Best used family car

Choosing a destination and route is one thing, but having the right family car for work is another. Here are the family cars that enhance the experience on your road trip or simplify everyday life.

Find the best family car for your needs

Cargo space, comfort, driving pleasure, safety and price. Which car is best for everyone cannot be answered. It simply depends on what needs you and your family have - and what you are willing to pay.

Are you looking for a used family car?

To make the choice easier when you are looking for a used family car, we have compared and rated 8 popular family cars. To help us, we have had tests and expert comments from some of Sweden's and Europe's leading motor magazines. Since car holidays often involve a lot of packing, long driving sessions and tired children, extra emphasis has been placed on comfort and cargo space. If you're looking for the best used family SUV, check out these great family cars .

1. Volvo V60

The V60 is the sequel to the classic V70, which for so long stood as a symbol of Swedish family cars. The second-generation V60 saw the light of day in 2018 and impresses as the successor. In the cargo area, you have room for 529 liters before it's time to fold the back seat - only 31 liters less than the giant V90 hatchback. And despite the smaller outer dimensions, it shows almost as much spaciousness. Sitting three adults in the back seat is no problem at all thanks to the slightly flatter seats.

The V60 also has very good driving qualities. The magazine M3 calls the car "a real lucky pill". It invites you to an active and fun drive, while the fine sound insulation makes it pleasantly quiet in the cabin.

"You can hardly hear whether there is a diesel or "gas engine" under the hood unless you stand outside and listen," wrote the newspaper Högsta Växeln after its test run.

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 4

Security: 5

Driving characteristics : 5

Economy: 4

Overall: 23 out of 25

Price used Volvo V60 (three years old): from around SEK 160,000

See all used Volvo V60 for sale

2. KIA Cee'd SW

The KIA Cee'd SW is very interesting for those who want a lot of family car for the money, but don't require that little extra. The car is well equipped in the basic version, has decent driving characteristics and there is plenty of space in both the passenger compartment and the cargo area. Cee'd SW loads a whopping 625 liters with the rear seat folded up and almost 1,700 liters folded down. But much more than that is not on the upside.

The newspaper Ny Teknik points out, among other things, that the car has a higher fuel consumption than many of its competitors. In a test with the 1.4 liter petrol engine, it was difficult to keep the consumption under 0.8 l/mile, despite long road driving. The sound comfort is also given a thumbs up by the Vi Bilägare magazine. "There is hardly any match for enervating noise on rougher surfaces," they write. No, the strongest argument for choosing the Ceed SW is undoubtedly the price tag. If you're looking for the best used family car on a tight budget, the Kia Cee'd SW might be the option for you.

Comfort: 3

Cargo space: 4

Security: 3

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 5

Overall: 19 out of 25

Price used KIA Cee'd SW (three years old): from around SEK 120,000

See all used KIA Cee'd for sale

3. Ford Focus station wagon

In 2018, the fourth generation Ford Focus was launched with better comfort and spaciousness than its predecessor. At the same time, the playfulness and good driving characteristics remained – the Focus's big trump card. The load space has also grown and the Focus now boasts a load volume of over 600 litres. Nevertheless, the car has some distance left to catch up with the competition. That's what British Autoexpress thinks: "Ford Focus station wagon is not the most practical car in its class, nor the most economical, but it is more fun to drive than most others". Inadequate sound insulation is also something that the Focus suffers from. "The noise level is okay, but as soon as the car gets up to a slightly higher speed, above all the road noise finds its way into the passenger compartment," notes the magazine M3, where test editor Andreas Bergsman also finds himself disturbed by a hard, flat seat cushion.

Comfort: 3

Cargo space: 3

Security: 4

Driving characteristics: 5

Economy: 4

Overall: 19 out of 25

Price used Ford Focus station wagon (three years old): from around SEK 100,000

See all used Ford Focus for sale

4. Peugeot 308 SW

The Peugeot 308 SW is a popular family car that has only become more elegant with each generation. In 2019, a new version rolled out of the giant factory in Sochaux in northeastern France. There was no disappointment this time either. The interior of the new 308 SW maintains a consistently high standard and the body has delicious, stylish lines. But as you know, this is not a beauty contest. More important is low fuel consumption and a cargo space of over 1,600 liters with the rear seat folded down. At the same time, the British Autoexpress thinks that Peugeot has not succeeded in combining space with usability. "Unfortunately, not enough thought has been given to the life inside the car to also make it practical." The small, low-slung steering wheel in the 308 SW is also described as "toy-like" by the magazine. And almost all experts agree – it takes a while to get used to.

Comfort: 4

Cargo space: 5

Security: 3

Driving characteristics: 3

Economy: 4

Overall: 19 out of 25

Price used Peugeot 308 SW (three years old): from around SEK 100,000

See all used Peugeot 308 for sale

5. Skoda Octavia

Do you like VW Passat and Golf? Then you might as well bet on Skoda and the flagship Octavia – Europe's best-selling station wagon. Skoda's cars are in many ways reminiscent of the siblings within the VW group, but are kinder to the wallet. Octavia is spacious, functional and well equipped already in the basic version. It behaves briskly on the road and is not at all boring to drive, which is otherwise a common prejudice against Skoda. Another big plus is the cargo space. If you buy the fourth-generation Octavia, which made its debut in Sweden in 2019, you get a cargo space that swallows a whopping 640 liters. With the rear seat folded down, you can load a whopping 1,740 litres. Håkan Nilsson in the newspaper Ny Teknik praises the new Skoda Octavia and calls the car a "really smart buy".

Comfort : 4

Cargo space: 5

Security: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 5

Overall: 23 out of 25

Price used Skoda Octavia (three years old): from around SEK 100,000

See all used Skoda Octavia for sale

6. Volkswagen Passat

It is easy to understand that the VW Passat is Sweden's most popular family car after Volvo's combi models. It is a car that performs at its peak in most things. "Passat is spacious, comfortable and affordable - exactly what you want in a family car," writes the magazine Auto Motor & Sport. The Passat is also a real pack donkey. The cargo space swallows a whopping 650 liters, alternatively 1,780 liters if you fold the back seat. There is a large selection of Passats on the second-hand market, so it is possible to make cuts.

Comfort: 4

Cargo space: 5

Security: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 5

Overall: 23 out of 25

Price used Volkswagen Passat (three years old): from around SEK 150,000

See all used Volkswagen Passat for sale

7. Toyota Corolla Touring Sports

55 years ago , the Toyota Corolla saw the light of day for the first time. Since then, it has sold over 46 million copies and is the world's best-selling car, despite the fact that for many years it was called Auris. When the new Toyota Corolla, the twelfth generation, came to Europe two or three years ago, it was a larger car that was presented. Legroom has been improved both in the back and in the front, while the cabin has become more airy and cozy. The cargo space now swallows 598 liters with the rear seat folded up and just over 1,600 liters folded down, on an almost completely flat load surface. The magazine Vi Bilägare writes, among other things, that "the Corolla feels small and snappy on curvy roads while it is sufficiently stable on the highway". But they note at the same time that the sound insulation leaves a lot to be desired. "Both road and wind noise leak in and disturb the comfort in the passenger compartment until the engine roars and drowns out the noise". Especially on longer journeys, this can be unbearable. If the Corolla had been Mercedes-quiet, the rating would have been better.

Comfort: 3

Cargo space: 4

Security: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 5

Overall: 21 out of 25

Price used Toyota Corolla Touring Sports (three years old): from around SEK 120,000 (Auris Touring Sports)

See all used Toyota Corollas for sale

8. Audi A4 Avant

The Aud A4 Avant is a stylish and comfortable family car that has become a real classic on Swedish roads. It has generous spaces, comfortable soft seats, high-class interior and lots of infotainment. The engine is strong while running impressively quietly. Audi is known for not compromising on quality and it shows. But quality costs.

"Audi A4 is an expensive car - and when you equip it properly, it becomes very expensive", wrote the motor site Allt om bilar when in 2016 they reviewed the newly released fifth generation A4. It is no problem to spend a couple of hundred thousand on options. The A4 Avant's cargo space swallows 495 liters with the rear seat folded up and 1495 liters if it is folded down. That's okay, but the Avant isn't just any big loader. Wide load opening, smooth surfaces and low load threshold partially compensate for this, but one may well ask why a premium station wagon should load less than one in the budget class?

Comfort: 5

Cargo space: 3

Security: 5

Driving characteristics: 4

Economy: 3

Overall: 20 out of 25

Price used Audi A4 Avant (three years old): from around SEK 170,000

See all used Audi A4s for sale