By: Laura Mitchell-Hall
When it comes to getting a family car, it’s really important that you choose a car that suits your needs, keeps the whole family safe and is kind to your pocket. There’s plenty of family cars to choose from on both the brand new and second-hand car market. Whether you’re looking for the best hatchbacks or an SUV for a young family, you’ll no doubt be spoilt for choice. The guide below has been designed to help you choose the right family car that’s right for everyone involved.
What makes a good family car?
Getting a family car doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality or looks but it does mean that you have to consider certain factors that will make your family car fit for purpose. The best family car is one that bring safety, reliability, style, and practicality together along with an affordable price tag. Let’s take a look at what you should look for in your next family car.
1. Safety rating.
One of the first things you should consider is how safe your car will be. Your family are precious to you, and you’ll do all you can to make sure their safety is a priority. The majority of cars in the UK will be tried and tested by The European New Car Assessment Programme (EURO NCAP). They created the five-star rating to assess the safety of different vehicles through the use of a number of tests. These tests reflect real life accident scenarios and are given a rating out of 5. Most cars nowadays are manufactured to meet the highest level of safety ratings. However, popular cars such as the Toyota Aygo X and BMW i4 reive a 4/5* so it’s worth checking the model you’re interested in first.
2. Reliability.
No one wants to be worried about when their vehicle is going to break down on the school run or have an unexpected repair cost, so looking for a car or manufacturer that is well-known for its reliability can be key. There are many factors that affect the reliability of a car, especially when buying a used car. It’s worth considering the age of the car, how many miles are on the clock, if it’s previously been involved in an accident and its service history. You can find more information about a car’s history for free from the DVLA.
3. Economical.
With the UK looking towards the petrol diesel ban 2030 and the commitment to help reduce climate change, you may be considering something a little eco-friendlier for your next family car. Eco-friendly simply means better for the environment and some cars have a lesser impact on pollution ates than others. Generally, fully electric cars and hybrid models are better but can be expensive to buy. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you could consider electric cars on finance to help spread the cost. There are many used petrol cars too which can be more eco-friendly too.
4. Practicality
It’s really important that the family car you buy is fit for purpose. Before you start shopping, it’s worth noting what requirements you need from your car. Do you need 7 seats for a large family, a big boot space for family road trips or extra headroom for tall teenagers? This can help whittle down the cars which suit your needs and avoid wasting time at the dealership.
5. Budget friendly
Whether you’re buying a car with cash or choosing to finance it, your budget cand determine which cars you can buy. When you have a family, money can be tight and it’s important to prioritise the things that are most important to you. You may not want to blow your savings fund on buying a car with cash and many new and use cars can costs thousands of pounds to buy. Instead, you could consider getting a car on finance to help spread the cost and can help you get a newer, better car for your budget.
6. Low running costs
It’s likely that you will have your car for a number of years, so you don’t want to be paying more than you need to throughout ownership. When you own a run a car, you will need to pay for fuel or recharge an EV, pay road tax, have a valid insurance policy, a yearly MOT (any cars over 3 years old) and pay for any servicing and any unexpected repairs. Cars that are cheaper to run tend to deliver good MPG, have a lighter build structure and produce low emissions.
7. Car seat compatibility
If you’re travelling with children, you will need to follow the Governments laws on child car seats. In the UK, all children under 12 years old or under 135cm tall need to use a child car seat. The safest and most popular way to fit a child car seat is through the ISOFIX mounts as it become mandatory from November 2012 for all cars to have ISOFIX fitted. Most cars have the ability to fit 3 car seats in the back, but some models don’t allow the middle seat to have a child car seat fitted so if you have 3 children, its worth checking the cars eat compatibility first.
Disclaimer: (This article is sponsored and includes some commercial links)
