U.S. News & World Report Announces its List of Best Cars for Families

When you have a family, a lot of thought is put into selecting a car. It’s no longer about what you would like, but also what is safe for your family. Cost and features also come into play, and it can be a pretty daunting decision. A lot of people rely on various articles and reports to help them make the best decision for what car would best suit their family. I am currently looking for a new family car, and I plan to research a lot of vehicles to make sure I select the right vehicle for us.

On February 1st, U.S. News & World Report announced its 2012 List of Best Cars for Families. U.S. News & World Report is a very trusted source when it comes to car reviews and rankings.

Here is some information on U.S. News & World Report’s list:

To determine the winners in each category, U.S. News editors combine the consensus opinion of automotive critics with safety, reliability, passenger and cargo volume data as well as an index of family-friendly features. The awards, and the Best Cars website, are published by U.S. News & World Report, which has a long history of helping Americans make the best choices when it comes to higher education, hospitals and more. More than 20 million people have visited U.S. News Best Cars in the past year alone.

“American families need cars that are safe, reliable and designed to make life easier,” said Jamie Page Deaton, Managing Editor of U.S. News Best Cars. “The winning vehicles provide the best mix of the bells and whistles today’s families want with the basics they need. From the rugged towing and foul-weather capabilities of the Toyota Sequoia, to the comfort and space of the Honda Odyssey, to the high-tech features to keep teen drivers safe in the Ford Taurus, this list offers a vehicle for every type of family.”

In 18 categories, 8 brands won awards. Categories included SUVs, minivans, and cars. The brands with the most awards were Ford and Honda.

Below is the complete U.S. News & World Report 2012 List of Best Cars for Families:

CATEGORY	WINNER
Affordable Compact SUV	2012 Honda CR-V
Full-Size Car	2012 Ford Taurus
Affordable Full-Size SUV	2012 Toyota Sequoia
Affordable Midsize Car	2012 Ford Fusion
Midsize SUV with Two Rows	2012 Ford Edge
Midsize SUV with Three Rows	2012 Buick Enclave
Compact Car	2012 Subaru Impreza
Subcompact Car	2012 Honda Fit
Hatchback	2012 Honda Fit
Hybrid Car	2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Hybrid SUV	2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Luxury Compact SUV	2012 BMW X3
Luxury Full-Size SUV	2012 Cadillac Escalade
Luxury Midsize SUV	2012 Acura MDX
Minivan	2012 Honda Odyssey
Upscale Midsize Car	2012 Buick Regal
Upscale Small Car	2012 Acura TSX
Wagon	2012 Subaru Outback