Top Tips for Buying a Family Car

When you are buying a car for your own use, it is very easy to do so, but things are going to be different when your family is in the picture. No matter how tempting it is to buy the two-door red convertible, you will have to think twice where family is involved. A family car should not be chosen without proper research because your family’s well-being and safety will be at stake every time the vehicle is used. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to know how to buy a family car. SUVs, station wagons and minivans are just some of the vehicles that a large family can use on a daily basis.

But, how do you choose one that works for your family? Some of the top tips for buying a family car are mentioned below:

Safety

Nothing is more valuable than your family’s security and safety on the road. Thus, when you are in the market for a family car, you should pick the one that provides you with the best safety features that money can buy. How can you figure that out? You can take a look at Euro NCAP, NHTSA, IIHS and Safercar.gov for more comprehensive reports on statistics, crash safety tests, ratings and other information regarding popular vehicles.

You can also go through car reviews, consumer reports and automobile magazines for learning about family-friendly cars and their best features. You should also spend some time learning more about what features assist a vehicle to perform better on the road. For instance, black cars are more likely to be in an accident than white cars because the former blend easily with the road and are difficult to see in the dark. You should also make sure that the car has some essential safety features, such as reverse parking camera, reverse parking sensors, airbags, seat belts, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), cargo net or barrier and door and window locks for kids.

Storage

When you have a family, you can never have too much storage space. When you are buying a vehicle, you should make sure it has enough space for keeping all your luggage and should also have enough to keep your outdoor gadgets, such as camping gear, books, first aid kits and cages, if you have any pets. Luckily, lots of vehicles that are designed for family these days have door pockets and backseats. They also come with front and rear drink holders that can be extremely useful when you are eating or drinking inside the car.

Car size

If you stick with good old common sense, it is very easy to figure out which family vehicle to buy. Put simply, if you have a larger family, it is a given that you would need a large vehicle, but if you have a small family, a compact vehicle will do. Nonetheless, this is not a cut-and-dried rule. You may not have a very big family, but if all members are tall, then you may require a larger car, such as a station wagon or an SUV for providing adequate leg room. Generally, it is recommended that you forego a three-door vehicle in favor of a five-door one.

If any of your kids or household members have any disabilities or special needs, you should go with cars that have wide or even sliding doors. You also need to think about your driveway and garage space. Make sure you have enough room for fitting in your car. The last thing you want is your vehicle to be stuck between the walls.

Apart from that, it is a good idea to plan ahead and think about the future when you are choosing a family car. Your kids may be small now, but they will get bigger eventually. You may also expand your family in the future or get more pets and this information should also be used when choosing a vehicle. A bigger car can accommodate all of these changes better than a smaller car and gives you enough space to manage everything where family is concerned.

Location

You may not think about your location when you are buying a family car, but it is something that does require consideration. For instance, if you live somewhere it rains frequently, you should select cars that give you good visibility with headlights and powerful wipers. Areas that are frequently flooded need cars that have added ground clearance, such as a truck or an SUV. If your family makes out-of-town trips that involve navigating through rugged terrain, then it is best to go with a four-wheel or an all-wheel drive vehicles.

Budget

How much can you afford to spend a car? You may be tempted to buy a very expensive car, but if you buy one that’s beyond your means, you may have to sacrifice other needs of your family and this can cause a lot of problems in the future. Thus, it is best not to purchase a Land Rover if you will not be able to pay your monthly mortgages or it will eat into your kid’s tuition money. Sit down with your spouse and conduct a realistic assessment of your current assets, income, expenses and future prospects and then select a vehicle to buy. You can also purchase a used car in good condition.

Preferences

What is important to your family? With kids, it is best to choose car seats in a dark color so the stains won’t be easily visible. If convenience means more to you, then you can select automatic transmission vehicles that offer automatic locks, keyless entry and one push buttons.

Choose a vehicle that your family will like and everyone should be happy with it. Otherwise, you will not use it frequently and what’s the point of buying a car then? Select the right one and you can share a lot of experiences with family and create some wonderful memories along the way.