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Best family cars for Motability 2026

With five seats and decent boot space, a family car is still an attractive proposition for Motability users

Although superminis have grown to offer more space, there are times when a proper five-seat family hatchback is still what you need. 

Alternatively, the rise of the SUV has brought an even larger choice into the mix, although these high-riding cars can't quite match a traditional MPV for pure practicality.

Whatever your preference, though, Motability customers have plenty of choice available under the scheme, with many of these cars also being suitable for conversion to meet your specific accessibility requirements.

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Our experts have driven the UK's best family cars, and we've rounded up some of the best Motability picks right here.

Keep reading to discover some of the best family cars on Motability...

Nissan Qashqai 

  • Model: 1.3 DiG-T MH 158 Acenta Premium
  • PIP weekly cost: total mobility allowance
  • Advance payment: £249
  • Car size: SUV
  • Fuel type: petrol
  • Gearbox: manual

The Nissan Qashqai is one of Britain’s best-selling cars, and many families up and down the country have been scooping up this mid-size SUV since it first arrived back in 2007. 

Today, the latest model is a very distinctive car that feels quite upmarket in some areas, but it still offers the same family-friendly practicality that made the original a success in the first place. 

The 1.3-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine, meanwhile, is capable of returning more than 44mpg, but you’ll need to stump up an extra £1,000 to get behind the wheel of the Qashqai e-Power hybrid to see the biggest fuel savings.

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Read our Nissan Qashqai review

Dacia Jogger

  • Model: 1.0 TCe Extreme 5 door
  • PIP weekly cost: total mobility allowance
  • Advance payment: £295
  • Car size: MPV
  • Fuel type: petrol
  • Gearbox: automatic

Take a quick glance at the Dacia Jogger and you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s actually an estate car or even an SUV. Move in a bit closer, though, and you’ll soon realise that this is actually a hugely practical seven-seat MPV — it also happens to be the cheapest seven-seater on Motability by a considerable margin. 

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If you don’t need to carry lots of passengers, then the cavernous interior is perfectly suited to carrying a large amount of cargo and the Jogger drives much better than many van-based MPV alternatives.

If you need a car which can be suitably adapted to your needs, then the Jogger is a great option as it can easily be converted into a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.

Read our Dacia Jogger review

Citroen C5 Aircross

  • Model: C5 Aircross 1.2 Hybrid Plus 5dr Auto
  • PIP weekly cost: total mobility allowance
  • Advance payment: £2,249
  • Car size: SUV
  • Fuel type: petrol
  • Gearbox: automatic

If you want a comfortable mid-size family SUV, the Citroen C5 Aircross is quite hard car to beat.

The driving experience isn’t particularly thrilling but that is unlikely to bother the majority of buyers too much. The C5 Aircross is stylish and as comfortable as it is practical. The boot has up to 565-litres of space, and there’s enough leg and headroom for adult passengers thanks to its boxy shape.

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Running costs shouldn't break the bank as the C5 Aircross hybrid returns over 53mpg. If you want to cut your fuel costs further, there’s always the fully-electric e-C5 Aircross but we wouldn’t recommend this EV version as it requires a £5,000 premium over the hybrid on the Motability advanced payment.

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Read our Citroen C5 Aircross review

Renault Captur

  • Model: Captur 1.8 E-Tech Full Hybrid 145 Evolution 5dr Auto
  • PIP weekly cost: total mobility allowance
  • Advance payment: £995
  • Car size: small SUV
  • Fuel type: hybrid
  • Gearbox: automatic

Not only is the Renault Captur one of the best SUVs in Renault’s line-up, it is also one of the best small SUVs on sale in the UK right now.

The Captur has picked up our Small SUV of the Year award on more than one occasion, and the latest edition still ticks plenty of important boxes. Inside you’ll find one of the best infotainment systems currently available, and this is accompanied by some very pleasant cabin materials. 

Renault’s recent facelift means the Captur looks the part, too.

Read our Renault Captur review

Citroen C3 Aircross

  • Model: C3 Aircross 1.2 Turbo Collection 5dr
  • PIP weekly cost: total mobility allowance
  • Advance payment: £0
  • Car size: small SUV
  • Fuel type: petrol
  • Gearbox: manual

If you prefer your sports utility vehicle to be comfortable rather than sporty, the Citroen C3 Aircross is as smooth to drive as we’ve come to expect from this particular brand. 

Naturally, the trade-off is an unengaging driving experience but, apart from this, the C3 Aircross is still a likeable small SUV. It’s a roomy car for its size, too, because it offers the same amount of space inside as the old C3 Picasso MPV. 

Running costs should be fairly affordable, but if you want to slash your outgoings further then the fully-electric e-C3 Aircross is also available with no advanced payment.

Read our Citroen C3 Aircross review

​Best family cars for Motability

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Ryan Birch - content editor, auto express
Content editor

Ryan is responsible for looking after the day-to-day running of the Auto Express website and social media channels. Prior to joining Auto Express in 2023, he worked at a global OEM automotive manufacturer, as well as a specialist automotive PR and marketing agency.

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