For the 2025 Awards, we’ve had a bit of a reorganisation. In the mid-sized family vehicle segment, the line between ‘car’ and ‘SUV’ has become so blurred that it’s effectively pointless. So we’ve grouped them together.
Instead, we’ve separated medium cars into mainstream and premium as that tends to better reflect how real-world car buyers look for their next vehicle. The badge and feature list tend to be more important than the body style, although customers are overwhelmingly choosing SUV-style cars instead of conventional hatchback/saloon/estate models – even if they’re no more practical and no more spacious (and have zero off-roading capabilities).
This category is comfortably the largest in our awards this year, with 18 new models. The eligible cars this year were:
Our awards recognise both the best new models launched over the last 12 months and the best overall cars in each category – because newest doesn’t always mean best, as you can see below.
Best new medium car: Renault Scenic E-Tech (77%)
A stylish reinvention of a much-loved name, the new Renault Scenic E-Tech brings style and practicality to the family EV sector in a way that no other new car in its class can match.
The new Scenic is smooth, comfortable and refined to drive, with loads of battery range to cover every household need. If you’re considering the switch from fossil fuels to electricity for your next family car, this would be a great place to start.
Hot on the Scenic’s heels this year was the new Toyota Prius, which shows that you don’t need to choose a high-riding crossover-style vehicle to make a good choice. Whether or not the Prius will appeal to anyone other than its traditional minicab driver market remains to be seen, however.
Class champion, electric: Hyundai Ioniq 5 (88%)
The new Renault Scenic might be a great car, but it’s not the outright best electric car in this category. Instead, it’s the retro-futuristic Hyundai Ioniq 5 that reviewers rate higher than any other medium-sized vehicle – just edging its Kia EV6 twin in a reversal of last year’s results.
The Hyundai/Kia twins are only slightly more expensive than the Renault, but that extra money gets you two of the finest medium-sized EVs on the new car market. So if your budget stretches to £40K or more, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 remains the best car in this segment.
Class champion, petrol/diesel/hybrid: Hyundai Tucson (75%)
It’s another Hyundai that is reviewers’ pick for the best fossil-fuel-powered medium car, with the Hyundai Tucson edging out the Honda Civic. It’s available with a choice of petrol, basic hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
It’s been on sale for about four years now (with a facelift earlier this year), but the Tucson continues to deliver quality and practicality in a family-friendly budget. The styling may not to be everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly more distinctive than the average family SUV.