2022 saw some AWESOMEÂ seven and eight-seater family cars enter the Australian market and I LOVED putting them through their paces with my family! BabyDrive's Best Family-Friendly Seven & Eight-Seaters of 2022Â are new or updated versions of existing models that have had such a transformation that they deserve a test drive and to be on every family's shopping list!
Perhaps you have a large or blended family and need to use all seven or eight seats or, like so many of us, you have one or two kids but want the extra boot space and flexibility for transporting friends' kids, the in-laws or everything you need for family holidays. All of these cars come highly recommended for you.
- Looking for seven-seaters that will take three child seats across?
- Looking for cars that will fit a twin pram in the boot?
Here are my BEST FOUR family-friendly seven and eight-seater cars of 2022:
1st Place: Jeep Grand Cherokee L
The seven-seater Jeep Grand Cherokee L is the ultimate winner! This is a fantastic seven-seat family SUV with real off-road capabilities so you can take it up the beach at the weekend as well as being comfier than the majority of 4x4s around town during the week.
I also found the Jeep Grand Cherokee L to be packed full of features families will love, like the rear interior camera ‘Fam Cam' that allows you to see all the passengers in the back on the front media screen – no more stopping at the side of the road to see why your child is screaming!
The Grand Cherokee L is really spacious with heaps of legroom and headroom for seven grown adults to fit comfortably in the car. There are five top tether anchorages in the two rear rows of seats and an Infasecure child seat fits nicely in every one of them. Ranging in price between $83,000 and $103,000 the Jeep Grand Cherokee L is not exactly a bargain but does give you a confident, practical, feature-filled and luxurious family car.
Because the Jeep Grand Cherokee is great to drive on and off-road and is spacious, it is enjoyable for both kids and adults to travel in. See the top five family-friendly features of the Jeep Grand Cherokee here.
2nd Place: Nissan Pathfinder
The new Nissan Pathfinder is a fantastic all-round family SUV. It is available as a seven or eight-seater, with either two rear rows of bench seats, or captain's chairs in the second row and a bench seat in the third row.
Having given the new Pathfinder very thorough testing with my family over a couple of months this summer I know it fits our family life perfectly. It is surprisingly capable off-road, coped very well with a camping trip and driving up the beach, as well the flexibility with three adults and two kids aboard plus all our daily beach gear, kayaks and paddleboards inside.
I was easily able to fit three Infasecure child seats across the second row in the eight-seater Pathfinder as well as the flexibility to fit a tethered child seat in the third row. Even with all eight seats in use you still have a really practical big boot space!
The Nissan Pathfinder ranges in price between $54,000 and $78,000 and is packed full of family-friendly features; like rear window blinds, double door cup holders, and aircon vents in all three rows. See the adventures and testing of the new Nissan Pathfinder here.
3rd Place: Ford Everest
The Ford Everest has been completely updated and is now a brilliant modern seven-seat family SUV with great off-road and towing ability.
It will carry five Infasecure child seats in the back with good legroom for front passengers too. The Everest has good third-row access, boot space is good and there is an enormous portrait media screen with games and entertainment. Air-conditioning vents in all three rows of seats can be controlled by the adults in the front.
The Everest ranges in price between $53,000 and $78,000. See the top family-friendly features of the Ford Everest here.
4th Place: Volkswagen Caddy
The Volkswagen Caddy makes a SUPER family seven-seater. It has so much great storage inside; rear tray tables and a storage shelf above the front passengers. The rear seats are spacious and the interior cabin is roomy with a high ceiling and great legroom.
If you are not going to use all three rows of seats then the third-row seats are individual and removable so you can remove them very easily and have an enormous boot space. I love driving the Volkswagen Caddy with my family onboard. It is spacious and fun and the kids can bring whatever bike, scooter or ball they decide they desperately need!
The Volkswagen Caddy costs around $50,000 and is a fantastic large family car. See the top 3 family-friendly features of the Volkswagen Caddy here.
What do you think of BabyDrive's Best Family-Friendly Seven & Eight-Seaters of 2022? Is there a car you think deserves to be here? Let us know in the comments!
Hi. Thank you for your reviews. I wondered why there’s no mention of the Kia Carnival (which you ranked previously as the best choice for 7 or 8 seats), the Hyundai Staria nor the Hyundai Palisade, and others, amongst your list of the best family vehicles available in 2022? If someone is looking to buy a vehicle, then they just want to know what are the best choices and don’t care if it’s a vehicle that’s just been updated or not, just whether it’s a better choice. How would the vehicles I’ve mention rank against the 4 vehicles you’ve listed?
Carnival is a benchmark all round, highly recommended for anyone who doesn’t insist on an SUV. Palisade and Pathfinder are very very close; Palisade might just edge it for tech and diesel available. Staria lacks some of the genius of the Carnival.