The rule for tents when camping with family is  that 'bigger is better'. A good tent should be roomy, not only for the family but for the whole stuff a family lugs around during camping.

Another important rule regarding camping tents: If you have five or fewer people, as most families do, six-person tent can be very comfortable, especially if a few of those people are children.

Basically, a good tent for family and car camping is roomy, easy to set up, durable and comes for a reasonable price.

Tent poles: Aluminum poles are far lighter and slide together more easily, while fiberglass and steel are often trickier to fit together but stronger in high winds.

Tent walls: A nylon tent ihas more stretch and can absorb a lot more shock, ehich is very useful out in the country. 

Tent floors: Polyester is stiffer and heavier but not as susceptible to UV damage, and it doesn’t absorb water as nylon does, Less expensive too.

Tent fabric strength: It is anywhere between  40D up to 150D in case of car camping tents.

Tent waterproofing: The fabrics are coated with a water-repellant coating described in millimeters; 1,200 mm to 3,000 mm is the normal range found for family tents. The number measures a specific test of water pressure, basically  the number of millimeters of water that can sit on top of the material before the water starts leaking through. A higher number means better water resistance, but such stronger coatings aren’t always necessary as they make the fabric heavy too. A typical umbrella comes with a rating of only 420 mm,  which is also enough for most tents.

The best family car-camping tent: Eureka Copper Canyon 6 (Spacious, versatile, and affordable,)

The best family car-camping tent upgrade: REI Base Camp 6 Tent (great for harsh weather, full rainfly, storm ready pole structure, 2 roof vents help control condensation)

The best affordable family car-camping tent: Coleman 6-Person Instant Tent (very fast setup)