Travelling to Perth with the family is one of the best decisions you can make for a holiday. The city offers an extraordinary combination of beaches, wildlife parks, national parks, world-class food and wine regions, and open spaces that genuinely suit families with children of all ages. But travelling with kids means your hire car needs to work harder than a solo traveller’s vehicle. Luggage space, safety technology, seating comfort, and ease of loading and unloading all suddenly matter.
Burswood Car Rentals has been helping Perth families find the right vehicle for over 42 years. Our fleet includes vehicles specifically suited to family travel, from small families on a city break to large extended family groups covering the best of Western Australia. Here is how to choose the right one. View our full fleet to compare options and get an online quote.
Family Hire Cars at Burswood Car Rentals PerthPeople movers, midsize sedans, and more. No hidden fees. No rental stickers. Family-friendly service from Perth’s most trusted hire car company. |
What Makes a Great Family Hire Car?
Before getting into specific vehicles, it is worth being clear about what a family genuinely needs from a hire car. These are the factors that matter most:
- Seating capacity: enough seats for every family member without anyone being squeezed into an uncomfortable middle seat for long stretches
- Boot and luggage space: families typically travel with significantly more luggage than couples or solo travellers. Child gear (prams, boosters, portable cots) adds substantially to the load
- Safety technology: five-star ANCAP safety ratings, rear cameras, forward collision warning, and lane-keeping assist are features that matter when children are in the car
- Ease of access: sliding rear doors (standard on people movers) make loading and unloading children, particularly young children in car seats, dramatically easier than hinged rear doors in sedan configurations
- In-car entertainment connectivity: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity means families can use navigation apps and play music or podcasts easily, which matters on Perth’s longer regional drives
For Families of 4 to 5: The Toyota Corolla
A family of two adults and two or three children will typically be well served by the midsize sedan category. The Toyota Corolla automatic in the Burswood fleet is a strong choice here: roomy interior for its class, genuinely comfortable rear seats for children, a practical boot, and an impressive suite of safety technology including a five-star ANCAP rating, forward collision alert, lane keep assist, rear camera and sensors, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What the Corolla handles well for families:
- Airport runs with a family of four and a reasonable amount of luggage
- Day trips to the Swan Valley, Caversham Wildlife Park, or the Perth Hills
- Beach runs to Cottesloe, Scarborough, or City Beach
- The longer drive to Busselton or Dunsborough with the family for a weekend
What to watch for: if you have a pram or stroller in addition to standard luggage, the boot may fill quickly. Families with a pram and two large cases may find themselves rearranging creatively. If this is your situation, consider stepping up to the people mover.
For Families of 5 to 8: The Kia Carnival People Mover
For larger families or any family that wants genuinely comfortable travel without compromise, the Kia Carnival 8-seater people mover is the standout family hire car in Perth. Burswood Car Rentals has been hiring the Kia Carnival to Perth families for years and it is consistently our most popular vehicle for family travel.
Here is what makes the Kia Carnival the right choice for families:
Genuine 8-seat capacity
The Carnival has three rows of seating and can comfortably accommodate eight adults or a combination of adults and children. The second-row seats slide and fold to create easy access to the third row, which makes loading children into rear seats substantially more manageable than in a standard sedan.
Generous boot space
With the third row of seating in use, there is still a usable boot area behind the rear seats. With the third row folded or removed (where applicable), the boot transforms into a generous load area suitable for prams, strollers, beach gear, and the full luggage load of a large family.
Sliding rear doors
This is a practical point that parents consistently underestimate until they try it. Sliding rear doors on a people mover are vastly easier to manage in a tight car park than hinged doors. You never need to worry about swinging a door into the car next to you, and lifting children in and out of child seats is much more comfortable with the full door opening provided by a sliding door.
Five-star ANCAP safety rating
The Carnival carries a five-star ANCAP safety rating. It includes forward collision alert, lane keep assist, rear camera and sensors, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The safety technology in the Carnival is the same standard as in our smaller vehicles: family safety is not compromised by choosing a larger vehicle.
| 💡 Book the Kia Carnival early: The people mover is our most-requested family vehicle, particularly during Perth school holidays and over the Western Australian summer. We recommend booking your Kia Carnival hire as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Contact us if you are unsure whether dates are available. |
Child Seats: What You Need to Know
Child restraint laws in Western Australia require that children are secured in an approved child car seat or booster appropriate to their age and weight. This applies for the full duration of any drive, not just longer trips.
For family hire car planning:
- If you are flying to Perth, you have the option of bringing your own child seat from home (check with your airline for policies on carrying child seats as checked luggage)
- If you prefer not to travel with your own seat, contact the Burswood Car Rentals team to discuss child seat options for your hire period
- Installing a child seat correctly is the responsibility of the parent or guardian. If you are unsure about installation, the RAC (rac.com.au) provides guidance on child seat fitting
| ⚠️ Child restraints are compulsory: In Western Australia, it is illegal to transport a child without an approved and correctly fitted child restraint. This applies regardless of trip length or distance. Penalties for non-compliance are significant. If in doubt about which restraint is appropriate for your child’s age and size, consult the WA Department of Transport or a child restraint technician before your trip. |
Family-Friendly Perth: Planning Your Drives
A family hire car from Burswood puts Perth’s best family destinations within easy reach:
- Caversham Wildlife Park (Swan Valley): approximately 30 minutes from Burswood. One of the best places in Perth to meet kangaroos, koalas, and native wildlife up close
- Perth Zoo (South Perth): approximately 10 minutes from Burswood. Easily combined with a walk along the South Perth foreshore
- Adventure World (Bibra Lake): approximately 30 minutes south. Perth’s largest theme park
- Cottesloe Beach and Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA): approximately 20 to 30 minutes northwest. AQWA is at Hillarys Boat Harbour
- Rockingham and Penguin Island: approximately 45 minutes south. Fairy penguin colony and wild dolphin experiences
- Yanchep National Park (with Pinnacles day trip option): approximately 1 hour north. Koalas, caves, and kangaroos
Check our special offers page for seasonal family hire deals and extended-hire pricing that suits family holiday booking patterns.
Plan Your Perth Family Adventure With BurswoodAustralia’s most drivable family destination deserves the right hire car. Book your family people mover or midsize sedan today. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a people mover hard to drive in Perth?
No. The Kia Carnival is designed for easy urban driving despite its size. It has a rear camera for parking, excellent all-round visibility, and power-sliding rear doors that make manoeuvring in car parks easy. Most drivers who hire the Carnival for the first time report that it handles much more easily than they expected. See the people mover hire page for more information.
How early should I book a family hire car in Perth?
For school holiday periods (particularly the WA summer holidays from mid-December to late January, the April school holidays, and the October long weekend), booking at least four to six weeks in advance is advisable. People movers and large family vehicles are in high demand during these periods. Burswood’s special offers page regularly features family hire deals. Contact us for current availability.
Can we hire a car seat from Burswood Car Rentals?
Contact the Burswood Car Rentals team directly to discuss child seat requirements for your hire. We can advise on the options available for your specific booking. For the most reliable child seat outcome, particularly for infants and toddlers, bringing your own approved seat from home is often the most practical option for families flying to Perth. See our FAQs or call us on +61 8 9362 4777.
