Which family cars have the biggest boots?

Who knew kids came with so much STUFF!? It starts with prams and bassinets, then as they grow the kids progress through scooters, bikes, skateboards, hockey sticks and surfboards.

And that’s without them deciding they want to learn the double bass!

Beyond everyday duties, there’s family holidays and camping, which requires everything including the kitchen sink and a whole other level of storage!

So we parents need our car’s boot to be VERY capable mobile storage facilities.

As a mum, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au, I have tested hundreds of cars over the past seven years for their family practicality, with prams, child seats, bikes and more.

I don’t measure the boots in litres because that’s not going to tell us if what we need will fit. Instead, I test them with grocery bags and various types of pram, as you’ll see in the comparison charts below.

We’ve found you the biggest boots in the business when it comes to large family SUVs, luxury SUVs, the ever-popular mid-size SUVs and people-movers. So let’s start cramming…

Reigning champion of family boot space among large family SUVs is the Hyundai Palisade.

It’s a practical option for families with children of all ages. If you need to use all seven or eight seats you can fit a side-by-side pram in the boot or eight grocery bags. For those only needing to use five seats, it holds a whopping 22 bags of shopping!

Prams, bikes, and sporting equipment are no concern in the boot of this gentle giant. It has great underfloor storage for the cargo blind and extra items too.

In second place, the Mazda CX-90, has a cavernous and practical boot space for families big and small.

With five seats in use, the boot can hold 22 shopping bags. Alternatively, a double side-by-side pram fits easily alongside seven shopping bags.

For larger families, when using all three rows of seating a double pram in the boot, or a weekly shop can still fit the same.

When your IKEA runs, Mazda has designed the CX-90's boot with a five-degree incline that creates a flat loading space when the second and third rows are folded, making it easier to transport long items like furniture and surfboards.

Mazda has designed the CX-90’s boot with a five-degree incline which creates a flat space after folding down the second and third seat rows. This added feature makes loading spontaneous IKEA purchases all that easier to get home.

Sitting in third spot is the Toyota Kluger, with its nice tall boot space for scooters and bikes in the back when you’re using five seats.

A grocery haul of 20 bags fits nicely in the boot, or any size of pram.

With twins or two infants, the Kluger is practical as a side-by-side double pram fits easily in the boot when you use all seven seats.

A recent addition to the large SUV category is the Volvo EX90. This fully electric car ranks fourth place thanks to its super-practical boot space, ideal for families.

The height of the Volvo can be adjusted by the electric controls in the boot. This boot feature makes loading and unloading so much easier – and it can be put at a comfortable height for emergency nappy changes!

For families using only the first two seat rows, 20 grocery bags will fit nicely in the boot, or any size of pram alongside a weekly shop.

For larger families and those using all three rows of seats, the EX90 is convenient with a side-by-side double pram still fitting in the boot (or seven shopping bags).

A new, fully electric seven-seat SUV from Hyundai, the IONIQ 9 is luxurious, futuristic, minimal and extremely well equipped (as you’d expected for its high price), and full of features that make family travel easy.

The boot of the IONIQ 9 is practical for the everyday life of large families with young children, as a side-by-side double pram fits in the boot (or nine shopping bags) when using all three rows of seats.

For smaller families using the first two rows of seats only, the IONIQ 9 provides enormous boot space, which fits 21 bags of groceries, or many combinations of kids’ sports gear, scooters, and bikes.

In second place the quiet cocoon of the Audi Q7 and SQ7 makes these luxury cars perfect for families who want a smooth drive, good safety measures, and sufficient boot space.

When using all three rows, a single pram will fit in the boot or a weekly family shop, the same as the BMW X7.

When using the first two seat rows, the Audi cars hold slightly more than the BMW X7, fitting 19 shopping bags, or a side-by-side double pram and a week's worth of groceries.

If you’re looking for a premium all-rounder, the BMW X7 is a beautiful seven-seat luxury SUV. The boot size can hold 18 grocery bags when using five seats, whereas for larger families using all seven seats it can hold seven grocery bags.

The BMW X7 is a good option for families with children of varying ages as it fits a modular pram with all seats in use but not a side-by-side double.

In first place for midsize SUVs, the Kia Sportage is a great all-rounder.

The Kia Sportage boot carries 16 bags of groceries or a double side-by-side pram, or a modular double pram and five grocery bags.

The new Subaru Forester comes in second place for boot space in the medium family SUV segment.

Even with child seats fitted, the SUV’s impressive legroom makes it a great pick for taller families.

The Subaru Forester fits 16 bags of groceries (like the Kia Sportage), or a double side-by-side pram fits with no room grocery bags.

The Toyota RAV4 in third place features a reversible boot floor with carpet on one side and plastic on the other. This means while holidaying with fur babies or traveling with the kids bicycles, families can easily clean the plastic boot with no drama.

As for boot storage, 15 grocery bags or a double side-by-side pram and some grocery bags fit nicely.

The all-electric Tesla Model Y is a worthy contender, ranking in fourth place in boot practicality for everyday family use.

With a clean, minimal, and modern interior, the boot that fits 15 bags of groceries plus a big under-floor well and more space under the bonnet.

For families with twins or young children, a double side-by-side pram fits in the boot but you’d have to stash any grocery bags under the floor or in the front trunk.

If our top-rated midsize and large SUV boots still don’t offer enough space, there are several people-mover options worth considering.

The Hyundai Staria offers the largest boot space available.

For families that need to use all three rows of seats, the space is equal to the largest SUV boot even when only using the first two seat rows. Best of all, you can stand your pram up in the boot without collapsing it down.

If you’re only using the first two rows of seats, the boot space is so large it rivals the tray of some dual-cab utes – especially when measured by how many grocery bags it can hold. Plus, you can fold down one side of the seats to fit longer items like a surfboard.

The Kia Carnival has an unconventional trough-like boot which has the ability to increase its depth when the tailgate is opened. This boot space is tall enough to fit bicycles, musical instruments, and sports equipment for the kids. Not only that, but this feature secures prams from rolling out.

With families in mind, the ladder of storage shelves attached to the side of the Carnival’s boot give busy Mums and Dads a helping hand. Another great feature is the four bag hooks across the seatbacks, which help keep unruly school backpacks in check.

The classic Kombi-inspired, fully electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz in five-seat form has offers a generous boot space that allows you to stand prams upright without folding them down, which is a practical feature for parents. There's also plenty of room for bikes, scooters, musical instruments, and sports gear.

You can plug a portable fridge into the 12-volt socket in the boot and there’s a handy bag hook too.

The ceiling height makes carrying bulky things easy while also allowing passengers inside to move around without feeling cramped.

The Ford Tourneo is a great people mover with a big, family friendly boot!

Like the Hyundai Staria, the boot is a big square space so you can stand prams inside without folding them and the high ceiling makes carrying large items easy.

When using all three rows of seats, the Tourneo still fits a large family shop, or a double side-by-side pram with room left over for some shopping.

The folding (and easily removable) individual seats in the Tourneo make it easy to carry long items like surfboards, as you can slide them through the length of the vehicle.

The newest choice in the upper large segment is the GMC Yukon Denali. This big eight-seat SUV has everything supersized, including boot space!

For larger families using all three rows of seats, the boot can still hold 10 shopping bags – comparable to what you'd get in some five-seat medium SUVs. Alternatively, it can fit a twin pram, which is ideal for families with young children.

If you’re only using two rows of seats, the boot of the GMC Yukon Denali is cavernous and will fit 24 bags of shopping – which rivals the Kia Carnival!

The boot door features a glass section at the top that can be opened independently from the main door – a handy feature when camping, allowing you to easily reach in and grab items without opening the entire boot.

The Nissan Patrol follows closely behind the Yukon Denali when it comes to boot practicality, with room for a whopping 22 shopping bags in the boot when you’re only using two rows of seats.

When you use all three rows of seats you can still fit eight bags of shopping or a twin pram in the boot of the Patrol, making it a great car for active families with young children.

Iconic and very capable off-road, the LandCruiser 300 lags a little behind the competition when it comes to boot space.

When you are using all three rows of seats, the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series has a tiny boot that only fits four shopping bags and no pram, which is not ideal for families.

When you only use two rows of seats the 300 Series gets a bit more competitive, fitting 19 shopping bags.

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