Why the 2016 Kelley Blue Book Best Family Cars List is Flawed
Kelley Blue Book has released its annual list of the best family cars, and for 2016 the roster of recommendations contains several excellent choices. It also contains several questionable ones, and a couple of downright poor ones.
This article was originally published on KidHaulers.com on February 5, 2016
The Excellent Choices
Among the final choices for the 2016 KBB Best Family Cars list, five models are unquestionably suitable for family duty. They include the:
- Honda CR-V = Small crossover SUV
- Honda Odyssey = Minivan
- Hyundai Sonata = Midsize sedan
- Kia Sedona = Minivan
- Subaru Outback = Midsize 2-row crossover SUV and wagon thingamabob
Each of these vehicles receives the highest possible crash-test ratings from both the federal government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Combine the best possible protection in a collision with exceptional practicality and the inherent goodness of each model, and these vehicles make all kinds of kid-hauling sense.
The Decent Choices
Additionally, KBB selects six decent choices in a new family car. These are models which have proven themselves safe to a high, if imperfect or incomplete, degree, and which also supply a great deal of practicality in their respective vehicle classes:
- Honda Accord = Midsize sedan
- Honda Civic = Small sedan
- Honda Pilot = Midsize 3-row crossover SUV
- Nissan Pathfinder = Midsize 3-row crossover SUV
- Toyota Highlander = Midsize 3-row crossover SUV
- Toyota Sienna = Minivan
Once the redesigned 2016 Honda Civic is subjected to federal government crash testing, it is likely to earn top scores across the board. Honda’s latest Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) vehicle structure will almost certainly ensure that. Should this prove true, the Civic would make an excellent choice rather than a decent choice.
In its press release announcing the winners, KBB says that the 2016 Toyota Sienna is the winner of a “Top Safety Pick+” award from the IIHS. This is not true. The Sienna lost this designation for 2016 because it does not receive the top rating in the small overlap frontal impact test.
Note that for the Toyota Highlander, the IIHS has not carried forward crash-test ratings from last year. This signals that perhaps the popular SUV will be re-tested, which usually occurs after a car company makes structural changes designed to improve crashworthiness. Last year, the Highlander did not earn the highest possible rating in the small overlap frontal impact test, which means it would lose its “Top Safety Pick” rating for 2016 unless a re-test proves otherwise.
The Questionable Choices
KBB recommends three vehicles for which crash testing has not yet been performed*, or is significantly incomplete with no apparent plan to finish. Those three vehicles are:
- Chevrolet Impala = Full-size sedan
- Chevrolet Malibu = Mid-size sedan
- Kia Optima = Mid-size sedan
An agreeable automobile, the Chevy Impala has not undergone full testing by the IIHS, and by all appearances the organization has no plans to finish testing any time soon.
Completely redesigned for 2016, the new Malibu is earning praise from critics, but as of February 5, 2016, the Malibu has not been subjected to a single crash-test. One would think this would make the car ineligible for a “best family car” laurel.
Kia’s redesigned Optima is an excellent car, but like the Malibu has not been subjected to crash testing*. Therefore, it remains to be seen how well it can protect your loved ones in a collision.
* As of February 5, 2016
The Poor Choices
Two of KBB’s selections for the best family cars of 2016 are genuine head-scratchers:
- Chevrolet Tahoe = Full-size SUV
- Honda HR-V = Subcompact crossover SUV
Despite a complete redesign for the 2015 model year, the Chevy Tahoe is one of the least competitive offerings in its class. It tows less weight. It carries less cargo. It supplies less third-row seat comfort. Plus, it suffers a mediocre rollover resistance rating.
A better selection among full-size SUVs is the Ford Expedition with 4-wheel-drive, which gets a good rollover resistance rating, tows more weight, has more cargo space, and has a genuinely comfortable third-row seating area. Plus, it gets 5-star crash-test ratings in every assessment conducted by the federal government, just like the Tahoe.
As for the Honda HR-V, this lightweight subcompact crossover provides impressive utility at a low price, but it is dreadfully slow. Pack a family aboard the HR-V and you’ll be wishing for more acceleration than its 141 horsepower can possibly supply, especially when merging onto a fast-flowing freeway.
Worse, the HR-V does not earn top marks in multiple crash-test assessments, representing a rare fumble by Honda. Usually, when this company builds a new model, it excels in terms of crash protection.
The Missing Choices
To determine the 16 best family cars of 2016, KBB says it tested “two dozen” vehicles. Evidently, the company skipped a couple of models that families definitely must consider:
- Ford F-150 Crew Cab = Full-size pickup truck
- Kia Sorento = Midsize 3-row crossover SUV
- Subaru Legacy = Midsize sedan
The best-selling vehicle in America, the Ford F-150 is also one of the safest vehicles on the road. Plus, it’s a pickup truck, and lots of people need a truck for both work and play. KBB called the F-150 a “runner-up” in this year’s contest. It should have been a finalist.
Untested by KBB, the redesigned 2016 Kia Sorento is an excellent choice in a family-sized SUV. Though it is better used as a 2-row vehicle because of its cramped third-row seat, the Sorento provides a wide range of prices and equipment ranging from basic to luxurious. Plus, it looks terrific.
Subaru’s outstanding Legacy sedan was also inexplicably out of this year’s running. A crash-test rock star and one of just a handful of family sedans offered with all-wheel drive, the roomy and dependable Legacy is basically the same thing as a Subaru Outback but without the wagon body style or the extra ground clearance.
What Makes a “Best Family Car”?
When it comes to buying a family car, the best ones are the safest ones. Do not compromise on this, and get one that performs well in both federal government and IIHS testing.
Beyond safety, consider matters of budget, practicality, utility, and convenience. Choose a vehicle that fits your lifestyle requirements and personal preferences.
Finally, while it is terrific that KBB took into consideration child seat installation and fit in this year’s best family car competition, you are better off buying a top-rated child safety seat that is compatible with your vehicle rather than buying a vehicle that is compatible with your child safety seat.
From personal experience installing my own kids’ seats in hundreds of test cars over the past half decade, I can assure you that it is a rare occasion when I can’t get things cinched down tightly enough to meet the accepted guidelines for LATCH anchor security.
To learn more about the safest new and used vehicles on the market, consult lists of recommended vehicles on KidHaulers.com.
All photos: copyright the respective automakers. The images are for editorial use only.