10 of the safest cars for families to lease

10 of the safest cars you can lease for your family

If you’re on the hunt for your next car lease, safety is likely high on your priority list – especially if you’re shopping around for a new family wagon.

There’s been a bit of a revolution in car safety over the last decade or so.

New technologies – like adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and traction control – are becoming standard kit, alongside the old guard of features like airbags, ISOfix points and anti-lock brakes.

The European New Car Assessment Programme, or Euro NCAP, gives you a good idea of which cars are rated the safest.

Euro NCAP puts new (and old) vehicles through their paces, rigorously testing them in a way that mimics a real-life collision to understand their safety performance.

Each car tested gets a score from zero to five stars, as well as separate percentage points for four additional categories: adult occupant, child occupant, vulnerable road users and safety assist.

The higher the score, the safer the car for those inside and out.

Along with the valuable work our charity partner Brake does to make our roads safer, manufacturers have a duty of care to make sure our cars are as safe as possible – and Euro NCAP helps quantify this.

Armed with the knowledge of how safe your car is, you’ll have peace of mind when it comes to picking your next car lease deal.

Though no safety score can ever be completely perfect and entirely prevent incidents on the road, we’ve combed through the data and pulled out 10 of our safest family car lease deals.

Volkswagen ID.4

The Volkswagen ID.4 ticks all the boxes of the most popular car features – it’s electric, it’s a crossover SUV, and it’s very good-looking.

Its launch made a lot of sense for the German giant.

The VW ID.4 offers crossover SUV lovers something a little eco-friendlier in a class jam-packed with very good combustion engine cars.

With a choice of two battery variants, the ID.4 has a competitive WLTP Comb range of between 222 and 340 miles. It’s efficient, spacious, and makes an excellent choice for a family wagon.

And it’s safe, according to the rigorous Euro NCAP testing it went through in 2021.

Not only does the VW ID.4 take top marks with the full five-star score, but it also scores 93% in the adult occupant category, 89% in child occupant, and 85% for safety assist.

Browse our best Volkswagen ID.4 lease deals

Polestar 2

There are no prizes for guessing why the Polestar 2 has made the list.

Coming from the brand that once built racing cars for Volvo, famously one of the safest manufacturers around, Polestar knows a thing or two about building cars that look good, drive good, and keep their occupants as safe as possible.

And the Swedish company has become a big player in the EV market over the past few years.

The Polestar 2 is the cream of the current line-up, and sits pretty as Polestar’s smallest car.

It’s officially designated a Fastback – sort of a hatchback with a sloping roofline – but that doesn’t stop it being an excellent car for smaller families looking for an electric option that isn’t an SUV.

Even if you’ve not contemplated going electric, you’ll love this one. As fresh as a breath of air in a Nordic forest, it’s a good option for your next electric lease.

And it’s safe, with a five-star Euro NCAP score and plenty of safety kit to assist you as you’re driving.

Browse our best Polestar 2 lease deals

MG4 EV

Another hatchback option, the MG4 EV is another good one if you’ve a small family and you’re looking for a safe electric car.

It’s good-looking too, with its bold paint options and sharp angles.

You won’t be losing this one in a multi-storey car park, that’s for almost certain. We say almost. I could definitely still lose it.

The MG4 EV is one of the most affordable electric cars on the market too, without compromising on performance or range for the price. It has a WLTP Comb range of up to 329 miles, depending on which model you go for, and the cabin is surprisingly spacious.

And with a five-star Euro NCAP score and plenty of safety tech, including automatic emergency braking, speed assistance, and a lane assist system, the MG4 EV is a good option for a smaller car.

Browse our best MG4 lease deals

Volvo EX30

A compact SUV really is the best of both worlds.

We can’t have a list of the safest cars without including a Volvo, known for their high safety standards and the automotive embodiment of “you should see the other guy”.

Although the smallest in Volvo’s lineup, you won’t be feeling cramped inside the EX30.

Clever storage solutions and an airy cabin create a spacious interior, despite its smaller exterior dimensions.

Although it has a hefty bit of horsepower and can accomplish 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds, it’s not just about speed and power. 

It drives exactly how you’d expect a Volvo to drive: planted, confident and reassuring. Which is exactly what you want when transporting such precious cargo.

With a five-star Euro NCAP rating, including an 88% adult occupant score and 85% child occupant score, it’s a clear winner. What more could you ask for?

Browse our best Volvo EX30 lease deals

Tesla Model Y 

The Tesla Model Y quickly became a best-seller for the American manufacturer after its launch into the UK in 2022.

Looking like a beefier Tesla Model 3, the Model Y is a roomy SUV that makes for an excellent choice if you need something a bit more spacious for a growing family – even if that family is of the furry kind.

There’s more than enough room for elbows and shoulders in the front, and space enough for three in the back – without too many arguments.

Though we can never guarantee that one.

The Tesla Model Y has been awarded the full five-star score from Euro NCAP, and all variants come as standard with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and extra luxuries like adaptive cruise control.

It has an emphasis on security too, with one of many innovative Tesla features being an additional measure called Sentry Mode.

When enabled, this mode uses the car’s external cameras to start recording if the vehicle is approached when locked, saving the footage to a USB drive if you have one installed.

If you’re after something luxurious and safe, the Tesla Model Y should definitely be on your shortlist.

Browse our best Tesla Model Y lease deals

Kia Sportage

There’s no shortage of family SUVs to pick from, especially when you’re looking on the more compact crossover end.

But the Kia Sportage still manages to stand out with its dramatic styling and well-equipped trims.

The interior is smart and spacious, with plenty of leg and head room (even for those six footers), and there’s a generous amount of storage. Door pockets large enough for a bottle of water, a lidded centre cubby box, trays for your phone, a good-sized glovebox, and more.

It’s a practical car for anyone looking for their next family lease.

The Sportage also scores highly in the safety arena, with a five-star Euro NCAP score, and good percentages for both adult and child safety. And Kia’s market-leading seven-year manufacturer warranty provides extra peace of mind.

If you’re after a compact SUV, you can’t go wrong with a Kia Sportage lease.

Browse our best Kia Sportage lease deals

Jaecoo 7

The Jaecoo 7 is a competitively priced family SUV that combines the German word ‘jaeger’ and the English word ‘cool’. The full translation is ‘hunter cool’, reflecting the brand’s goal of creating stylish vehicles that are capable on and off-road.

And properly cool it is.

The smart interior is spacious in the back, with acres of head and leg room. Passengers can easily slide their feet under the front seats, and there’s a good amount of head, leg and shoulder room in the front too.

Standard equipment is very generous, including LED headlights, faux-leather upholstery, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control and a powered tailgate.

All Jaecoo 7s come with plenty of safety equipment too, including automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, driver monitoring, lane-departure warning, and road-sign recognition.

And – most importantly – the Jaecoo 7 achieved a five-star Euro NCAP score, with an 81% adult occupant score and 80% child occupant.

Browse our best Jaecoo 7 lease deals

Hyundai Tucson

There’s something about the Hyundai Tucson that just conjures images of family adventures.

Something about the back end and the size just screams ‘drive me into the mountains and go car camping.’ Or, you know, the rolling hills of the UK.

Mountains aren’t really our forte.

But if you just need a decent, solid family wagon, the Tucson is an excellent option.

While not available as a full EV, it is available as a hybrid, which makes it more efficient and keeps more of your hard-earned cash in your pocket.

With its five-star Euro NCAP score and range of safety systems, including blind-spot collision assist, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic collision assist and smart cruise control, the Hyundai Tucson remains an excellent option for a family car lease.

Browse our best Hyundai Tucson lease deals

Volkswagen Tayron

Built on the same under bits as the VW Tiguan, the Volkswagen Tayron is marginally taller and wider and a good bit longer– which translates to more room for legs and less chance of sibling disputes over elbow space.

The Tayron is a seven-seater as standard (though you’ll get five seats if you lease a hybrid version), taking all the positives of the Tiguan and mixing them with added practicality.

Even the entry-level Life trim is generous, coming with 18-inch alloy wheels, 12.9-inch touchscreen with 10.25-inch driver’s display, wireless smartphone charging, integrated sat-nav, adaptive cruise control, LED exterior lights, ambient lighting, rear camera and VW’s park assist plus.

Not too shabby for a starting trim.

It comes with a strong list of safety kit as standard too, including autonomous emergency braking, cross-traffic control, lane-keep assist, nine airbags and traffic sign recognition.

The Tayron achieved a five-star Euro NCAP score, with an 87% adult occupant score and 85% child occupant score.

Not bad, VW.

Browse our best Volkswagen Tayron lease deals

Polestar 4

The Polestar 4 is a spacious, stylish and swift electric car that combines the practicality of an SUV with the sleek aesthetics of a coupe.

The 4 boasts a beautifully crafted, high-quality interior and comes well-equipped as standard. And with a WLTP Comb range of up to 385 miles, you’ll be going for days without needing to plug in.

The palatial rear seats can even be reclined, and thanks to the panoramic roof, there’s loads of light flooding in.

Safety-wise, it’s properly impressive, with a five-star Euro NCAP score. It scored 92% for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupant, and 79% for safety assist.

Safety systems include automatic emergency braking, speed assistance, lane-keeping assistance, fatigue/distraction detection, traffic-sign recognition, and a blind-spot warning system.

Browse our best Polestar 4 lease deals

Keeping your family safe without breaking the bank

When it comes to choosing your next family car lease, you don’t have to choose between safety and affordability.

These 10 vehicles prove that you can have both – top-tier Euro NCAP safety ratings and monthly payments that won’t have you reaching for the painkillers when the direct debit goes out.

From electric pioneers like the Tesla Model Y and Polestar 4 to practical family haulers like the Volkswagen Tayron and Jaecoo 7, there’s something for every family’s needs and budget.

The best part?

All these cars come with the latest safety tech as standard, so you can focus on what really matters.

Making memories with your loved ones.