Four of the best family cars

It's impossible to buy a motor that's toddler-proof. But some car makers do go the extra mile to cater for family life, says James Mills in The Sunday Times.

The Citroen Berlingo Multispace(above) is cheap, cheerfuland as child-friendly as a creche, says Mills. It has plenty of inbuilt storage space, including aircraft-style overhead cubbies essential for hiding the mountain of kids' clutter they will insist on bring onboard.

For the price of a supermini, you get the vast space that a family needs, agrees What Car. True, the styling does make it look a bit like a van, but it is at least "civilised" to drive.

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Price: from £13,355.

If price is less of an issue, the Land Rover Discovery Sport is a great choice for families, says AutoExpress. It is a "highly refined and classy SUV", with "more than a hint of Range Rover" about it. Running costs are high, but it is a "very complete family car", with room for up to seven. It also comes with a USB charging port for most passengers on board, says Mills. Only parents will know what a boon that is for stress-free long-distance travel.

Price: from £30,696.

Stephen Worthy of Car magazine drove the Citroen C4 Picasso for a year in a long-term test and "it's up there with my favourites", he says. It looks elegant and it does all the things you'd expect from such a car well it's happy on the motorway and, given its size, handles "rather tidily"; it's "competent" on the daily commute; and versatile when it comes to transporting the kids it will easily "swallow luggage, pushchairs and children like a whale does plankton".

Price: from £18,270.

The great selling point of the part-hatch, part-saloon Skoda Superb is the amount of space and the high level of kit that comes as standard, says AutoExpress. Rear passengers get "limousine levels of legroom", the boot is "gigantic", and even competitively priced models can come with leather seats and climate control as standard. You get a "whole lot of car for the cash", agrees Top Gear. It is an "excellent", "truly desirable" car that devours motorway miles with "panache".

Price: from £18,640.