If you read our 12 Best Family Cars story, you saw that our picks focused on 2- and 3-row compact, midsize, and full-size family vehicles. However, if you have a smaller family — as mine was growing up — or a lower budget — which was, again, the case of my family — there are several great choices for you with prices around $25,000. We’ve focused on the ones with excellent safety tech, decent cargo space, and interiors that are easy to reconfigure. In some cases, great features like all-wheel drive (AWD) come as standard equipment. A few vehicles on this list are current and past Best Buy Award winners.
For pricing, we’ve included the price breakdown with the destination charge for the base model and the most recent Fair Purchase Price as of this story’s publish date.
Here are the 10 Best Family Cars Around $25,000 for 2024.
1. 2024 Hyundai Kona
Starting Price: $24,250 ($25,625 including $1,375 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $24,576
The Hyundai Kona is all grown up for 2024. Its overall length grew by nearly six inches, which means there’s good legroom for rear-seat passengers. With all five seats filled, there’s room for 25.5 cubic feet of gear behind the second row. Once you start reconfiguring the cabin, however, you can get 63.7 cubic feet of cargo in there. Fuel economy is as good as 35 mpg on the highway, too. There is also a Kona Electric, but its starting price is beyond the scope of this story.
The Kona is KBB’s Subcompact SUV Best Buy for 2024. It’s also an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, the highest award the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives. The Kona comes standard with blind-spot warning, front and rear cross-traffic avoidance assist, lane-keeping assist, and safe exit warning. It even comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone connectivity, and cruise control. It is protected by one of the best warranties you can get: 10 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain and five years/60,000 for the vehicle. See Hyundai Kona models for sale near you
2. 2024 Kia Seltos
Starting Price: $24,490 ($25,865 including $1,375 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $24,907
A significant refresh for 2024 gives the Kia Seltos more technology, updated styling, more power, and a new transmission. That all adds up to an even more compelling package for families. This previous multiyear Subcompact SUV Best Buy Award winner offers a lot of value at a low starting price. This is another example of a small SUV offering a generous cargo space. There’s 26.6 cubic feet of space behind the back seat, which you can boost to 62.8 cubic feet by folding down the rear seats. Rear-seat legroom doesn’t suffer to allow for cargo in back, either. Second-row passengers have a relatively spacious 38.0 inches of legroom.
The base model Seltos LX comes standard with all-wheel drive and Kia’s Drive Wise suite of safety tech. This suite includes forward collision-avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and lane-following assist. Move up one trim, and the S comes standard with blind-spot collision avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance. An 8-inch infotainment system and smartphone connectivity are also standard. The Seltos can go up to 409 miles on a tank of gas, and fuel economy is as good as 34 mpg on the highway. See Kia Seltos models for sale near you
3. 2024 Subaru Crosstrek
Starting Price: $25,195 ($26,540 including $1,345 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $25,398
Also significantly updated for 2024, the Subaru Crosstrek is the most refined it has ever been, with a quiet interior and comfortable ride. But that doesn’t come at the expense of the Crosstrek’s aptitude in the great outdoors. The Crosstrek comes standard with all-wheel drive, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), and 8.7 inches of ground clearance. There’s even a Wilderness trim level available with more ground clearance, its own wheel/tire combination, and additional body protection.
The Crosstrek is roomy, with more than 100 cubic feet of space for people and 20 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row. With the seats folded, the cargo volume is 54.7 cubic feet.
While the Crosstrek is available with two engines, the base engine is the one you can get in this price range. It isn’t super-fast, but the power is competitive in its segment. Fuel economy is very good. Even with the most off-road capability of any vehicle on this list, you get up to 34 mpg on the highway and a range of over 500 miles (estimated). These numbers are especially impressive, considering this is an AWD-only SUV. This Subaru comes standard with the EyeSight suite of safety features. The Crosstrek also boasts excellent resale value. See Subaru Crosstrek models for sale near you
4. 2024 Honda HR-V
Starting Price: $24,600 ($25,950 including $1,350 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $24,963
As the subcompact SUV segment matures, so do the vehicles in that segment. Take, for example, the Honda HR-V. The second generation of the 5-passenger small SUV is larger, more refined, and uses a more powerful engine than the first gen. The HR-V’s footprint allows for 98.7 cubic feet of room for passengers, with 37.7 inches of legroom in the second row. There are 24.4 cubic feet of cargo behind the second row, which expands to 55.1 when the rear seats are folded.
As you would expect from a Honda SUV, the HR-V comes with a wide range of standard features with an emphasis on safety. The LX, the only trim level that falls within a $25,000 price range, includes the Honda Sensing suite of safety features. That comes with driver aids like lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning, road departure mitigation, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control. The HR-V is an IIHS TSP+ for 2024. See Honda HR-V models for sale near you
5. 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross
Starting Price: $23,860 ($25,210 including $1,350 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $24,302
If you want the practicality, safety, reliability, and fuel efficiency of the Corolla but need more cargo space, the Toyota Corolla Cross is the SUV for you. It also adds to the mix a higher seating position and available AWD.
Every Corolla Cross comes with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This suite includes pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, proactive driving assist, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and assist, and adaptive cruise control.
With about 95 cubic feet of passenger space, 32 inches of rear-seat legroom, and 24 cubic feet of space behind the second row, the Corolla Cross makes great use of space.
Fuel economy is as good as 33 highway mpg with front-wheel drive, with a range of nearly 400 miles. There’s also a Hybrid, but it isn’t available in this price range. See Toyota Corolla Cross models for sale near you
6. 2024 Mazda CX-30
Starting Price: $24,995 ($26,415 including $1,420 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $25,395
Who says you can’t have fun while driving a family car? Not Mazda. Mazda has two appealing sub-$25,000 family car choices. There’s the Mazda CX-30 subcompact SUV and the Mazda3 hatchback. They share the same terrific platform, have similar cargo volume, and are IIHS Top Safety Pick+ winners. Both come with impressive safety features and good gas mileage while offering some of the segment’s best handling, steering, and styling.
Choosing between these two models really depends on your personal preference. The Mazda CX-30 comes standard with AWD. To get AWD in the Mazda3 Hatchback, it’ll run $30,560 ($31,745 including $1,185 destination) for the 2.5 S Carbon Edition. The CX-30 also has added ride height and ground clearance. The Hatchback has its advantages, with better handling and fuel economy, thanks to front-wheel drive.
Features like adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams are standard with the CX-30 and the Mazda3. See Mazda CX-30 models for sale near you
7. 2024 Honda Civic Hatchback
Starting Price: $24,950 ($26,045 including $1,095 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $24,966
As mentioned with the Mazda3 above, hatchbacks can be a great choice for a family on a budget. The Honda Civic Hatchback is one of the best compact cars out there, with a reputation for reliability, fuel efficiency, and value that goes back decades. We homed in on the hatchback over the sedan. It offers more cargo space, plus the hatchback layout makes the cargo easier to pack and the interior easier to reconfigure. That means you’ll have an easier time Tetris-ing in bulky items from the local big box store.
The Civic has a fuel economy as high as 39 mpg, with more than 430 miles of range on a single tank. The Honda Sensing suite of safety features comes standard. These include collision mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, road departure mitigation, and automatic high beams. See Honda Civic models for sale near you
8. 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Starting Price: $23,100 ($24,395 including $1,295 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $23,294
The Chevrolet Trailblazer offers impressive storage space and fuel efficiency at a low price. You can fit 25.3 cubic feet of stuff behind the second row, which expands to 54.4 when the second row is folded. Even with that, the second row has 39.4 inches of legroom. Fuel economy is as good as 33 mpg on the highway. While the Trailblazer has a good roster of standard features, including an 11-inch touchscreen, we recommend spending the extra $395 to get the more powerful, more efficient 1.3-liter engine.
Every Trailblazer comes with the Chevy Safety Assist system, which includes forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist with lane-departure warning, and a rear-seat reminder. Also standard is Chevrolet’s Teen Driver safety suite. See Chevrolet Trailblazer models for sale near you
9. 2024 Kia Soul
Starting Price: $20,190 ($21,565 including $1,375 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $20,999
Is the Kia Soul a hatchback? Is it an SUV? The category honestly doesn’t matter all that much, considering how efficient and functional this vehicle is. The Soul is an affordable, fuel-efficient way to carry people and their items to birthday parties, soccer games, and more.
Its appealing boxy styling creates a cabin that’s great for tall passengers while allowing for terrific cargo space. With all the seats upright, you’ll have 24.2 cubic feet of space to store your gear. Fold down that second row, and cargo volume goes up to 62.1 cubic feet, which is more than you’ll get in some subcompact SUVs.
The Soul’s starting price is so low that you can work your way high up the trim ladder and get plenty of great features — all while staying under $25,000 before factoring in destination charges. The Kia Soul EX gets you forward collision avoidance, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, and much more. See Kia Soul models for sale near you
10. 2024 Volkswagen Taos
Starting Price: $23,995 ($25,420 including $1,425 destination)
Fair Purchase Price: $23,968
Smaller than the Tiguan, the Volkswagen Taos is a subcompact SUV that shares its attractive looks with the rest of the VW SUV line. Its fuel-efficient engine gives the Taos 409 miles of range and fuel economy up to 36 mpg on the highway.
Of all the vehicles on this list, the Taos has the best combination of rear-seat legroom and cargo space behind the second row. With 99.5 cubic feet of passenger space, 37.9 inches of rear-seat legroom, and 27.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats (in FWD models), this is the one to choose for the most useful all-around interior room. That cargo can expand to 65.9 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded.
Our budget affords the FWD S. That comes with safety features like forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring. It also has blind-spot monitoring and VW’s Digital Cockpit. The S is available with AWD, but that addition puts it over $25,000. See Volkswagen Taos models for sale near you
10 Best Family Cars Around $25,000
- 2024 Hyundai Kona
- 2024 Kia Seltos
- 2024 Subaru Crosstrek
- 2024 Honda HR-V
- 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross
- 2024 Mazda CX-30
- 2024 Honda Civic Hatchback
- 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer
- 2024 Kia Soul
- 2024 Volkswagen Taos
