Buying Guide

Buying your next family car can be a daunting experience, but with new brands, new technology and even more choice available than ever before, it should be a really exciting experience! Let us help you understand what's available and what can make your new family car the best one yet!

Double-cab utes still dominate the top of the sales charts, but the compact MG ZS and a range of mid-sized SUVs keep a family focus at the top of the sales race. Our 3-year ownership costs in the table below include registration, servicing, insurance and fuel/electricity. For more details see our full list of 2023 Best Value Cars.

Best Value Family Cars 2023

Model
Seats
Price from (MRLP)*
3-year cost of ownership
QuestionMarkIcon
byd-logo

BYD ATTO 3

2023 BYD ATTO 3 Standard SUV FWD

5

$48,011

$10,643.11

View ArrowForwardIconin Showroom
Seats

5

Price from (MRLP)*

$48,011

3-year cost of ownership
QuestionMarkIcon

$10,643.11

/vehicles/showrooms/makes/mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Outlander

2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV ES 2.4L SUV 4WD Hybrid

5

$56,490

$10,817.53

View ArrowForwardIconin Showroom
Seats

5

Price from (MRLP)*

$56,490

3-year cost of ownership
QuestionMarkIcon

$10,817.53

/vehicles/showrooms/makes/kia

Kia Niro

2023 Kia Niro HEV S 1.6L SUV FWD Hybrid

5

$44,930

$10,824.69

View ArrowForwardIconin Showroom
Seats

5

Price from (MRLP)*

$44,930

3-year cost of ownership
QuestionMarkIcon

$10,824.69

/vehicles/showrooms/makes/hyundai

Hyundai Kona

2023 Hyundai Kona 2.0L SUV FWD

5

$32,000

$10,873.44

View ArrowForwardIconin Showroom
Seats

5

Price from (MRLP)*

$32,000

3-year cost of ownership
QuestionMarkIcon

$10,873.44

byd-logo

BYD ATTO 3

2023 BYD ATTO 3 Extended SUV FWD

5

$51,011

$10,959.70

View ArrowForwardIconin Showroom
Seats

5

Price from (MRLP)*

$51,011

3-year cost of ownership
QuestionMarkIcon

$10,959.70

Family Car Finder

Family Car Finder

Overwhelmed by all the options available? Try our Family Car Finder to see which cars will best suit your lifestyle.

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Electric Cars

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Latest Family Car Reviews

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan R review
Reviews | 13 Sep 2023

Volkswagen’s Tiguan is almost up for replacement, but the range-topping Tiguan R borders on timeless brilliance.

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2023 Skoda Octavia RS wagon review
Reviews | 6 Sep 2023

Skoda’s Octavia RS wagon remains an excellent all-around vehicle for car enthusiasts.

2023 Kia Carnival S V6 review
Reviews | 29 Aug 2023

Kia’s cheapest people mover goes light on frills, but still packs a gigantic punch of practicality. Thinking about an SUV? buy this instead.

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2023 Mazda CX-8 G25 Sport review
Reviews | 23 Aug 2023

The Mazda CX-8 has the charm and practicality to fill a gap below the also seven-seat CX-9 in Mazda’s extensive range.

2023 Nissan Qashqai ST+ reviewPlayIconRounded
Reviews | 31 May 2023

The new Nissan Qashqai has plenty of perks – but are they still available to those who can’t afford a top-spec model?

2023 Mitsubishi Outlander LS Black Edition reviewPlayIconRounded
Reviews | 29 May 2023

Mitsubishi’s new blacked-out medium SUV strikes a lot of the right notes as one of the better value options in this hotly contested segment.

Family Car Owner Reviews

2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Life: owner review
Reviews | 23 Dec 2022

We bought the VW as an interim car necessitated by the arrival of our first child, while we await delivery of vehicles impacted by COVID-19 delays (RAV4 Hybrid 13 months and XC90 Recharge four months). In the circumstances we bought the ‘base’ model as frankly we needed something. This meant availability was a significant factor […]

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2018 Nissan X-Trail ST: owner review
Reviews | 1 Jul 2022

I’m in my late 60’s and have been considering an SUV. Read why this owner chose a Nissan X-Trail in their review.

2020 Skoda Octavia RS245: owner review
Reviews | 19 Jan 2022

After owning a 2012 BMW 320d, and having had some issues with it, I was in the market for a new car…Owner: Athavan Kuhanesan

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2020 Mitsubishi Outlander LS seven-seat: owner review
Reviews | 29 Nov 2021

I wanted something bigger than my old car, and something new that came with all the bells and whistles, and I wasn’t disappointed in the Outlander.Owner: Paul Skilleter

2021 Kia Sorento SPORT 7 Seat: owner review
Reviews | 15 Jul 2021

After the Kia Sorento won Drive Car of the Year we wanted to find out what everyone was talking about.

2021 Hyundai Palisade Highlander: owner review
Reviews | 18 Jun 2021

As a family of six with a new born, we travel to the snow over six times a year, and we also head up the coast a couple of times a year. In order to haul ski gear (we have a ski pod up top), two baby seats and four adult-sized people, we needed a bigger car. Enter the Hyundai Palisade.

Drive Marketplace: Cars for Sale

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Great PriceThumbsUpIcon

2022 Mazda CX-9

2.5L SUV 4WD
$50,965
Drive Away
$52,378
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon22,103 kmFuelTypePetrolIconPetrolTransmissionSpecsIconSports AutomaticLocationSpecsIconWA
used
Good PriceThumbsUpIcon

2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

2.0L Sedan RWD
$59,990
Drive Away
$62,090
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon20,628 kmFuelTypePetrolIconPetrolTransmissionSpecsIconSports AutomaticLocationSpecsIconNSW
used

2022 Kia Picanto

1.3L Hatchback FWD
$18,997
Drive Away
$19,511
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon14,816 kmFuelTypePetrolIconPetrolTransmissionSpecsIconAutomaticLocationSpecsIconWA
new
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2023 MG MG4

51 Hatchback RWD
$31,690
Drive Away
$42,115
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon5 kmFuelTypeElectricIconElectricTransmissionSpecsIconReduction GearLocationSpecsIconWA
demo
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2024 Kia Carnival

2.2L Diesel People Mover FWD
$64,790
Drive Away
$64,888
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon2,000 kmFuelTypePetrolIconDieselTransmissionSpecsIconSports AutomaticLocationSpecsIconVIC
used
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2022 BMW X3

2.0L SUV RWD
$55,590
Drive Away
$56,640
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon39,605 kmFuelTypePetrolIconPetrolTransmissionSpecsIconSports AutomaticLocationSpecsIconNSW
used
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2018 Isuzu D-MAX

3.0L Diesel Dual Cab Ute 4XD
$35,980
Drive Away
KilometersIcon65,998 kmFuelTypePetrolIconDieselTransmissionSpecsIconSports AutomaticLocationSpecsIconQLD
used
Good PriceThumbsUpIcon

2024 Ford Everest

2.0L Diesel SUV 4XD
$62,080
Drive Away
$62,280
Price DropPriceDown
KilometersIcon5,056 kmFuelTypePetrolIconDieselTransmissionSpecsIconSports AutomaticLocationSpecsIconVIC