Family Focused Vehicle Testing by Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports has the most comprehensive, consumer-oriented autos-test program in the U.S. After anonymously buying test cars from dealerships and conducting more than 50 evaluations on each vehicle, Consumer Reports focuses on performance, safety, comfort, convenience, interior quality, fuel economy, cargo capacity, and more so that they can report back to you with honest, revealing information.

Below, we've listed several family-friendly vehicles that are among the top recommended vehicles in their categories. Not only did each of these vehicles earn a high overall score in their class, but they also meet the stringent requirements to be recommended by Consumer Reports.

Read on to find out what makes these vehicles fit for a family.

Family Sedan - Honda Accord

Our top family sedan has agile handling, yet the ride is steady and comfortable. The cabin is roomy and comfortable, and the controls are easy to use. The folding rear seats make it easy to carry long items. Crash-test results are impressive and side-curtain air bags are standard throughout the line.

Large Sedan - Toyota Avalon

Toyota's redesigned large sedan combines comfort and convenience with a powerful and smooth V6 engine. Handling is secure, and the ride is quiet and comfortable. Rear seat passengers are treated to an expansive, limo-like seating area.

Midsize Wagon - Subaru Outback

The Outback is a versatile, good-performing wagon that has nimble, agile handling. The 2.5-liter engine delivers good fuel economy for an all-wheel drive wagon and decent performance, and the 250-hp turbocharged four-cylinder delivers even better performance but does not hurt fuel economy. Cabin materials are supple and well-assembled. Electronic stability control is only available with the six-cylinder 3.0 R VDC Limited model.

Minivan - Honda Odyssey

The Odyssey is our top-scoring minivan. It has excellent interior flexibility and fit and finish, as well as generous standard safety features. The split-third-row seat allows either side to be folded into the floor separately for optimum versatility. Adding a small jump seat to the individual second-row forms a bench seat, increasing passenger capacity to eight. The cabin features many well-designed details, including a small rotating storage bin below the floor. Handling is agile and precise, the engine and transmission are smooth and powerful, and the ride is supple and steady.

(Source: Consumer Reports)