10 cars for small families

Families with a taste for luxury should consider the Buick Verano, which starts at $23,080. It features a refined, quiet cabin, upscale styling and lots of standard equipment. Every Verano offers the safety of 10 airbags and the connectivity of Buick IntelliLink, which allows smartphone integration and audio streaming through the vehicle's infotainment center. The Verano is also surprisingly athletic and peppy, and it gets decent fuel economy at 21 mpg city/31 mpg highway.

2013 Buick Verano

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The Cruze shares its platform with the Buick Verano, thus offering comparable driving dynamics. The difference is that the Cruze is not quite as luxurious as the Verano, but it is more fuel-efficient; the $20,875 Eco trim is rated as high as 30 mpg city/42 mpg highway. Eco buyers also get progressive technology such as Chevy's MyLink infotainment system. However, the lack of a hatchback body style will turn off some families.

2013 Chevrolet Cruze

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The Dart doesn't offer the cargo convenience of a hatchback, but its 10 airbags make it a safe choice for small families. Plus, its fuel economy is outstanding, at 27 mpg city/39 mpg highway, and it has more combined passenger room, at 97.2 cubic feet, than any of the compact-class leaders — the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Parents will like the creature comforts of the $19,995 Limited trim, which features heated front seats, a rearview camera, an iPod interface and the easy-to-use 8.4-inch UConnect touch-screen with navigation.

2013 Dodge Dart

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Who says a family car can't be fun? The Focus' sporty handling and refined ride make it a hoot to drive, as does the sprightly yet frugal 2.0-liter 160-horsepower engine, which returns 28 mpg city/38 mpg highway. We also like the versatility of the hatchback body style, which offers 44.8 cubic feet of cargo space. For the best balance of price and features, we recommend the $19,200 SE hatchback, which adds basics such as cruise control and power rear windows, plus Ford Sync for cellphone and MP3 player integration.

2013 Ford Focus

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The Honda Civic has been criticized for its hard-plastic interior and blah styling. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's still a reliable, efficient (28 mpg city/39 mpg highway), fun-to-drive car. The Civic is offered as a 2-door coupe and as a sporty Si model, but families will be best served by the 4-door $20,655 EX sedan. It offers a usable rear seat, the convenience of a 5-speed automatic transmission, and features that most buyers want, including Bluetooth connectivity, a sunroof and alloy wheels.

2013 Honda Civic

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More than any car on this list, the Hyundai Elantra delivers outstanding value. While young families may like the sedan, the GT — which is a fancy name for hatchback — is the better choice because it has 51 cubic feet of cargo space, which is almost as much as Kia's small SUV, the Sportage. Power is just adequate at 148 horses, but the fuel economy of 27 mpg city/37 mpg highway is excellent. Pricing starts at $18,395, and that includes cool features such as Bluetooth connectivity and satellite radio.

2013 Hyundai Elantra

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The Mazda3 was picked as the top performer in a recent shootout of cars that get 40 mpg, conducted by Motor Trend magazine. The primary reasons: exemplary fuel economy (40 mpg highway), fun driving dynamics and value pricing. A Mazda3 i Touring hatchback comes well-equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, Bluetooth connectivity and alloy wheels at $20,150. Buyers can also opt for the leather upholstery, navigation system and Bose audio of the Grand Touring trim for $24,200.

2013 Mazda Mazda3

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The Soul is essentially a box on wheels, but is somehow stylish anyway. The shape gives it the cargo space of a compact SUV — 53.4 cubic feet — and a fairly roomy rear seat. It also gets 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway. The Soul is a quite a deal, too; prices start at just $14,400. For about five grand more, you can get one loaded with a sunroof, a rearview camera and Kia's Uvo infotainment system.

2013 Kia Soul

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The redesigned 2012 Impreza is uniquely positioned in this group as the only car with the all-weather security of all-wheel drive, making it an excellent pick for folks in northern climates. The hatchback body style offers a large, 52.4-cubic-foot cargo area, so you can carry the kids and their sports equipment. Plus, it's the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive vehicle on the market, at 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway. Our value choice is the $19,295 2.0i Premium hatchback.

2013 Subaru Impreza

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The SportWagen has an amazing 66.9 cubic feet of cargo space, 10 more cubic feet than VW's own Tiguan crossover. The interior features higher-quality materials than the newer Jetta sedan, and the base 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine offers decent pep but middling fuel efficiency, at 24 mpg city/31 mpg highway. For something more pump-friendly, we recommend the $25,540 2.0-liter diesel; it has fuel-economy ratings of 30 mpg city/42 mpg highway and offers plenty of off-the-line torque.

2013 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

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For more information on any vehicle in this slideshow, click the links below:

-Buick Verano
-Chevrolet Cruze
-Dodge Dart
-Ford Focus
-Honda Civic
-Hyundai Elantra
-Mazda Mazda3
-Kia Soul
-Subaru Impreza
-Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen

Kirk Bell has served as the associate publisher for Consumer Guide Automotive and editor of Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine. A Midwest native, Bell brings 18 years of automotive journalism experience to MSN, and currently contributes to JDPower.com and Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com.