I’m having a baby so do I need an SUV?

We love the sense of practicality that SUVs bring to family life, but do you have to buy one when you have a baby or are there other options like sedans, hatches and wagons that can fit family needs just as well?

Now accounting for almost 60 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Australia, SUVs are hugely popular with families and there are lots of really good reasons why, such as high ceilings, boot space and the raised height making it easier to deal with child seats.

But the downsides to their extra height and bulk include higher fuel consumption and top-heaviness that can make them less stable in emergency manoeuvres, as well as potentially being prone to causing motion sickness.

Legroom with child seats installed can also be surprisingly worse in SUVs than the equivalent-sized hatchback or sedan.

So…

Do you HAVE to buy an SUV when you have a baby or your family grows?

NO! For those that want something a little different and not to conform to the parental SUV norm, there are some fantastic cars out there.

And if, like me, you have a penchant for small sports cars or love the drive of low-slung sedans, you might be surprised to learn that some of them can be just as family-friendly as an SUV.

When we think of ‘family friendly’ we think boot space for prams and scooters, fitting child seats, ease of getting in and out, travel sickness and practicality for holding drink cups and snacks and, of course, safety.

There are some fantastic sedans, sports cars, hatches and wagons out there that I have tested with my family over the past seven years as a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au.

I’ve tested the best and here’s my pick of the best non-SUVs for families…

Sedans are often some of the best vehicles for boot space and most are nice and wide too, so you get good rear seat space and legroom, making them a good choice for tall families.

These are my pick of the best:

An incredible car to drive in sporty S3 spec, the Audi A3 sedan is fun for the adults while being practical as a family car too.

The boot is large enough for a twin pram for those who need it or a supermarket shop big enough to feed the neighbours too!

Inside, two child seats fit nicely in the rear outboard seats and, for those needing generous legroom, a 186cm-tall driver can sit confidently in front of a rear-facing Infasecure child seat.

The Volkswagen Arteon is another great sedan for families.

The amount of interior space is fantastic and two child seats fit really nicely in the rear seats, leaving plenty of room for a 186cm-tall driver to easily sit in front of them.

Boot space in the Arteon is enormous, a twin side-by-side pram fits for those families with two young siblings, or you can fit your kids’ scooters easily.

A spacious and affordable option for families, the Hyundai i30 sedan fits three child seats across the back row with great legroom for a 180cm-tall driver in front of a rear-facing infant capsule or a taller person on the passenger side.

The i30 excels in boot space, fitting 15 shopping bags or a twin pram and a weekly shop.

Station wagons were the original family workhorse before SUVs brushed them aside. Built to carry a lot in the boot, the wagon is perfect for family life when suddenly the addition of a very small human means carting very large amounts of stuff everywhere you go!

I’ve also found that some have very good internal space and legroom too.

These are my pick of the best:

We’ve covered a lot of kilometres in a Volkswagen Golf wagon as a family, including a month on the road from Cooktown to Sydney.

The VW Golf carried everything our family of four needed for the adventure, with balance bike, suitcases, food shopping etc fitting comfortably in the boot.

Legroom is good in the front when two child seats are installed in the back, a 186cm-tall driver can fit in front of a 180cm-tall rear passenger with plenty of legroom, and the ride is enjoyable.

The Subaru WRX Sportswagon is more family-friendly than a lot of SUVs!

The boot space is enormous, easily fitting a double pram and more, and even with two rear-facing Infasecure child seats in the back the legroom allows a 186cm-tall driver to sit very comfortably in the front.

The drive is sporty and fun too!

This luxury, sporty wagon not only looks very cool but is fantastic to drive.

Fitting two child seats in the rear and having plenty of room in the boot for double prams and shopping, the Audi S4 Avant is practical for the majority of families as well as being a lot of fun for the grown-ups once the kids are dropped off at school!

Don’t overlook a good hatchback when considering a car for your family, especially if limited parking is a consideration or you need a small second runabout.

Being smaller means you might compromise on boot and interior space over wagons, sedans and some SUVs, but some hatchbacks are surprisingly spacious and most are agile, nippy and can force your family to be more minimal, which I love about them.

These are my pick of the best:

The latest Honda Civic is a sporty-looking hatch that’s also pretty practical for a family of four.

In the boot, parents will be happy with the large underfloor storage and ample space for 13 shopping bags or a double pram.

The back seats comfortably fit two Infasecure child seats with legroom for a 186cm-tall passenger in front of a rear-facing child seat.

The Volkswagen Golf makes a very practical car for a family of five.

Three Infasecure child seats will fit in the rear seats with a 180cm-tall driver in front of a rear-facing child seat, which is impressive for a hatch!

It has good family storage solutions throughout the cabin and the boot is generous, with a floor that drops down 10cm to make it easier for prams to fit in the boot.

In top-spec GT trim, the Kia Cerato is a quick and fun car for parents, with more affordable versions just as practical too.

The Cerato fits three Infasecure child seats in the back if you really need to, and a 180cm-tall driver in front of a rear-facing child seat.

The Cerato has the largest cargo area of the hatches I have tested, so all prams fit in the boot.

Perhaps my favourite cars of all are coupes, so if you’re trying to get a two-door sports car onto the shortlist with yourself or your partner – even with a baby or kids coming along for the ride – then I will gladly help you out with my pick of the best:

The BMW M240i Coupe is the most practical sports car I have driven and by far the best to drive too – you will simply not want to stop driving!

Thankfully, my kids felt the same and they were eager to get in, so only having two doors wasn’t an issue.

The interior is surprisingly spacious in the BMW 2 Series Coupe so there is plenty of room to get in and out of the back to do up kids’ harnesses.

Two Infasecure child seats fit nicely in the back and legroom is great, meaning a 186cm-tall passenger can sit in front of a forward-facing child seat or a 175cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat. Boot space is perfect for holding any size of pram.