It's true. The treads are there.
It's not entirely true that they are too small. People can get by with cars of that size. But it is not exactly comfortable. You are forever hearing of people going on holidays, back in the day, 2 adults, 2 kids, and the dog, with a fortnights worth of packing, all in a Fiat Uno. It can be done. Just not comfortably.
But, one of the OP's requirements is:
Depending on if the kids are still in child seats, or simply on booster seats, there are very few cars that have the space required for an actual adult (even a small one), to sit between them. Not until you are looking at larger SUV's or MPV's. Neither my wife nor I certainly couldn't in the back of our 5 series, and that is far from a small car. Yet we could both fit between them in both the Alhambra and Range Rovers (it is worth noting the RR's weren't ISOFIX though).
Another requirement:
I haven't really found that this side of the larger SUV's. And they have no hope of meeting the next criteria:
My 2.0 TDI Alhambra only just manages this. Less with 18's on. Vehicles of the size really asked for by the OP have all the aerodynamics of a pile of bricks, so good MPG is unlikely.
To me, the space requirements scream MPV, or possible Estate. SUV's that meet the fuel efficiency target will simply not be big enough to be comfortable. Ones that are big enough, simply aren't economical enough.
Any way you cut it, a compromise has to be made. My compromise would be on the body shape personally, so that everything else I require can be had. I'm not sure I would sacrifice body shape for either fuel economy or space, as these are among the most important considerations here. Hence why I have an Alhambra and not yet another Range Rover, or, heaven forbid, a Sorrento or X-Trail or some other thing.
It's not entirely true that they are too small. People can get by with cars of that size. But it is not exactly comfortable. You are forever hearing of people going on holidays, back in the day, 2 adults, 2 kids, and the dog, with a fortnights worth of packing, all in a Fiat Uno. It can be done. Just not comfortably.
But, one of the OP's requirements is:
Depending on if the kids are still in child seats, or simply on booster seats, there are very few cars that have the space required for an actual adult (even a small one), to sit between them. Not until you are looking at larger SUV's or MPV's. Neither my wife nor I certainly couldn't in the back of our 5 series, and that is far from a small car. Yet we could both fit between them in both the Alhambra and Range Rovers (it is worth noting the RR's weren't ISOFIX though).
Another requirement:
I haven't really found that this side of the larger SUV's. And they have no hope of meeting the next criteria:
My 2.0 TDI Alhambra only just manages this. Less with 18's on. Vehicles of the size really asked for by the OP have all the aerodynamics of a pile of bricks, so good MPG is unlikely.
To me, the space requirements scream MPV, or possible Estate. SUV's that meet the fuel efficiency target will simply not be big enough to be comfortable. Ones that are big enough, simply aren't economical enough.
Any way you cut it, a compromise has to be made. My compromise would be on the body shape personally, so that everything else I require can be had. I'm not sure I would sacrifice body shape for either fuel economy or space, as these are among the most important considerations here. Hence why I have an Alhambra and not yet another Range Rover, or, heaven forbid, a Sorrento or X-Trail or some other thing.
