U.S. News Unveils the 2026 Best Cars for Families

Expansion of the 2026 awards to 14 automotive categories aligns with market trends and offers families more vehicle options.

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today announced its 2026 Best Cars for Families awards. With seven new categories added in 2026, the awards recognize 14 different vehicle classes based on a strong combination of safety, reliability, interior space and family-friendly features.

"With a variety of new awards added this year, the Best Cars for Families provides households of all kinds with expertly vetted options to fit their specific needs," said Zach Doell, vehicle testing editor at U.S. News. "The 2026 awards recognize the models that deliver a seamless blend of safety and strong interior capacity, making the ride enjoyable for every passenger – from the front seats to the back."

Hyundai earned the most awards across all categories with five total wins. The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid took home the inaugural title as the Best Midsize Hybrid SUV for Families. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 earned the debut award for the Best Compact EV SUV for Families, while the Hyundai Ioniq 9 claimed the first-ever distinction as the Best Midsize EV SUV for Families. The Hyundai Tucson and the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid secured top honors in the compact SUV and compact hybrid SUV segments.

Three additional debut segments – Best Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) SUV for Families, Best Midsize Pickup Truck for Families and Best Full Size Pickup Truck for Families – reflect the rising demand for versatile family haulers. The Mazda CX-90 PHEV secured the premier honor in the PHEV SUV class, cited for its generous third-row seating and impressive list of features. Meanwhile, the Honda Ridgeline and the Toyota Tundra took home the inaugural midsize and full-size pickup truck awards by balancing cabin comfort, family-friendly tech and crash safety ratings.

Other first-time winners include the GMC Acadia for Best 3-Row Midsize SUV for Families and the GMC Yukon XL for Best Large SUV for Families. In the competitive minivan class, the Kia Carnival was awarded the title as Best Minivan for Families – a jack-of-all-trades vehicle featuring a spacious cabin and many active safety technologies.

Among Honda's wins, the Honda Passport continues its dominance as the Best 2-Row Midsize SUV for Families, and the Honda Accord and Honda Accord Hybrid continue their two-year streak as winners in the midsize car and hybrid car categories.

The 2026 Best Cars for Families awards' criteria look at each vehicle's overall rating from the U.S. News Best Cars Rankings to determine quality, incorporating elements like safety data, predicted reliability ratings, passenger and cargo space, our experience with the vehicle and the consensus opinion of the automotive press. The award methodology also considers the availability of family-friendly features such as device charging and teen driver controls. The winners were selected based on the highest composite score in each of the 14 vehicle categories. Read more about the methodology here.

For more information on the Best Cars for Families awards, explore Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook using #BestCars.

About U.S. News Best Cars
Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings and reviews of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars Awards, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families. U.S. News Best Cars supports car shoppers throughout the entire car buying journey, offering industry-leading advice for researching cars and finding cars for sale, as well as its U.S. News Best Price Program.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.