The Most Useful Cars Of 2015

2015 Infiniti QX60 (2014 Hybrid pictured)

2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid Platinum 4x4, upstate New York, Dec 2013

2015 Subaru Outback 2.5i, test drive, Catskill Mountains, NY, July 2014

2015 Toyota Sienna - First Drive, September 2014

2015 Land Rover Range Rover Holland & Holland edition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

April 9, 2015

How useful is your car?

Quality means something a little different to each shopper, so in The Car Connection's reviews, we discuss vehicle quality in every dimension--styling, performance, safety, features, and fuel economy.

Nowhere is it more important than in the space available to people and their stuff -- so the discussion of "quality" here at TCC is most closely knit with comfort, space, storage, utility, and fit and finish--everything that surrounds the driver that affects how they use it.

In this list, we're focusing on vehicles that have a good amount of space for their kind, but also, the vehicles that do the most with the space they have available. How they divvy it up between passengers and cargo; which unique features they have to accommodate functionality, whether it's stow-away seating, fold-away tailgate steps, or just a well-thought-out set of storage bins.

In a separate list, we cover our favorite vehicles for passenger comfort, appeal, and fit and finish.

Body style and price help narrow this list down, because a lot of vehicles do very well in this category. We give no perfect scores in this subset of our comfort and quality rankings, but award many vehicles, particularly those with three rows of seats or a bed, for their all-around flexibility as well as refinement.

These are our favorite 2015 models for space, storage, and utility, split by body style, with luxury vehicles called out for base prices above $50,000.

Family SUVs