The Best Family Cars for 2006

Our Exclusive List

Shopping for a new family car isn't easy. Busy parents don't have the time to take multiple models out for a spin, yet can't afford to make a costly mistake either. That's why we've done the driving for you. For the fourth year in a row, Parents has teamed up with the experts at the American Automobile Association (AAA) to select the top 15 vehicles for families.

These elite SUVs, minivans, crossover vehicles, sedans, and economy cars offer the perfect mix of road performance, reliability, comfort, value, and style. And safety, as always, comes first: Our picks score at or near the top in government and industry crash tests* and come with the latest safety technologies. Every model has also been tested by Parents editors and readers to ensure that the car seats install easily, the endless baby gear fits without a struggle, and the handling lives up to the hype. For our exclusive list, motor ahead.

* Crash-test results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are not available for all vehicles. NHTSA star ratings are on a 10-point scale for frontal and side-impact crash tests and a five-point scale for rollover. Some ratings refer to prior model years, but only when the design is the same as the 2006 version. For the most up-to-date safety ratings, log on to safercar.gov and iihs.org. Prices include delivery fees and represent base prices for all trim lines. Mileage ratings vary depending on engine. Some options listed are not available on all models.