There are a lot of safe and reliable cars available now on the market. The best advice I can give you is to do your homework and decide on which features/ benefits are most important to you and your family.  We've chosen a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country Van are very happy with it . It's a great vehicle for a family of 5.Check out this website for more information:

http://www.find-cheap-used-cars.com/used/buying-a-used-car.php

I am not sure what you would be looking for exactly. But I swear by the Honda Civic....

Not only has my husband proved that it is safe... :) He has had a few accidents.. Not his fault I am told.. Other then a few new bumpers in seven years the only thing I have had to do is replace gas and a small pipe in the airconditioner...

It is great on gas/petrol....

Hi
take into account when choosing your car will it fit everything in you need....
go for a mini bus lol...least then you wont have to upgrade later hahahahaha
Luv Deb

Since you're in Australia, have you tried the NRMA website? (Here's the car review/test page: http://www.mynrma.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/mynrma/hs.xsl/reviews_and_tests.htm?cpssessionid=SID-3F5768EC-FD7225D4)

It depends on if you want new or used, and how much you want to spend. I have owned many older cars and for reliability you can't go past a Toyota. Also cars on LPG are safe and are better for the environment yet save you money on fuel costs (the best cars on LPG are Fords) - the only compromise is a bit of boot space.

If you want serious safety and have money to spend, try Volvos or Subarus that  are only a few years old.

I love honda and toyota. I have a civic, its my second one, I love them. Accords have a little more room for the car seat, I also love corolla. I think you need to consider gas mileage, price, and safety features. All three cars listed I have driven or owned or had someone in the family who owned one. Civic, Accord, or Corolla you can count on lasting you 10 years as long as you keep up the maintence, and they usually come with some free oil changes and free roadside assistance for a certain amount of miles too. Good luck, happy shopping!

On the practical side make sure it has a big boot (or trunk if you're american!) to fit your pram, and anchor points where you'll be installing your babyseat. "Choice" consumer magazine have tested heaps of cars so I'd check out their list of safe ones.Their website is  www.choice.com.au 

Hi I wrote an article not long ago about some things to be aware of when looking for your family car.   Be very wary of 2nd hand cars make sure you guys have them thoroughly checked out before purchase by an independant company to ensure safety and reliability.  They sometimes cost a bit to get done but at the end of the day they will save you a lot of money.

Choosing the right family car January 15.   I still haven't worked out how to link these things up.  There is just a few other suggestions of things to look out for and to think about.  Happy car hunting.