How the Sporty Family Cars Were Ranked
To determine the best family sports cars, we started with data from IntelliChoice that sort vehicles based on two basic factors: They must be models considered sporty and also seat a minimum of four. Then we evaluated data on three criteria: rear-seat shoulder room, used to gauge the space available for car seats or passengers; cargo space in the trunk, a measure of the ability to haul strollers and other gear; and IntelliChoice's "value" rankings, a measure of total ownership costs. We didn't include fuel economy, although that is reflected in the value rankings. And since sports cars tend to be small, most of the entries on our list average better than 20 miles per gallon anyway.
To rank the entries, we divided them into quintiles for each of our three criteria, then gave each model a score, ranging from 1 for the lowest quintile to 5 for the highest. Then we simply added up the scores. The highest possible total was 15; the lowest, 3. The cars that rank highest are those with the best combination of rear-seat space, cargo space, and value.
For each model we included only the lowest-priced trim line, which means that the prices most people pay are likely to be higher.
More on family cars:
• Sporty Family Cars: Topless With Toddlers
• Best Family Sports Cars
• Photo Gallery: Family Sports Cars
More related news:
• Muscle Per Gallon Index (Apr. 20)
• Family Haulers That Aren't Minivans (March 9)
• Video: Money & Business
• More from Cars
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