2016 Best Cars for Families: Honda and Mercedes-Benz Tie

Honda and Mercedes-Benz Tie for Most Wins

 

U.S. News & World Report ranked the 2016 Best Cars for Families. U.S. News evaluated 256 vehicles and named winners across 21 categories.

The 2016 Best Cars for Families winners have the best combination of safety and reliability ratings, excellent reviews from the automotive press and the space and features that keep the entire family happy. New high-tech features, such as in-car wireless Internet, teen driver controls and smartphone apps, were considered alongside traditional criteria such as passenger and cargo space.

Mercedes-Benz and Honda tied with the most awards won by individual brands, taking home four awards each. Mercedes-Benz won half of the awards in the eight luxury categories. What sets the brand apart from its competitors are features in the C-Class, GLE and GLC – such as in-car Wi-Fi, rear-seat USB ports, tri-zone climate controls, hands-free liftgates and rear sunshades – that make traveling with a family more comfortable.

Honda’s models are among the top picks for families because of their large cargo spaces – ideal for strollers, grocery bags and more. For the sixth consecutive year, the Honda Odyssey won Best Minivan for Families, the longest streak in the awards’ history. The Odyssey’s available features, such as a 16-inch rear-seat entertainment screen that can show two different movies side-by-side, a built-in vacuum and a power liftgate, can make life a little easier for parents who have their hands full. In addition, professional car critics say the Odyssey has great driving dynamics, unlike other minivans.

Two award categories, Subcompact SUVs and Luxury Subcompact SUVs, are all-new for 2016, with the Honda HR-V winning Best Subcompact SUV for Families and the BMW X1 winning Best Luxury Subcompact SUV for Families.

“Finding the best family car can be a time-intensive process,” said Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. “Whether you need extra room for car seats or want to monitor your new teen driver, the Best Cars for Families have options for every type of family.”

Of the 21 Best Cars for Families winners, six are also winners of the 2016 Best Cars for the Money awards because of their excellent long-term value.  The awards are published on the U.S. News Best Cars website here.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2016 BEST CARS FOR FAMILIES

Compact Cars

2016 Kia Soul

Upscale Small Cars

2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Midsize Cars

2016 Chevrolet Malibu

Upscale Midsize Cars

2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

2-Row SUVs

2016 Nissan Murano

3-Row SUVs

2016 Honda Pilot

Luxury 2-Row SUVs

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Luxury 3-Row SUVs

2016 Volvo XC90

Minivans

2016 Honda Odyssey

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