(March 14, 2012) LOS ANGELES — With the spring and summer travel seasons just around the corner, Total Car Score has announced its top cars for family travel. The best minivans, midsize sedans and SUV crossover vehicles were considered, and the newly redesigned 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid led the pack.

Total Car Score is a car comparison website that combines data from multiple trusted automotive sources into a single, easy-to-read score to provide an immediate understanding of a vehicle's quality and desirability.

Beyond the Camry Hybrid, other notable winners on the best family car list include the roomy Chevrolet Traverse, which scored higher than any other vehicle in the SUV & Crossover category, edging out the also-impressive Ford Flex and the GMC Acadia. On top among minivans was the Honda Odyssey, though the highly functional Toyota Sienna and the feature-rich Chrysler Town and Country were not far behind.

2012 Camry Hybird

"Warm weather means more travel, and there are many more people this year in the market for a new car. We wanted to highlight the top-ranking options in family hauler categories like midsize sedans, SUV/crossovers and minivans," said Karl Brauer, editor in chief of Total Car Score. "A lot of auto makers stepped up their game in 2011 and 2012, and this is reflected in a list that includes several significant redesigns."

Total Car Score's auto evaluation aggregate ranking system rates vehicles on a scale of 1 to 100, and while 100 is theoretically the best score a vehicle can achieve most models score between 65 and 90.

Total Car Score's rankings for best family car are as follows:

    Toyota Camry Hybrid – 85.59. Redesigned for 2012, the Hybrid benefits from new, crisper exterior styling and a roomier interior. And its re-engineered Hybrid Synergy Drive system boosts both its performance and fuel economy.
    Chevrolet Traverse – 85.01 
    Ford Flex – 84.87
    Kia Optima – 84.74
    GMC Acadia – 84.47
    Hyundai Sonata – 84.30
    Honda Odyssey – 80.84 
    Toyota Sienna – 80.37
    Toyota Prius – 79.30
    Chrysler Town & Country – 77.79