In order for a car to accommodate five child seats, it needs to have five top-tether points – meaning it needs two rows of seating. Just be aware that installing and accessing a child seat in the third row of a seven-seat SUV could prove challenging.

With that in mind, the seven or eight-seater models that offer at least three ISOFIX-compatible seating positions and five top-tether points include the Mazda CX-8, CX-9 and CX-90, the Kia Carnival and Sorento, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Volkswagen Multivan, Audi Q7, BMW X7, Ford Everest, Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Land Rover Discovery, among others.

Read Drive‘s full story on which cars can fit more than three or more ISOFIX child seats.

According to Drive’s 2023 seven-seat SUV comparison for 2023, the Hyundai Palisade offers the largest cargo area of the top-selling large SUVs in Australia, while the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has the largest boot of its medium SUV peers.

Of the small SUV contingent, the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 both offer over 500 litres of cargo space. Unsurprisingly, eight-seaters like the Nissan Patrol and Lexus LX also offer massive boots when their third row is folded flat.

If you’re shopping for a family car with $30,000 or less to spend, chances are you’ll have to opt for a small SUV or a base-spec medium SUV with front-wheel-drive. Options include the Mitsubishi ASX, Suzuki Vitara, MG ZS or HS or Ssangyong Korando, while the base-grade Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Hyundai Kona and GWM Haval H6 are just over $30,000 if you’re willing to spend a little extra.

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