Kelley Blue Book Names Best Family Cars Of 2017

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The expert editors at Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today name the 12 Best Family Cars of 2017.  After extensive testing and evaluation, with a keen focus on safety, value, reputation, driving manners, comfort and convenience, cargo versatility, technology, and fit of various rear-facing and forward-facing child safety car seats, the KBB.com editors recommend their choices for a diverse group of new vehicles that best meet the needs of today's families.

"Looking at sales trends, soccer field parking lots and school drop-off lines, it's clear that families have moved on from the family sedan, and now the modern family car is an SUV," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.  "As SUVs have grown more comfortable and fuel efficient over the years, car shoppers  have demonstrated an increasing preference for the elevated driving position, superior cargo versatility and higher profile of SUVs, which make them more functional as family cars than traditional sedans."

The Kelley Blue Book editorial staff drives hundreds of new cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans every year, so their testing never stops.  Specifically for this year's Best Family Cars, they compiled a list of last year's winners along with the best of the new and redesigned 2017 models, and brought them together for a back-to-back testing regimen.  Ten editors spent two weeks driving, poking, prodding and researching all of the Best Family Car contenders.  KBB.com's editorial staff includes several parents with children spanning a full range of ages from toddler, elementary, middle, high school and college students, and even a few who have made it out into the real world.  The editors enlisted the help of their families to put this year's contenders to the real-world test, and at the conclusion a total of 12 new vehicles were deemed worthy of being named a Kelley Blue Book Best Family Car of 2017.  And while there are plenty of excellent, family-focused luxury SUVs to recommend, the editors focus strictly on mainstream brands for this annual collection of KBB.com's Best Family Cars.  Starting prices for this year's winners range from about $20,000 to the low $30,000 range, with only the Chevrolet Tahoe exceeding a $40,000 starting price. 

Child car safety seats are a hugely important consideration for car shoppers with infants, toddlers or both.  Is there enough distance between the front seat and the back seat to accommodate both the seat and the child?  Can you fit all the seats you need?  If readers are in or are near the child car seat stage, visit the accompanying car seat guide with useful tips and specific details regarding the car seat strengths and weaknesses of each of this year's Best Family Cars.  And while all of the winners are among tops in their respective segments when it comes to car seats, the KBB.com editors strongly suggest taking your child's car seats and boosters along when shopping.  How well they fit could make or break a car-buying decision.

For more information about Kelley Blue Book's 12 Best Family Cars of 2017, including detailed editorial commentary, technology features, safety ratings, driving dynamics, photos, pricing information and more for each model, visit https://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/best-family-cars-suvs-minivans/2100001791.

To discuss this topic, or any other automotive-related information, with a Kelley Blue Book analyst on-camera via the company's on-site studio, please contact a member of the Public Relations team to schedule an interview.

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About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com/)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies.  Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for five consecutive years.  Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive brand.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader®, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, vAuto®, Xtime® and a host of other brands. The global company has 33,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of $18 billion and approximately 60,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book