New Award: Best Family Vehicle from AAA/Parents Magazine

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Parents Magazine and the American Automobile Association (AAA) have joined forces once again to come up with the top vehicles for families in each of five categories. Chosen vehicles ranked the highest in reliability, value, style, convenience, comfort and superior road performance.
A total of 15 vehicles were selected in five categories. The top three vehicles were chosen in Sedans, Station Wagons, Economy Vehicles, Sport Utilities and Minivans.

To make these selections, Parents and AAA considered everything from airbags and fuel economy to cupholders and cargo space. The reviewers also put a variety of child seats into every vehicle, ensuring installation was both easy and secure.

"More automakers are flexing their muscles and offering numerous kid-friendly options for every budget," said Parents editor-in-chief Sally Lee. "To help moms and dads pick the best car for their family, we considered everything from how easy it is to install a car seat to how the trunk space measures up for a weekend getaway. With the help of AAA's more than 100 years of auto-safety expertise, we selected the top 15 cars that combine style, reliability, and safety along with the latest gadgets that will make families actually want to be in the car for long trips."

About half the vehicles listed for 2005 are repeat winners from last year. These include popular models such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Scion xB and Nissan Murano.

A number of the winners are new for 2005, such as Ford's Freestyle, and the Chrysler 300.

According to Parents and AAA, safety was one of the primary concerns when they selected the top vehicles. Winners are among the top performers in crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

For 2005 the ratio of imports over domestic-branded vehicles chosen is about two to one.

Parents and AAA's best family vehicles are:

Sedans

Honda Accord
Chrysler 300
Toyota Camry

For the rest of the winners, click here.