Which family SUVs have the quietest opening and most spacious boots?

We all remember, before having our first baby, thinking that we won’t be the parents who drive around the block to get our kids to sleep and you’ll have them sleeping in their cot from day one. Two months later, we are driving around the block to get them to have their day naps and getting them settled down for their night sleep. You’ll do anything!

After your tenth lap, woe betide anything or anyone that beeps, rings or breathes too loudly and wakes them up! You then have to sit in the car while they have their nap, or if you are getting them down for nighttime, there is the dreaded “transfer!” The careful unclipping of their harness and extraction from their child seat, all without waking them up. And definitely do not make any eye contact!

Because of this, quiet or silent boot opening and closing is very important. If you want to unload the boot while Bub’s asleep in the back, you do not want a loud or shrill beeping sound to wake them up when you open or close the boot.

When it comes to boot space, even with tiny babies, the pram, bassinet, and other equipment they require is so bulky that you need a boot big enough to fit it all in! As kids grow up, that changes to scooters, balance bikes, pushbikes, and musical equipment, so you want a boot that can accommodate your family’s needs at all stages.

It’s easy to assume that all boots will open and close in the same way and be spacious, but it’s definitely not the case.

Some boots open and close manually, many have a button-activated power operation, and some have a hands-free system that opens if you linger behind the car with the key or kick your foot underneath the back bumper. Both can be helpful, but the latter can also close accidentally when you are getting things in and out of the boot or leaning into the boot for a nappy change.

Each of these different methods produces a different amount of noise. Some boot lids are completely silent when opened manually but need a loud slam to close. For safety, powered ones often beep as they open or close (or both) to warn people that a big piece of metal and glass is on the move.

Some fantastic family cars out there have great boots with practical space plus a quiet and convenient opening/closing method that doesn’t disturb your sleeping kids. I have tested a heap of these with my family over the last eight years as a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au. Here’s my list of five-seater family SUVs that have great boots:

The Chery Tiggo 7 Pro is an affordable five-seat SUV for families who want a good-sized boot that opens and closes without beeps, bells or whistles!

Its tailgate opens with a press of a button or, on the top two grades, can detect you there with the key and open automatically, making it easier to go to and from the car with kids or bags in your hands.

The flat, carpeted boot floor is great for transporting a medium-sized pet dog, doing an emergency nappy change, or fitting a generous eleven-bag grocery shop!

A Thule Urban Glide 3 pram fits easily in the boot, and for those with older kids, sports or musical equipment fits easily in the generously sized boot, too.

A great all-rounder, the Subaru Forester is a very practical five-seat SUV for tall families.

Beyond having very good legroom throughout the cabin, the Subaru Forester’s boot is also very generous and will hold fifteen shopping bags, or a medium-large dog can fit.

The boot floor is nice and flat, which is also good for an emergency nappy change!

When going to and from the Forester with Bub in your arms or the kids’ bikes and belongings, the tailgate opens and closes easily with a button, and there are no beeps or alarms to wake Bub when they are sleeping.

You could put your kid’s bike or scooter in the boot, or for younger children, a Thule Urban Glide 3 pram will easily fit in the Forester’s boot space.

The Tesla Model Y is the only car in this list that makes a noise when opening or closing the boot. That said, it only happens when closing it and is a subtle, muted ‘doop’ sound that doesn’t disturb sleepy passengers.

If you have the right phone and the Tesla app is set up appropriately, you can open the boot by standing nearby with your phone. Just don’t leave your phone in the boot, as the car might mistakenly open it for you!

The Model Y’s boot is big, fitting fifteen grocery bags. It also has a large flat floor, so families can comfortably transport their dogs. Beneath the boot floor is a large extra storage area and there’s a big frunk at the other end of the car.

For those with young children, a Thule Urban Glide 3 twin pram easily fits in the boot with space for shopping beside it.

Those with older kids will have no trouble fitting sports gear or musical instruments in the boot.

Whether your kids are big or small, the Volvo XC60 has generous boot space with room for all their gear. The boot floor is flat and carpeted, so a medium or large family dog can travel comfortably in the boot, and you can do an emergency nappy change if and when you need to!

The Volvo XC60’s tailgate opens and closes with a press button or kick motion under the back bumper, making access easy when your hands are full. It is also silent, so there are no beeping bells or alarms to wake your little ones if they are sleeping.

A great feature of the Volvo XC60 is the retractable roller blind that automatically raises and lowers with the tailgate. This is super helpful when you come to the car with your hands full, and it automatically lifts out of the way with the tailgate so you can easily load the boot.

I found a Thule Urban Glide 3 twin pram will fit easily in the boot, or you could fit fourteen bags of groceries.

The Audi Q5 tailgate opens and closes electronically with a kicking motion under the rear bumper or the touch of a button, so life is easier when your hands are full of little people and their not-so-little possessions.

It also does not make beeps or whistles when opening and closing, which is great news during the driving-bub-to-sleep stage.

Thirteen shopping bags fit in the boot of the Sportback model or fourteen in the SUV shape. If your family has a fur baby, there is plenty of room in the boot of the Audi Q5 for a medium-large dog.

A flat and carpeted boot floor means you can comfortably change your infant’s nappy when you need to!

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