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THE NEED FOR more space due to a growing family doesn’t necessarily mean buying a second car. On paper and looking around on the roads, it may seem like a big SUV is the only way to overcome these issues, but there are lots of alternatives that deliver better solutions and can be kinder to your pocket.
Many of these alternative options provide more space, come loaded with spec and won’t break the bank. Not only do these come in various shapes and sizes, but many include alternative engine options such as hybrid and plug-in models.
We choose five of the best family cars with more room inside to help you find the one that best serves your needs and maybe provide some more options to consider. Read on for our picks…
The current Skoda Octavia arrived on the scene last year and it continues to uphold its reputation for offering more passenger and boot space than its many rivals. If you want to maximise the latter, you’ll need to pick the estate version, known as a Combi. This version provides 640 litres of space before you even consider dropping the rear seats down.
View Skoda Octavia Combis available now from trusted dealers>
On the inside, you’ll find a much-improved cabin with plenty of storage, nice materials and lots of modern tech with up to a 10-inch touchscreen display. Wireless phone charging, smartphone mirroring, and creative comforts like a heated steering wheel sit alongside some excellent driver assistance safety systems.
Besides all that, the Octavia is a lovely car to drive with good levels of refinement and comfort. A mix of engines are available and range from a 1.0-litre petrol to a 2.0-litre diesel along with a plug-in hybrid.
Why this car stands out: Interior space, practical features and many versions.
As the name suggests, the Peugeot 5008 is the bigger brother to the 3008, by way of being a touch longer and offering the functionality of a third row of seats. These are on the smaller side but are great if the kids have some friends tagging along. When not in use, the rearmost seats can fold flat or be removed to leave the Peugeot with a whopping boot capacity of up to 952 litres. Dropping the middle row seats down swells that space to 2,150 litres, making it ideal for a trip to Ikea.
View Peugeot 5008s available now from trusted dealers>
It isn’t quite as roomy in the front as some other seven-seat SUVs due to the cabin’s layout, but there’s decent storage space throughout and the small steering wheel is a novel touch. You get a good level of equipment even on the base model, including 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, reversing camera and LED headlights.
Thanks to its third row of seats, the 5008 doesn’t get a plug-in hybrid option like the smaller 3008, but Peugeot’s engine lineup remains a good one. It is made up of a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel, both with 130hp and the choice of manual or automatic transmissions. A range-topping 2.0-litre diesel produces 180hp, but it’s more costly to buy and tax.
Why this car stands out: Good standard equipment and lots of space
It’s easy to think of the Volkswagen Passat as a travelling salesperson’s motor, but it’s often overlooked as a great family car. With its crisp lines and solid interior, the Passat is the stereotypical Teutonic tourer. Thanks to a frugal 150hp 2.0-litre diesel engine it can easily cover more than 1,000 kilometres between refills.
View Volkswagen Passat estates available now from trusted dealers>
If diesel isn’t your thing Volkswagen also offers a plug-in hybrid petrol that can cover as much as 57 kilometres on battery power alone, making it ideal for shorter urban trips like the school run.
As lovely as it is sitting in the front seats, those seated behind will appreciate the generous legroom. The boot measures in at 650 litres, which for comparison is more than double that of a Nissan Qashqai.
Why this car stands out: Interior comfort and quality, rear space with a large boot
If you want to fit an incredible amount of stuff into a car that’s not much larger than your average hatchback then the Citroen Berlingo could be the solution to your problem. The boxy shape is due to it also sharing the same design as a small van for the commercial world. The passenger specification hints at SUV style with protective bump strips along the sides and the same split-headlight design we see on other Citroen models.
View Citroen Berlingos available now from trusted dealers>
The sliding rear doors are a real boon when loading passengers in a confined car park and there’s a whopping 775 litres of boot space, which can double when the rear seats are down. There are heaps of practical features in the cabin, including folding tables on the backs of the front seats, deep door bins, the option of overhead storage units and even a front passenger seat that can fold flat if you need to carry longer items.
Just the one diesel engine is available at present, with an output of 100hp. You won’t get the same driving experience as a regular hatchback or crossover, but it’s far from unrefined on the move making it an excellent car for the daily routine and weekend adventures.
Why this car stands out: Maximised interior space, highly versatile and economical
The Ford Galaxy isn’t quite as old as the universe, but it has been the Blue Oval’s top MPV for a long time and for a good reason too. It may not have the same trendy looks as some SUVs, but this is a car that quietly goes about the task at hand and makes it all so easy.
View Ford Galaxies available now from trusted dealers>
It’s a seven-seater that can really fit seven adults and still have some room for luggage – 300 litres, which is still more than a MINI 5-door. Other pluses include a taller roofline along with large windows that add to the sense of space, and it’s big enough inside with a middle row made up of individual seats.
Previously an all-diesel engine lineup, Ford has added a new 2.5-litre petrol hybrid that not only has more power at 190hp but could remain quite economical to run as a family car.
Why this car stands out: Feels huge inside, can carry seven plus luggage
That’s our list of five alternatives to choosing a family car when you need more space. There are numerous options out there when you need more space, and not all have to be an SUV. Many of these models are not only cheaper to buy, but they can also be more economical to run over the long term.
Which of these great family cars would you go for?
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Ireland should seek redress from the Nato countries for this amount. We are not causing this migration, just as we weren’t party to the bombing and destruction of Libya or Syria. The US has said that this war is going to be a very long one so the refugees are going to keep coming and those here are not going home soon, if ever.
Neutral Ireland should be shouting out loud for peace talks to start and not nodding agreement to the arms shipments pouring into Ukraine.
Is the President’s wife, Sabina Higgins, the only one in Ireland with a titter of wit or a shread of humanity?
@Bramley Hawthorne: so nothing to do with Russia?
Ukraine could never have joined Nato and everyone knows that. Nato’s charter does not allow a country to join that has conflict on its border and Ukraine had multiple even before the invasion.
Ukraine biggest mistake was to hand back all those nukes and to trust that Russia would abide to any agreement.
Should have kept a few and no one would bother them then.
@Bramley Hawthorne: or we should just pay it forward.
Half the world claims Irish heritage because so many found a place to begin a new life back in the 1800’s.
That’s not to saying they had it easy in the 1800’s. However, the good will of many foreign countries and their people should be remembered and used as rationale to treat these Ukrainian people with respect and understanding for their situation even if it costs us a few bob.
@Bramley Hawthorne: Ridiculous comment. Ireland offered to house these refugees.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: You are very good at trying to rewrite history. Russia attached Ukraine.
@Bramley Hawthorne: NATO did not start this war. Russia did. A war you told us was never going to happen because Russia would never invade Ukraineand it was all western lies.
@Bramley Hawthorne:
NATO did not create or start this war. Russia, and Russia alone is responsible.
@Paolo Fandango: Sadly, not all can afford it. Charity and activism can be great but if an old person can’t pay the heating bill that arrives or if a family can’t afford to buy a home because cost of living has eat into their salary/salaries, it’s not fair to force it upon them.
Hope our landlord politicians read this article to avoid any oversights in claiming the €400.
@Tom Keane: pretty sure they aren’t bother with the 400, it’s the multi million euro contract to host them in hotels that would get them out of bed in the morning
@Tom Keane: try it sometime
Yet our next generation of students suffer while trying to secure accommodation for the college term
@Paul Dolan: that bias comparison is only valid if those taking in refugees would ordinarily have taken in students and are not talking students now. Unlikely.
@Paul Clancy: not blaming the kindness of people but instead blaming our government
@Paul Dolan: have they not moved out of student accommodation already?
@Paul Clancy: I rang someone in work the other day because a letter we sent them had been returned undelivered to us. He said he was no longer at the address because the landlord evicted them so he could put in Ukrainian refugees.
@Paul Dolan: Suffering students?
we have 6 in our holiday home , 400 does not cover it.
@ChronicAnxiety: I wouldn’t do it for 400 the payment to Irish households to take people in should be more giving the rise in everything
@ChronicAnxiety: there was no mention of any payments at the start and you did it willingly
I know someone wanting to give out two rooms in their own home to help out. Tried for about 5 months chasing everyone with calls and dropping in. Got the run around from everyone including red Cross and local council. Eventually contacted local td few times and they called back to say unfortunately only looking for a 5 bedroom house
Isn’t everyone in the country?!!?!
Know someone else waiting for few months and no news.
Why can’t they offer something for students too. They also need assistance
@Trevor W: They do…. You can rent a room to a student and earn up to 14.5k tax free. I think that’s a good deal for both the student and the home owner.
Fair dues to those who accommodate Ukrainians in their own homes and I don’t think they did it for the money … 400 euros is great value for the taxpayer too compared to what’s paid out to hoteliers etc. Can’t understand why they can’t get their act together and place more in homes…..lots of people have pledged and for some reason they’re not being followed up. The Red Cross got millions on the Late Late show and seem to have made a complete horliks of the whole pledging and hosting situation.
As a lot of Closed Commercial Premises have now opened up to accommodate the Refugees, how much does these establishments such as Hotels, Guest Houses and B&Bs receive per person staying, and is Food and Laundry charged as an extra per person staying or is it included in the Base Allowance.
@Owen G Mc Ginley: Ahh Owen. What are you asking that sensible question for? You trying to understand how the books are balanced on this? Back in your box pal. Nothing for you to see here. Just a whole class of hotel and accommodation owners creaming it off the back of the “taxpayer”. All borrowed money as well, in Ireland’s name. Keep quiet though, all these well heeled hoteliers and property owners are friends of TDs and hold sway and influence. These are the people benefiting from immigration, crying about how we need to bring in people from abroad who will work for minimum wage in their businesses whilst availing of other working people’s tax funded subsidies such as HAP to just put a roof over their heads. You keep working away now – they’ll just take 52% of your earnings, tax you anytime you drive, park, eat, drink, heat your home, buy anything. There’s a good little worker now – you’redoing God’s work! We’re all doing our bit now. Some people just get money while others have it taken away. Sure what do you need money for – you wouldn’t know what to do with it – you’d never appreciate the finer things in life!
400 Euro per month wouldn’t cover the cost of the electricity bill at the rate its going up plus gas as well
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