Which family cars have the best storage?

We know car journeys can be a traumatic event for some families, whether you have one child or five.

Some kids just HATE the car and scream on every journey, starting with that precious first ride home from the hospital they were born in (it does stop by the way… eventually!)

Some kids are prone to travel sickness and some siblings fight like cat and dog!

Overcoming this often requires a lot of distractions, whether it’s iPads, Kindles, books, toys or games to get through the journey.

When I say, “We’re going in the car, grab what you need”, my two-year-old picks a book and a stuffy and my six-year-old packs a Mary Poppins-like bag with notepad, pens, hair clips, iPad, fidgets, storybooks and a stuffy.

And this is before they both grow up and have phones, Kindles and headphones too!

It feels like the opposite of zen to have toys, books and belongings strewn all over the car, which is why a neat and tidy place for everything to be stored is so sought after and appreciated by families.

Also, when kids bring their tablets or other electronic devices into the car you want to be able to leave them out of sight, so a concealed spot is advantageous too.

Some cars have very clever rear storage solutions, so with everyone in the back taken care of it is wonderful to also have somewhere to put your handbag and belongings.

Thankfully, some cars have some great front storage too.

As a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au, I have tested the storage of hundreds of cars over the past seven years with my family, using iPads and tablets, wallets, books, toys, phones and whatever toys and tricks take my kids’ fancy! So I definitely know great storage when I see it!

Here’s my pick of SUVs and people-movers with the best storage solutions – one of which is an electric car…

Best storage – SUVs

Nissan Pathfinder

The all-new Nissan Pathfinder joins an increasing number of cars to have a bridge-style centre console up front.

This is a fantastic spot for the front passenger’s handbag or manbag, which needn’t clutter the footwell.

In the six-seater model, second-row passengers are treated to a fantastic storage console between the two captain’s chairs, so anything your kids bring with them can be stored neatly out of sight.

Rear passengers have the usual cup holders, door bins and map pockets for drinks and devices, while third-row passengers have double cup holders and underneath the boot floor is a large, hidden storage area.

Peugeot 5008

Being a French brand, it is no surprise to find the Peugeot 5008 holds a wine bottle perfectly in its massive centre console box.

Passengers in all three rows are well taken care of with all the normal storage solutions you would expect, but the 5008 has a few more surprises up its sleeve for second-row passengers too.

If you lift up the carpet of the second-row footwell, you find hidden storage compartments that are fantastic for hiding valuables when you head to the beach.

Also, on the back of both front seats are tray tables that are perfect for kids to rest their devices or drawing on too.

Third-row passengers have a slot for their phones next to their cup holders.

Land Rover Defender 110

The Land Rover Defender is a rugged beast that does storage very well!

Perhaps my favourite storage solution in the Defender 110 is the chilled central console box! It’s perfectly sized to hold four bottles or cans and keep them cold for you to enjoy at the end of a hot day’s driving.

Or, in everyday family reality, it’s more likely to house your kids’ sarnies!

A bridge-style centre console provides somewhere for your handbag, with cup holders and phone tray on top.

And if that’s not enough, a shelf runs the length of the dashboard, even going behind the media screen. It is a practical depth and got tested out with carrying milk, cucumbers and baby wipes when I nipped to the shops.

iPads fit in both the front and rear door bins and in the third row there are iPad net pockets on both sides as well as little shelves with elastic straps to secure cylindrical items like bottles or torches.

A clever use of the inside of the rear door also gives you a long pocket that’s a great place for first-aid kits, baby wipes, etc.

Hyundai IONIQ 5

The all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 has set the benchmark when it comes to car interiors and storage.

Its beautiful minimal dash and clean lines make for a very peaceful journey – even with kids!

At one end of the dashboard surround is a magnetic board, which is fab for all those beautiful Mother’s Day and Father’s Day magnets your kids bring home from school!

An open centre console box area has an arm rest/storage box above a lovely big space for a nappy bag, laptop bag, handbag or shoes.

The whole unit also glides backwards, leaving space to shuffle across from the driver’s side to the passenger seat, which is really practical with kids when you have to get them out of one side of the car if parking spaces are tight.

Another game changer for storage is the enormous glove box drawer that slides out of the dashboard and makes you wonder why they have not been drawers all along!

Door bins are large throughout the Hyundai IONIQ 5, easily housing iPads and water bottles but perhaps most impressive in the doors are the thin shelves that run the length of the doors behind the arm rest cushions. These are fantastic for holding phones.

As a dedicated battery-electric vehicle, the IONIQ 5 has a ‘frunk’ intended for housing the charging leads but there’s room for extra items too.

Skoda Kodiaq

Renowned for clever storage solutions, Skoda has included a few of these tricks in the seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq SUV.

The first you’ll notice is the hidden umbrellas in the front doors. A very clever storage place for them so you don’t have to bring wet umbrellas into the car or have to walk around to the boot in the rain to get them!

The Kodiaq has a double glove box so you can store wipes, iPads, wallets and the like more easily in the front. Storage in the rear two rows of seats is also practical and neat.

Along with the usual storage you would expect to find in the front, Skoda includes little storage elements that help with organising daily life such as coin and card slots, a parking ticket holder and, just to prove the designers thought of pretty much everything, a lipstick holder.

There is even a rubbish bin in the front door and a removable torch in the boot.

Mitsubishi Outlander

The Mitsubishi Outlander does all the usual storage very well but it has a couple of stand-out thoughtful solutions too.

I like the small shelves on the side of the centre console box for housing mobile phones because they acknowledge that both the driver and front passenger will want somewhere to keep their device.

Second-row passengers also have their storage needs well covered with multiple different-sized pockets integrated into back of each front seat to separate mobile phones, toys, books and shoes into their own compartments.

If storage wasn’t exciting enough in our best medium and large SUVs, our people-mover segment will have enough storage to keep even the biggest families happy.

Hyundai Staria

The Hyundai Staria has some fantastic storage throughout this gentle giant.

Front passengers have access to a large glove box and multiple other hatches and cubbies across the dashboard.

There is a cavernous central console storage box between the two front seats with two cup holders in the top, and under the dash is a large storage area that’s perfect for handbags.

In the back of the centre console box is a large drawer for second-row passengers to store their devices along with USB sockets there for charging them and another two cup holders.

Second-row passengers also get bag hooks and map pockets on the back of both of the front seats, with an extra net pocket for holding phones.

The rear door storage is off the charts in the Hyundai Staria, with generous door bins that hold water bottles and iPads, and above these are two shelves that are great for books, iPads and phones.

Third-row passengers both get cup holders and a holder for iPads.

Volkswagen Caddy

The Volkswagen Caddy is a great option for large families and is packed with interesting storage in all three rows of seats.

In the front, a large storage shelf sweeps the whole dash, providing a spot for just about anything the kids pass through from the back!

The glove box is large too but above the front occupants’ heads is a large shelf that we loved for popping a towel, books, first-aid kit and the kids’ iPads out of sight when we left the vehicle.

Second-row passengers get generous door bins that will hold water bottles and books or tablets.

What’s more, on the back of both front seats are tray tables with cup holders, so passengers big and small can reach their drinks easily and have a place to rest their lunchboxes or devices.

Third-row passengers get three bottle or cup holders on each side and a handy shelf for books or devices.

There are also three bag hooks on the left side of the boot, great for hanging bags so they don’t roll around during the school run.

Volkswagen Multivan

Another Volkswagen people-mover with great storage is the Volkswagen Multivan, which has some innovative options.

With a walkway through from the front to the rear, there is no central console box. Instead, the front passengers get great storage with door bins big enough to hold multiple large refillable drink bottles, iPads or map books.

As well as the door bin is another large storage shelf in each front door that is ideal for your purse or wallet.

The central dash houses the usual phone tray and pull-out cup holders but below them is another drawer with a wine-bottle-size holder in it.

Big double glove boxes do the job of that absent central console and will house everything you could need like map books, baby wipes and iPads for family holidays.

In lieu of a sunglasses case in the ceiling there is a perfect storage tray above the media screen on the dashboard.

Rear passengers have map pockets that will hold and conceal an iPad, and perhaps the best for families are the drawers underneath the second- and third-row seats.

They are so practical for storing everything your family might need; you can separate everyone’s beach gear, store hiking boots, stash travel games, keep emergency waterproof clothes onboard and so on.

That’s super-practical for family road trips as well as everyday use!

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au