Buying a car can be an exciting time, but it can be confusing when you realise how much choice there is on the market. If you’re looking to purchase a family-sized vehicle, you could get lost in a sea of motors, so it’s important to know what to look for.
Transporting children, grandparents, pets and other family members to and from different places can be stressful if you don’t have the right car, meaning it's really important to take the time to evaluate all your options before you part with your hard-earned cash.
Here are a few tips to make buying a family car a whole lot easier.
Safety first
All parents want to ensure their children are safe at all times, even when they are in the backseat of the car, so it will weigh heavily on a purchasing decision.
Every single vehicle manufactured to UK specifications are legally obliged to meet minimum safety standards. For extra peace of mind, the testing agency Euro NCAP conducts a number of additional checks to encourage carmakers to exceed the minimum standards. A star rating of between one and five is applied once all tests have been carried out.
In the latest round of results from the crash test agency, the Volvo V40, Honda Civic and Nissan Leaf scored the full five stars. Check out any potential buys here.
Hatchback
The family car market is one of the most competitive sectors, meaning you’ll be spoilt for choice. To make things easier, you should decide whether you want to purchase a hatchback or saloon.
On the outside, saloons often look bigger compared to hatchbacks, but they are lack the flexibility of the latter. Typically speaking, they have narrow openings and high boot lips, meaning trying to fit a pram inside can be akin to trying your hand at contortionism.
Hatchbacks can carry the family, its belongings and even pets if necessary. If you’ve found something you like the look of, click here to see if you’ll be able to fit your pram in the boot.
Depending on the size of your brood, a five-door hatchback will probably be better than the three-door alternative. When you’re on the forecourt, feel free to open some car doors and see if the opening is wide enough to fit a car seat and get younger kids in and out.
Stadium seating
A car with raised rear seats – also known as ‘stadium seating’ – is definitely something to consider when searching around for a new family motor. In these cars, the rear seats are higher up compared to those in the front, making it easier to fit child seats and providing the infant with a better view of what’s going on where mum and dad are.
This type of seating is more commonly found in MPVs and 4x4s and if you do opt for stadium seating, you must ensure rear head restraints can be removed easily, as they may need to taken out to accommodate a child’s seat.
Storage
With every family comes a lot of stuff that needs to be transported between places. Toys, nappies, bottles, extra clothing, drinks, food and prams all take up space in the car, which means buying one that has clever storage solutions is probably a good idea.
However, be wary of underfloor compartments in rear footwells as some child seats have support legs that cannot be used safely if they are stood on a hollow storage area.
Child-friendly extras
If your budget will allow it, there are a lot of child-friendly features that you may want to consider. For example, integrated sunblinds or UV-filtering tinted rear windows are able to limit how much sunlight your child is exposed to, which is especially helpful on long journeys.
Seat-back or roof-mounted DVD screens can be a blessing for some parents, as letting kids watch their favourite film or show can keep them quiet for hours. Cup holders can help prevent spills, which could lead to tears, and if that doesn’t work, a dark interior can disguise a multitude of sins.
Posted by George Davis