New consumer insights also reveal SUVs continue to dominate family vehicle preferences, with comfort, affordability and confidence driving purchase decisions

ATLANTA, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As families navigate busy schedules and carefully manage household budgets, many are looking for vehicles that offer long-term value and peace of mind. With so many options on the market, Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand, and trusted vehicle resource for 100 years, today announced the 12 Best Family Cars of 2026 to help make the car-shopping process easier for families. The list recognizes vehicles that are rigorously tested and evaluated against real-world family needs, including reliability, safety, efficiency and value.
The annual recognition comes as new Kelley Blue Book consumer survey findings* show family road trips continue to play a key role in how consumers approach vehicle shopping.

According to the recent survey:

• Families want bigger, more comfortable vehicles, but not at the expense of fuel efficiency
• SUVs remain the go-to family vehicle, driven by safety, practicality and affordability
• Three-row SUVs are especially popular for road trips, with safety, fuel efficiency and value ranking among the top purchase considerations

“The best family vehicles are those that can keep up with the realities of everyday life – whether that’s road trips, a busy weekend schedule or daily school drop-offs,” said Sean Tucker, Managing Editor at Kelley Blue Book. “This year’s Best Family Cars of 2026 list combines the versatility, comfort and safety features families want most, while also delivering strong value and efficiency, which is top of mind for many families right now.”

Below, presented in alphabetical order by brand, are Kelley Blue Book’s 2026 choices for the 12 Best Family Cars:

Best 2-Row SUVs for Families 
2026 Honda CR-V
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5
2026 Toyota RAV4

Best 3-Row SUVs for Families 
2026 Chevrolet Tahoe
2026 Ford Expedition
2026 Honda Odyssey
2026 Honda Pilot
2026 Hyundai Palisade
2026 Hyundai Santa Fe
2026 Kia Sorento
2026 Toyota Grand Highlander
2026 Toyota Sienna

To learn more about the 12 Best Family Cars of 2026 from Kelley Blue Book, including detailed expert reviews, safety information for each model, pricing details and more, visit https://www.kbb.com/awards/best-family-cars/.

* Research Dates & Methodology – Conducted from May 7 to May 14, 2026. Consumer Survey: n=490

About Kelley Blue Book
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource^®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry for nearly a century. As the industry standard for generations, Kelley Blue Book provides transparent, objective information and data-driven, innovative tools for consumers, automotive dealers and manufacturers. Kelley Blue Book publishes millions of market-reflective values weekly on its top-rated website KBB.com, from its famous Blue Book^® Trade-In Values to the Kelley Blue Book^® Price Advisor tool, which offers a range for what consumers reasonably can expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. KBB.com editors rate and review hundreds of new vehicles each year to help consumers understand the Best Cars and Best SUVs to meet their needs. Kelley Blue Book^SM Instant Cash Offer provides a redeemable trade-in offer to transaction-ready consumers and conveniently connects them to local participating dealers. Kelley Blue Book’s Service Advisor provides guidance on how much to pay for service and repairs, allowing consumers to schedule service with local dealers on KBB.com. Kelley Blue Book also provides vehicle values to finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Cox Automotive powers industry-leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets through proprietary technology and insights derived from billions of annual online interactions. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, vAuto^®, Dealertrack^®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch^® and Cox Fleet^®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $23 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn. 

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SOURCE Kelley Blue Book