for the sixth-consecutive year and the 12th time overall. Also continuing winning streaks, the Hyundai Tucson is the Best Compact SUV for Families for the fourth time, while the Chrysler Pacifica is the Best Minivan for Families for the second consecutive year.

Both of the winning Honda vehicles took home trophies in their respective categories for the first time since 2022. The Honda Accord captured Best Midsize Car for Families, while high marks in safety and fuel efficiency helped the Honda Accord Hybrid win the Best Hybrid Car for Families honor.

Among Kia’s wins, the Kia Telluride secured its sixth consecutive Best 3-Row Midsize SUV for Families award. A first-time winner, the three-row Kia EV9 SUV was recognized as Best Electric Vehicle for Families due in part to its spacious, comfortable and nicely equipped cabin.

Other first-time winners include the Jeep Wagoneer L for Best Large SUV for Families and the Mazda CX-70 for Best 2-Row Midsize SUV for Families. The Wagoneer L, a stretched version of the standard Wagoneer, boasts a vast amount of room for people and cargo, while the CX-70 has strong fuel economy, a high-end interior and excellent safety scores.

Winner                              Category

• 2025 Mazda CX-70                          Best 2-Row Midsize SUV for Families
• 2025 Kia Telluride                             Best 3-Row Midsize SUV for Families
• 2025 Hyundai Tucson                      Best Compact SUV for Families
• 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid             Best Hybrid Car for Families
• 2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid      Best Hybrid SUV for Families
• 2025 Kia EV9                                     Best Electric Vehicle for Families
• 2025 Jeep Wagoneer L                    Best Large SUV for Families
• 2025 Honda Accord                          Best Midsize Car for Families
• 2025 Chrysler Pacifica                      Best Minivan for Families

The 2025 Best Cars for Families award criteria look at each vehicle’s overall rating from the U.S. News Best Car Rankings to determine quality, incorporating elements like safety data, predicted reliability ratings, passenger and cargo space and the consensus opinion of the automotive press. The award methodology also considers the availability of family-friendly features such as in-car wireless internet, teen driver controls, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert and hands-free cargo area access. U.S. News selected the winners based on the highest composite score in each of the nine vehicle categories. You can read more about the methodology used by U.S. News here.