The American Automobile Association (AAA) and Parents magazine has recently collaborated to determine the vehicles in various market segments to be included in the 2007 list of their Best Cars for Families. Now on its 5th consecutive year, AAA and Parents magazine aim to determine vehicle models (including sedans, economy cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and crossover SUVs) that fits the driving characteristics as well as driving needs of families.
AAA and Parents magazine conducted several test drives for more than 100 vehicle models and evaluated them based on various criteria including fuel economy, cargo and luggage space, and safety features like air bags and child safety seats. Moreover, AAA and Parents magazine also considered the crash test results conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and selected the vehicles that earned top ratings in the crash test.
Only 15 vehicle models in five major categories (three vehicles for each category) are included in AAA and Parents magazine's 2007 list of Best Cars for Families. The complete list of the winners will be featured in the April issue of Parents magazine. In addition, brief description of each vehicle is also included as well as the reasons why the reviewers of AAA and Parents magazine included vehicle in the 2007 list of Best Cars for Families.
John Nielsen, Director of AAA Vehicle Acquisition and Consumer Information said:
"Safety, convenience, and lasting value are especially important to parents shopping for a family vehicle. The vehicles on this year's list provide the whole package - comfort, practicality and performance with options for every family size."
"We put the vehicles through real-life road tests that include everything from running errands to carpooling, to taking a family vacation. With many parents and children spending several hours per week in the car, it's important that it's a safe, happy place for everyone in it." said Sally Lee, Editor-in-chief of Parents magazine.
For the first time, the Volkswagen Rabbit compact car with quality was included in the 2007 list of Best Cars for Families for the economy cars category. According to the reviewers, the VW Rabbit made it to the list because of "modern features including advanced frontal, side-impact, and side-curtain air bags standard, along with antilock brakes and stability control. The audio system has a jack for MP3 players and the handy hatchback makes for simpler loading."
Meanwhile, here are the 15 winners of AAA and Parents magazine's 2007 Best Cars for Families along with their respective categories. Sedans - Honda Accord, Mercury Milan, Toyota Camry; Crossovers - Dodge Caliber Ford Edge Toyota RAV4; SUVs - Chevy Tahoe, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe; Minivans - Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Entourage, Toyota Sienna; Economy - Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Rabbit.
