A family car is one of the most extravagant big-ticket purchases that the majority of us will ever buy. It is a tough undertaking at any age, but it is more difficult during the early stages of motherhood when your pre-kid priorities are being pushed to the back seat. Instead of focusing on appearance, speed, and sound systems, the emphasis of a car search switches to safety, family practicality, and, of course, money. Here is how to get started with your search.
- Vehicle size and space inside
Whether you are driving a swarm of excited young football players or preparing for a family weekend trip, you will need a car that has adequate space and seats for everyone to travel safely and comfortably. If you have little children, be sure there is enough capacity in the car for more than one baby carrier or booster seat without cramping. For families with pets, having a greater room makes it easier to bring Milo to the picnic. The most versatility is provided by vehicles with many rows of seats and the ability to reconfigure the interiors.
Begin by determining the size of the vehicle you require. Consider an SUV, because of their versatility and higher ground clearance, SUVs (sport utility vehicles) are the most preferred type of vehicle for families. These are available in an increasing variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from “compact” SUVs with only four seats to big, eight-passenger haulers.
Several hatchbacks and SUVs still include “stow and go” seating, which is ideal for transporting groceries, diaper bags, sports gear, and whatever else you require for the day while still leaving room for the children. Look for a large trunk and rear seats that fold flat to provide storage space.
This feature also comes in handy when you take the family on vacation and find yourself needing to pack half the house just to spend a few days away.
- Interior
Comfort is an important aspect of the experience on longer excursions. An easy-to-clean trim, as well as the curvature of the seats, go a long way. To keep everyone happy, family cars should also have back temperature control and sunshades to protect young kids from the harmful impacts of the sun.
In addition, in 2021 your child most likely has never known a world without smartphones and iPads, so you must provide appropriate entertainment options. At the very least, your vehicle should include 12V USB power ports to keep electronics charged at all times. Other vehicles have working entertainment systems that support DVDs and applications which is ideal for long-distance travel!
Bluetooth connectivity may appear to be a luxury, but as a busy parent, you require a system that allows you to pay attention to your phone and kids without having to glance at it while driving. Because it mainly is prohibited to use a mobile device while driving, several automobile manufacturers are incorporating systems that allow drivers to make calls, navigate, pick songs, have emails and texts read out to them, or allow drivers to dictate text replies via verbal commands or an easy touch screen.
- Safety features
Is a family automobile safe if it does not have the highest safety rating available? Almost every car has a safety rating ranging from one to five stars. This rating reflects how well the car will perform in a collision. Vehicles with four and five stars are the safest, while vehicles with one and two stars offer less protection in a crash. ABS, traction control, lane-keeping assist, reversing cameras, and proximity sensors are all features that make you highly safe in case of accidents.
Nowadays, you should avoid purchasing a vehicle that does not include airbags that span to all rows of the car. A full automobile implies you and your partner are in the front seat and your children are in the rear, and you want to ensure that everyone is safe in the case of an accident. Airbags for the passengers and drivers are common, but hunt for side and side curtain airbags to protect the remainder of the vehicle. Make certain that the side curtain airbags extend to cover every row of seats. It should have wall-to-wall airbags. Then there are child seat fixtures known as tether points or ISOFIX points, depending on the type of car seat. Both of these features should be default in a family vehicle.
However, there are also plenty of additional features that are becoming available that you should take into account as well. Things like auto emergency braking (the vehicle stops itself if you are about to hit something in front of you); blind-spot monitoring (a light will appear on the side mirror if a vehicle is in your blind spot); lane departure warnings (beeps if you drift off your lane); and reverse parking cameras (a camera that shows you the road behind you, which is useful for parking).
Some automobiles now include 360-degree cameras that show you the whole interior of the vehicle (extremely useful), as well as adaptive cruise control which will keep you safer on long drives and in traffic.
Choosing the right vehicle is important when it comes to family cars, as the safety of your entire family in depending on the features of the car.