What to Consider When Picking Your Family Car
Buying your next family car soon?
Whether you’ve got young toddlers or active teenagers, it’s vital to choose carefully. You’ll need something that meets your practical needs, stows away your luggage, and keeps your passengers as safe as possible.
In this guide, we’ve explained the best things to consider when you’re looking for a safe, practical and dependable family motor.
- Prioritising safety
Firstly, you’ll need to think about the safety features in the car. Different models come with varying features as standard, so you’ll need to think about more than just seat belts.
Read online reviews and check the latest Euro NCAP Safety Ratings if you have a particular model in mind. Features like airbags, child locks and crash-test ratings are standard, so make sure you don’t compromise in these areas.
More advanced functions include rear-view cameras and autonomous driving, including lane-assist and crash detection technologies. If you’re buying a used car, check the bodywork for any rust or other vulnerabilities.
- Long-term costs
Motoring is expensive – that’s no secret. When you’re choosing the next family car, you’ll need to think about ongoing costs like maintenance, fuel, and road tax.
Fuel efficiency is an important topic. With the government set to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles from 2035, it’s very important to consider if an electric vehicle could suit your family. If you have convenient charging options, zero-emissions cars could be more cost-effective.
You can never predict mistakes made by other drivers and the costs these could incur, so it’s worth having a trustworthy insurer to have your back. After budgeting for the car itself, don’t forget to look for comprehensive car insurance to keep you safe on the roads.
- A balance between space and practicality
Finally, everyone dreams of driving a huge car, but it’s important to consider whether your family truly needs one. If you live in an urban area and you’re unlikely to be covering long distances, a compact hatchback could be sensible.
Meanwhile, if your daily commute involves navigating wild country lanes and steep gradients, a four-wheel drive car could be the most practical choice. Every family needs a car with enough seating and boot space to fit everyone, but there are plenty of options besides high-end SUVs.
Think about daily activities like school runs, grocery shopping, and family road trips. Your car needs to be a workhorse to suit every occasion, without costing you the earth or becoming inconvenient.
Buying a new family car involves having several honest conversations with yourself. It’s important to choose something that keeps everyone safe, keeps long-term costs low, and suits your daily routine. Good luck!