Kelley Blue Book Names Best Family Cars of 2020

Annual List Features Variety of Best New SUVs, Minivans for Today’s Families

IRVINE, Calif., March 24, 2020 – There is perhaps no stage in life when one carefully considers a new-vehicle purchase more than during the family years. With varying family sizes, needs and budgets to consider, and with many now with many people car shopping from home, the experts at Kelley Blue Book provide new-car buyers with their top recommendations for the Best Family Cars of 2020. To help parents narrow down their choices for their next family hauler, this annual list was developed following in-depth testing and a thorough review of 2020 model-year vehicles with a focus on safety, overall value, driver-assist features, connectivity, and technology.

“Families rely on their vehicles not only as a mode of transportation but often as a key part of their day-to-day lifestyle,” said Michael Harley, executive editor for Kelley Blue Book. “Vehicle technology is evolving at a rapid pace, and many of the SUVs and minivans featured on this list are true tech standouts from both safety and convenience perspectives, while also minding the family budget. A few brand-new entries from Korean automakers made the cut this year, along with several mainstays that consistently rise to the top when compiling the Best Family Cars list. There is something for everyone, no matter the size of your family or your price range.”

Kelley Blue Book’s Best Family Cars of 2020

Best Two-Row SUVs for Families

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Select Editorial Commentary

2020 Honda CR-V

The 2020 Honda CR-V’s magic lies in its outstanding combination of practicality, safety, reliability, efficiency and overall user-friendliness. It’s the kind of vehicle that you can buy before the newborn arrives and plan to keep around for when the kid is ready to drive.

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe is a crossover SUV that really has come into its own. What was once a second-string player has matured into a full-time starter that doesn’t need to make excuses – it’s comfortable, efficient, roomy and well equipped, and it has the superb build quality we’ve now come to expect from Hyundai.

2020 Subaru Forester

The 2020 Subaru Forester is a beautifully built all-wheel-drive crossover SUV with excellent interior room, an impressive standard safety suite, standout fuel economy and just enough ground clearance to allow for some fun weekend exploring. It’s a safe and practical family hauler that’s neither too large nor too small, with ample cargo capacity and plenty of head room for tall drivers.

2020 Toyota RAV4

Family cars need not have a boring look, as the 2020 Toyota RAV4 demonstrates. It has the kind of rugged good looks that make SUVs so appealing in the first place. The more aggressive styling and roomier cabin contribute to our selection, but there’s also more to this crossover in terms of its inherent safety, fuel efficiency and value.

Best Three-Row SUVs for Families

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Sample Editorial Commentary

2020 Honda Pilot

Despite an aging design and hot new competition in the segment, it’s easy to recommend the 2020 Honda Pilot for its generous passenger and cargo space, useful and versatile cabin, strong and refined V6 engine, and decent driving dynamics. Add the SUV’s enviable resale values, and a Pilot makes plenty of sense.

2020 Hyundai Palisade

The 2020 Hyundai Palisade is a safe, spacious, comfortable three-row midsize SUV that is one of the best values in its segment, with an impressive roster of standard tech and safety equipment, as well as a responsive V6 engine. Yet one of the pleasant aspects of the Palisade is that it takes the idea of the family car and shows that you also can have a generous helping of elegance and modern technology in your safe, practical, value-packed SUV.

2020 Kia Telluride

The Kia Telluride has been a home run for the brand - as in, they knocked it out of the park. Kia’s biggest 3-row SUV to date has been on a tear since the moment it was introduced in last year, racking up stellar sales figures and winning the biggest awards in the industry. The 2020 Telluride’s winning formula includes a long list of standard features, the latest safety systems, excellent practicality and an adventurous attitude, all at a price that won’t squander the kids’ college fund.

2020 Toyota Highlander

The Toyota Highlander has been a perennial entry on our best family vehicle lists, and for 2020 it burnishes that reputation with an all-new design that combines high style with functionality. While it retains its transverse engine layout and 3-row seating, the Highlander’s new design is sleek and sexy featuring upscale materials and luxury execution that conveys a premium vibe.

2020 Volkswagen Atlas

The Volkswagen Atlas is still among the freshest midsize 3-row crossover SUVs available, debuting just three years ago with an athletic design and plenty of tech features. Yet VW’s biggest SUV to date has landed on this list every year of its existence. The 2020 VW Atlas 3-row SUV is again a Best Family Car winner thanks to its roomy and useful interior space, refined driving manners, and bold design.

Best Full-Size SUV for Families

Sample Editorial Commentary

2020 Ford Expedition

For the third year in a row, the aluminum-body Ford Expedition has earned a coveted spot on our Best Family Cars list, this time for model-year 2020. While this big and roomy 3-row SUV hardly qualifies as a “car,” the 2020 Ford Expedition certainly shines as a 7- or 8-seat truck-based family hauler and refined workhorse, with standard features galore and an outstanding powertrain with impressive towing capabilities.

Best Minivans for Families

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Sample Editorial Commentary

2020 Chrysler Pacifica

If variety and flexibility are your priorities, the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica minivan belongs on your short list. Featuring ample standard equipment and offering the choice of a capable and efficient traditional gasoline powertrain, or a plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid version (the only one in minivans) that's capable of traveling 32 miles on electricity alone, the Pacifica prides itself on making it easier to transport big and little humans around along with their stuff.

2020 Honda Odyssey

Pretty much purpose-built to raise your family for you, the superbly comfortable and easy-to-drive 2020 Honda Odyssey minivan covers the needs of parents and kids as well as any other big box on wheels on the planet. Riding high enough to give a commanding view of the road and boasting outstanding tech, safety and reliability, the Odyssey does a championship job of babysitting a family's short-term needs as well as its longer-term wants.

 

For more information about Kelley Blue Book's Best Family Cars of 2020, including detailed editorial commentary, technology features, safety ratings, driving dynamics, photos, pricing information and more for each model, visit https://www.kbb.com/articles/awards/best-family-cars/.

Kelley Blue Book recognizes that family car needs can be quite diverse, so in addition to naming the overall Best New Family Cars for 2020, the experts also have compiled additional helpful lists for new and used car shoppers of varying budgets, along with a special list focusing on car seats. These include: Best Family Cars Under $25,000, Best Used Family Cars Under $15,000 and Best Car Seat Picks (based on one vehicle from each category - 2-row SUV, 3-row SUV, full-size SUV and minivan - written by child safety seat expert The Car Seat Lady).

If you are looking for a vehicle at this time, many dealers can accommodate your buying needs—shopping from your couch or having an advisor just a text or phone call away.  Check out the latest on how to shop for your next vehicle online at https://www.kbb.com/articles/car-news/can-i-buy-a-car-online-to-reduce-coronavirus-exposure/.

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About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
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. Each week the company provides market-reflective values on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor tool, which provides a range for what consumers can reasonably expect to pay for a vehicle in their area. Car owners looking to sell immediately can also get a redeemable, transaction-ready offer with Kelley Blue BookSM Instant Cash Offer. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book is a Cox Automotive brand.

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