There are all sorts of electric cars on sale today, from small ones to big ones, saloons to SUVs, city cars to coupes. Handily, this means there are also a lot of electric cars on sale suitable for families, but knowing which one is the best is tricky without a learned eye.
With that in mind, a group of journalists from Autocar have ranked the best electric cars for families, with two of the top three turning out to be from the same brand.
Coming in top of their list was the BMW iX that was praised by the reviewers for having “near-faultless” handling and ride. They also liked the fact it was well priced and had a long range.
What the reviewers didn’t like was the fact that it didn’t have good enough efficiency, “divisive” styling and a frustrating user interface.
The car's starting price is an eye-watering £75,000 but, nonetheless, the team wrote: “Offering excellent all-around ability, the iX combines generous SUV-level cabin comfort and versatility with a genuinely relaxing and understated luxury ambience.”
Coming in second behind the iX was the Volkswagen ID 7 electric saloon. Starting from around £52,000 the ID 7 was praised for its incredible ride comfort, one of “the most practical in its class” and being easy to drive.
Where it was considered lacking was in its infotainment interface and not being that engaging to drive. Of the ID 7, Autocar’s reviewers concluded: “The Volkswagen ID 7 is the German giant's first electric saloon and estate.
“Think Volkswagen Arteon, but built for the electric age….Further appeal comes in the form of its class-leading ride comfort and competitive driving range. Rear space is limousine-esque.”
Completing the podium was the BMW iX3. Starting from around £65,000, the 2026 Top Gear Car of the Year was lauded for being a step up in technological terms, being good to drive, and having pleasing aesthetics.
Meanwhile, its actual ride was listed as a negative, as was the cabin layout for being “complex, and potentially distracting”. Nevertheless, other plus points included plenty of storage spots inside and a large boot.
The third of those cars, the iX3, hasn’t just been reviewed by Top Gear and Autocar, but by the Mirror too, with Reach Plc reviewer Christopher Sharp also attending the car’s UK launch earlier this year.
Of the car Christopher also praised the handling, he said: “The laws of physics should dictate that a 2.3-tonne electric SUV shouldn’t handle well, but the BMW does. A bit like rivals Audi, it manages to communicate effectively and with nuance through the seat, steering and pedals.
“You can genuinely thread your way along a road with confidence that you know what each corner is doing, and that’s before you get to the regenerative braking…. If the rest of BMW’s Neue Klasse cars are in anyway like it then there is hope for motoring joy in an increasingly electrified world.”
