Planning a relaxing getaway to the Yorkshire Dales, The Broads or Lake District in the coming months? Or maybe a day trip to Alton Towers, Stonehenge or the Tower of London? Road trips can be stressful events. Before you set off, you face hours and hours of driving on often monotonous UK motorways, and even classic road trip car games aren't enough to see you through the miles. The potential for you to hit the typically horrendous British weather grows every second you’re on the road. However, there is perhaps one thing that can increase the difficulty of your trip like nothing else – bored kids!
To make your next road trip with the kids as stress-free as possible, Vanarama has picked out our top 5 cars that offer the best kids entertainment on the market.
How We Worked This Out
To rank each car, we picked out 9 features that will keep the kids entertained in the back seats for hours and hours during your road trip. We then assigned each feature an amount of time reflecting how much entertainment the kids can get out of it. Of course, kids will use each feature as much as they want during your trip – but this is our fun guide to kids’ entertainment in your car.
Here’s why we included each feature and what you can expect to find in Vanarama vehicles:
· Rear Sunblinds / Light Protection: Essential to guard your screen from the sun.
· Music Speaker: The more the better to listen to your favourite tunes or podcast.
· Tray Table / Multifunctional Bench: The perfect place to perch your tech.
· Touchscreen Media System: Choose which playlist to enjoy.
· 12V Plug / USB Socket: The ability to charge your tech is a must-have feature.
· Apple Play / Android Auto: Sync your devices seamlessly.
· Digital Radio: Listen to the football or enjoy your favourite shows.
· TV Screen / DVD Player: Perfect for movies and TV shows.
· Digital Television: The holy grail of in-car entertainment.
Continue reading to find out which cars will keep your kids entertained for hours on end.
1. Peugeot 5008
Kids’ Entertainment: 10 hours 10 minutes
Coming in at the top of our list for the best cars to keep the kids entertained, it’s the spacious Peugeot 5008. Jam-packed with technology, this SUV will have the kids occupied for more than 10 hours! – the equivalent of driving from London to Inverness in one trip.
The car benefits from a 10“ HD capacitive touchscreen, perfect for choosing which One Direction playlist you want to play using either Apple Carplay or Android Auto – it’s your choice when you lease a new car with Vanarama. What really sets 5008 leasing apart from the competition is Peugeot’s excellent 6-speaker audio system and DAB radio with MP3 compatibility.
If the kids decide to change what they’re listening to during your trip, they don’t even need to bother you. Peugeot’s intelligent voice recognition feature will deal with the kids while you focus on the driving. The vehicle also comes complete with a Bluetooth telephone connection. No more wires need to get in the way of the gearstick as the kids decide to call their friends in the back of the car.
2. Range Rover Evoque
Kids’ Entertainment: 9 hours 20 mins
Perhaps the most premium vehicle on our list, the Range Rover Evoque is a great option to get you through a long road trip with the kids with the minimum amount of fuss! Sitting in the back seats, you’re surrounded by an array of 12V plugs and USB charging points – you’ll struggle to ever run of battery in the back of an Evoque.
Of course, any handheld technology needs the perfect place to be perched. Premium tray tables folding down from the two front seats provide an ideal place to stand iPads and other devices while trying to get to the next level of Candy Crush or watching the latest episode of Dora the Explorer.
Overall, the Range Rover Evoque could get you from Edinburgh to Plymouth without the kids kicking up a fuss in the back seats – the second-best time on our list. Before your road trip, don’t forget to set the ambient lighting to the perfect setting. Improving the visibility of the kid’s tech screens will let you enjoy a peaceful drive with no interruptions.
3. Hyundai Ioniq
Kids’ Entertainment: 9 hours 10 minutes
The first electric car to feature on our list, the Hyundai Ioniq missed out on second place by a matter of minutes, but it’s still one of the best cars you can lease to keep the kids entertained. Perfect for environmentally-conscious parents, the car will provide around 9 hours 10 minutes of entertainment for the little ones.
You’ve probably experienced low battery anxiety at least once in your life – the pain of seeing your phone or tablet battery ticking down to 1% and not knowing where the next charge will come from. Not to worry – a Hyundai Ioniq lease has you covered. There’s a series of 12V and USB power outlets throughout the car that you can depend on to keep the kid’s tech fully charged during your journey.
If the kids happen to have their headphones on while enjoying their handheld tech, use the EV’s Infinity sound system. It boasts one centre speaker, two front speakers, two rear and one external amplifier to help you listen to your favourite podcast or radio show.
4. Audi Q5 Sportback
Kids’ Entertainment: 9 hours 5 minutes
First released to the UK market in 2009, the Audi Q5 has gone on to be a firm favourite with style-conscious motorists who like to have lots of room - and no wonder! The German SUV comes stacked with tech and will see you able to travel the 531 miles from Brighton to Dundee without hearing a peep from the kids in the back.
Perhaps the feature that Audi like to bang on about the most (pardon the pun) is the fantastic Bang + Olufsen sound system, controlled by the 10.1” touchscreen located in the centre of the dashboard. This is the perfect way to distract the kids with their favourite shows.
Other techy features of the SUV to keep the little ones entertained include a DAB digital radio, Bluetooth interface and heads-up display. Let Alexa answer when you’re asked, “Are we there yet?” for the seventh time. The virtual assistant is fully integrated into the car, enabling you to focus solely on the driving during your trip.
5. Volkswagen Caravelle
Kids’ Entertainment: 8 hours 50 minutes
Last but by no means least on our list is the unique, sixth-generation Volkswagen Caravelle – something of a novelty in today’s car market. Saying that the people carrier has a large amount of space would be an understatement, there’s enough to fit in a medium-sized pony. The vehicle comes equipped with seven seats with the middle two being able to swivel so your five passengers can face each other. This makes the Caravelle the perfect ride if you’ve got a platoon of kids in the back.
Another handy feature is the set of roller blinds on either side of the car. They make it much easier for your kids to see their favourite characters while watching TV shows on their tablets. If your kids do happen to turn the middle seats around in the back, there’s a sturdy pop-up bench that can be used for standing up tablets, playing board games or eating food – a distinctive feature of the Caravelle.
Craving some peace and quiet on your next road trip? Visit the Vanarama car leasing offers page to find the likes of our ‘Best Car For Kids Entertainment’ winner, the Peugeot 5008, for the best prices around.
