Best Cars for Moms for 2025
These are the best cars, SUVs, and trucks for moms (and dads) based on iSeeCars' analysis of each vehicle’s pricing, safety, and reliability.
Best Cars for Moms by Vehicle Type
Moms, and dads, seeking a family-friendly new car will want a vehicle that boasts excellent safety and reliability, along with practicality, high fuel economy, and comfortable front and second-row seats. For larger families, a third-row of seating may be necessary, and for families living in colder climates, all-wheel drive is probably a good idea. Ideally, the perfect family vehicle will provide a long lifespan with a trouble-free driving experience, which translates to excellent value.
iSeeCars considered all of these traits when identifying the best cars for mom. The top models are grouped by vehicle type below, and then ranked according to their total lifespan, which translates into an annual lifespan cost and rewards models that last the longest. Safety and reliability also play a role in how cars are ranked for each vehicle category, with those ratings and the overall iSeeCars quality rating provided for each model.
Beyond expected dad-and-mom-car elements, such as a roomy interior with plenty of space for car seats and family accessories, plus a fuel-efficient powertrain and easily-accessible cargo area, parents should pay close attention to standard and optional safety features. Most modern vehicles include advanced technology like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. But family-oriented features, including rear seat reminder (warns drivers to not leave their children in the car) and safe exit assist (warns passengers not to open their door when traffic is approaching) add useful child-specific protection to a vehicle.
Family-friendly amenities are another area to consider when buying a family-friendly vehicle. Long road trips can feel much shorter with a user-friendly touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wi-fi hotspot that lets kids browse the internet can keep them entertained, while adaptive cruise control reduces parental fatigue. Best of all, it doesn’t take Porsche-level money to find these features. All of them are standard on mainstream models like the Subaru Outback or Kia Telluride three-row SUV.
For families on a tighter budget, today’s compact SUVs may give up a third-row of seating and some cubic feet of cargo space, but most of them still include the above features, even on base models. And these smaller SUVs offer higher fuel efficiency, which means reduced operating costs over the life of the vehicle. You can read about these features, and see the new and used pricing and mpg ratings, for each model below.
Best Cars for Moms
Best Trucks for Moms

Best Midsize Trucks for Moms
- Annual Lifespan Cost
Best Hybrids for Moms

Best Luxury Hybrid Cars for Moms
- Annual Lifespan Cost

Best Hybrid Luxury Midsize Cars for Moms
- Annual Lifespan Cost
Best Electrics for Moms
How We Rank These Cars
The Best Cars for Moms rank vehicles by iSeeCars' analysis of each vehicle’s average lifespan and annual lifespan cost.
Only vehicles with a NHTSA safety rating of 5 or an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating, along with key family-friendly features like seating, are included and ranked. For each vehicle, we also display an iSeeCars Score.
iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).