Packing for a family trip is its own kind of engineering. Three kids, two car seats, a stroller, a week of luggage and a cooler — and everyone still needs to reach their seat without climbing over somebody.
The best family cars make that part disappear. What you actually want is straightforward: enough seats, a trunk that still works when every seat is occupied, child-seat anchors you can reach without a flashlight, rear door and window locks you can switch on before you pull away, and a car that stays calm in traffic you don’t know. Every vehicle below has the lower anchors and top tethers that US child seats attach to, and child seats can be added to your SIXT booking. For help choosing and fitting the right seat, the American Academy of Pediatrics keeps an up-to-date car seat guide for families. The first seven are the all-rounders. The last three are for trips that end somewhere snowy.
Best Family SUVs to Rent in the USA
1. Hyundai Palisade
If you want one recommended SUV for a family and would rather not deliberate, start here. Seven or eight seats across three rows, and the second row tilts and slides so a child can get to the back without an adult dismantling anything first. The third row folds down when you need the trunk instead of the seats. Rear door child locks are easy to find, and the back of the cabin has its own vents and charging points, which settles most arguments before they start. A child seat can be requested when you book, and the team at the counter can help you fit it in the car. The driving position is high and the visibility is good, so an unfamiliar parking garage holds no fear.
Rent it at SIXT: Hyundai SUV range — Standard SUV (SFAV)
2. Toyota Grand Highlander
Toyota built this one to answer the complaint every three-row owner eventually voices: that the back bench suits children and nobody taller. The rearmost seats here fit grown adults, and there is still usable luggage space behind them — rare enough that it is the whole reason the model exists. The doors open tall and wide, which matters when you are lifting a toddler into a seat rather than climbing in yourself. Storage bins and cupholders are scattered through all three rows. Bring six people and their bags, and nothing has to travel on a lap. Booking through SIXT ONE earns points on the rental, which is worth knowing if the family travels more than once a year.
Rent it at SIXT: Toyota SUV range — Standard SUV (SFAV)
3. Chevrolet Tahoe
Some trips call for a big vehicle, and the Tahoe is unapologetic about being one. Seven or eight seats, a third row that folds flat at the touch of a button, and a cargo hold that copes with a family’s luggage and a cooler at the same time. Towing capacity covers a boat or a small camper if the vacation involves either. On long interstate stretches it stays settled and quiet, which counts for a great deal at hour nine. Rent it for a single day, a long weekend or a few. Parents in front, teenagers in the middle, luggage in the back, and everybody keeps their elbow room.
Rent it at SIXT: Chevrolet Tahoe — Full-Size SUV (FFAV)
4. Volkswagen Atlas
The Atlas is squared off by design, and families are the ones who benefit. Its boxy roofline means real headroom in the second and third rows rather than just the front, and the door openings are broad enough to fit a rear-facing seat without a wrestling match. The floor is flat, so a child in the middle seat has somewhere to put their feet. Fold the back two rows and the load bay turns close to van-like. Add satellite navigation to the booking if you would rather not hand your phone to the back seat halfway through the drive. It is a good family SUV for anyone who judges a car by what fits inside it.
Rent it at SIXT: Volkswagen Atlas — Standard SUV (SFAV)
5. Hyundai Santa Fe
The Santa Fe grew up and got boxier, and parents are the ones who gain. The tailgate opening is unusually wide and low, which turns loading a stroller into a one-handed job. Inside, the storage is thoughtful rather than showy, with bins and trays where you instinctively reach for them. Rear seats recline a little, which is all a napping child requires. Adding a second driver to the booking lets you split a long day at the wheel. There is room for the family and the luggage without stepping up to a full-size SUV, and it parks like something smaller than it is.
Rent it at SIXT: Hyundai Santa Fe — Standard SUV (SFAV)
6. Volvo XC90
Volvo has built its reputation on looking after the people inside the car, and the XC90 is where that thinking is most visible. Seven seats, a cabin quiet enough that a sleeping baby stays asleep, and front seats among the best in the business across a twelve-hour day. Rear passengers sit high enough to see out, which keeps younger ones content far longer than any screen. The driving position is commanding and the controls are calm rather than busy. Should anything go wrong on the road, SIXT’s roadside assistance team answers around the clock. If the trip is long and the priority is arriving unfrazzled, this is the one.
Rent it at SIXT: Volvo XC90 — Fullsize Elite SUV (GFAR)
7. Toyota RAV4
Plenty of families do not need three rows at all. The RAV4 takes two adults, two children and a full week of luggage, and slips into downtown parking spaces with room to spare. Fuel stops are infrequent, which keeps a long day moving. Visibility is excellent — a genuine comfort when you are driving an unfamiliar city for the first time. The rear seats split and fold for the journey home with souvenirs. Compact where it counts, roomy where it matters.
Rent it at SIXT: Toyota RAV4 — Intermediate SUV (IFAR)
Best SUVs for Snow
If your route climbs toward a ski resort or crosses a mountain pass, change your priorities. Traction and ground clearance now matter more than a third row. Worth knowing before you book: all SIXT vehicles in the US run on all-season tires and winter tires cannot be added as an extra, and snow chains are not available in the US either — they are a European extra. That is why SIXT recommends choosing a four-wheel-drive vehicle for snowy regions. Four-wheel drive is offered on some vehicles in these categories but cannot be guaranteed on a specific booking, so raise it with the branch when you collect the car. Several states run seasonal chain controls on mountain routes, so check the local requirement for your road before you set off. Ski racks can be booked at the Denver Airport and Aspen Airport branches in Colorado.
8. Subaru Ascent
The Ascent is the rare vehicle that keeps three rows and still sends power to all four wheels as standard. That combination is why Subarus are the default across the snow belt — you get family capacity and winter traction in one booking rather than choosing between them. Room for a bigger family, generous ground clearance, and a tall glasshouse that makes judging the edge of the road easier in poor light. The roof rails take a box or a set of skis, and a ski rack can be added at the Colorado airport branches. For a family ski week, it is the most sensible thing here.
Rent it at SIXT: Subaru range — Standard SUV (SFAV)
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee
When the snow is deeper and the road to the cabin has not seen a plow, the Grand Cherokee has the hardware for it. With four-wheel drive and serious ground clearance, unpaved and unplowed surfaces stop being a concern. Four-wheel-drive versions are offered rather than guaranteed, so raise it when you book. The cabin is quieter and more comfortable than its off-road ability suggests, so the four-hour drive to the mountains is pleasant rather than endured. There is proper luggage space behind the rear seats for ski bags and boots. A confident choice for winter roads.
Rent it at SIXT: Jeep Grand Cherokee — Standard SUV (SFAR)
10. Toyota 4Runner
The 4Runner is built body-on-frame, the old-fashioned way, and it brings a reassuring sturdiness to a snowy pass. Ground clearance is generous, four-wheel drive is there on the versions that have it, and the upright shape makes it easy to place on a narrow mountain road. The cargo area is deep and squared off, which suits bulky winter gear and wet boots. It has a following among people who drive in difficult conditions every winter, and that reputation is earned. Pick it when the forecast is uncertain and you would rather not think about it.
Rent it at SIXT: Toyota 4Runner — Standard SUV (SFAR)
Before You Book
SIXT rents by vehicle category rather than by individual model, so the cars named here are examples of what each category can contain. A specific model is never guaranteed, and nor is four-wheel drive — if either matters for your trip, say so when you book and the branch team will advise on what is available. Child seats and satellite navigation can be added when you book, an extra driver can be registered at the counter, and in-branch staff can advise on the best choice for your route. Still deciding who to rent from as well as what to drive? See our ranking of the top 10 best car rental companies in the United States.
