Top 10 Cars for Mums

Hyundai have updated their i30 hatchback model for 2015 with improvements to the styling, comfort and technology. Ideal for families the sporty looking i30 offers plenty of interior space and a generous 378-litre boot.

Scoring five stars in the Euro NCAP tests it is one of the safest models in its class and also comes with ISOFIX points in the rear and the front passenger airbag can be deactivated if you want to accommodate a rear-facing child seat.

Priced from £15,195 it also has low running costs as Hyundai are offering engines with CO2 emissions as low as 94g/km.

The Twingo has been around for over twenty years, the third generation making its debut last year. The rear-engined, four door city car is appealing to mums that want a runaround that will be handy for the school run or doing the weekly shop. The boot isn’t enormous as it’s rear-engined, but the rest of the cabin is quite spacious and it does win you over with both its exterior and interior quirky styling.

Award-winning, it is fun to drive, comes with a class-leading turning circle so is easily manoeuvrable and is competitively priced from £9,495.

The enormous SUV from Audi has always been associated with image obsessed mums and although it’s just been refreshed for 2015 it’s in the practicality stakes where it wins.

Coming with seven seats as standard, the third row seats fold flat electronically at the touch of a button and boot space has doubled in size.

As seen on the all-new TT, the optional Virtual Cockpit display really adds a wow factor to the interior which is as comfortable as it is stylish and features plenty of new Audi technology and a raft of advanced driver assistance systems.

The Q7 costs from £50,340 and is available to order now.

Now there are some mums that might not have to rack up the miles, so going all-electric is an option which comes in the form of the efficient BMW i3. Positively futuristic looking with it’s signature BMW kidney-shaped grille, large wheels and sculpted front bumper, the i3 is practical with the rear doors opening outwards, making it easily accessible when you need to put baby in their car seat.

With the possibility of a real-world range of up to 100 miles, the i3 is a great option for urban travelling and costs from £30,980.

The Nissan Juke is for mums not wanting the size of a 4x4, but something just as practical and the compact crossover model from the Japanese marque will surprisingly fit in prams and pushchairs due to its roomy boot.

Known for its funky styling the updated Juke offers plenty of customisation options so mums can choose interior stitching colour to match the exterior. The sporty model also comes with an Around View Monitor so parking will be a doddle even if you are being harrassed by screaming kids in the back.

The Nissan Juke is attractively priced from £13,930.

The Citroen Cactus is like marmite, you either love it or hate it. The multi-award winning French car is distinctive for its Airbump technology featured on the exterior and available in a variety of bright colours it definitely stands out on the roads.

Really spacious the hatchback is extremely comfortable with sofa-like front seats to sink into, accessible storage compartments around the car and the C4 Cactus also offers Airbag in Roof technology which is where the front passenger airbag is now situated, so offers even more room in the glovebox, 8.5-litres to be exact.

The Citroen Cactus costs from £12,990.

Big on quality and space, but low in price is the Skoda Citigo. Available as a three or five-door, the What Car? Car of the Year for 2015 conceals a spacious interior for a city car. Even with rear seats folded, the five-door can still hold 959-litres and even if buyers opt for the three-door, children can get into the back easily with the Easy Entry system.

With a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine available on the Citigo, mums can expect low running costs due to high MPG figures and low CO2 emissions.

From £8,275 the Skoda Citigo also comes with plenty of standard equipment.

People wrongly assume that Volvos are boring cars driven by the older generation. Wrong. In the XC90, which is now in its second guise, Volvo have come up with an extremely stylish, luxurious and efficient seven-seater car. Being a busy mum can be stressful and they can take comfort in the massaging function that features on the front seats. The XC90 also benefits from plenty of safety features, including autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian and cyclist detection, as that’s what the Swedish brand excel at - well they did introduce the seatbelt.

As a welcome alternative to the German brands it is priced from £45,750.

The popular Mondeo has been around for over twenty years and the latest incarnation is an appealing prospect for families. It is available as an estate, a five-door and a four-door Hybrid.

Their SYNC 2 connectivity system can be voice operated, so even if mums have kids playing up in the back causing distraction, it is possible to operate all media and navigation without having to take eyes off the road or hands off the wheel.

The Mondeo, priced from £19,995 comes with a world first, the inflatable rear seatbelt which will protect children in the back.

Some maybe surprised to see a Fiat Panda on the list, but as they say ‘don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!’ The 4x4 offering from Fiat is a really good car, its size belies its spaciousness, it’s fun to drive and the extra incentive is that you can go off-road in it. You don’t need an enormous SUV to tackle muddy tracks or when you’re caught out by the surprise fall of snow and need to go shopping. Fiat have packaged their £16,225 model up in a way that is practical as a city car as it is driving in the countryside, not all mums are urbanites.