The term family is quite subjective when it comes to choosing cars. Not all families consist of only the couple and a child, which makes it difficult to recommend for or against any specific model without knowing those details. We will elaborate on that more next as that is also the very first consideration you should make while trying to find the perfect family car.
How Big or Small is Your Family?
The classic nuclear family does not remain as nuclear if it has three or more children in it. Aging grandparents and other relatives may also be living as part of the family. Therefore, do not define a “family car” by any predefined categories. Find something that you believe would be best suited for your own family.
What are the Special Requirements?
Most families have at least a few special requirements, so the car you choose must be properly equipped to deliver on them. For example:
- If there’s a baby or a toddler in the family, choose a model that can accommodate a children’s car seat comfortably.
- If there are multiple babies/toddlers in the family, then your next car should be designed to accommodate multiple child seats. If you’re looking for comfort and space then a family estate car is ideal.
- Does any one or more of your family members need a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV)?
These are just a few examples, but they should be enough to set you on the right track. In case there are no special requirements at all, and a family consists of only the couple and a child or two, then the definition of a family car can even be stretched to include some of the more spacious superminis to save money.
How Much Will It Cost to Insure?
There are several factors that affect how much your car insurance provider will charge you, but the car itself will always be the biggest factor. Before you buy any make and model, it is highly advisable to consider how much you will be paying for insuring that vehicle and whether that’s within your estimated budget.
The general rule to keep in mind is that expensive and exotic cars cost the most to insure, but so do used vehicles. If a car is both used and expensive, then the insurance premiums can become far more expensive than you might expect. The best way to cut down on insurance costs is to compare car insurance quotes from the top insurers on a neutral platform. The open competition between the different car insurance companies will work to your benefit.
How Safe Is It?
We have already discussed the special requirements, but there are families who may not need any of them right away. However, parents with children in the family should try to buy the safest car that they possibly can. Look for safety features such as:
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) – ABS keeps the wheels from locking up when you brake hard, allowing for significantly better car control wen emergency braking is essential. Cars with ABS stop faster, drastically reducing the time it takes between the driver hitting those emergency brakes and the car coming to a stop.
Brake Assist – Detects and regulates the amount of pressure exerted by the driver’s foot during an emergency stop. This keeps the car from drifting out of control and stops the vehicle significantly faster than cars without brake assist.
Blind Spot Detection (BSD) – Larger cars like SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and campervans benefit the most from BSD alert systems, as they tend to have a greater range of blind spots than smaller vehicles. When a car gets into the driver’s blind spot, a combination of sensors, vibration motors, cameras, and smart applications immediately detects and alerts the driver via, flashes, beeps, voice warnings, vibrations etc.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) – This is an advanced driver assistance system that’s still somewhat exclusive to cars with a high price tag. Nevertheless, it can be highly effective in preventing accidents. Like the name suggests, an LDW system will immediately warn the driver with vibrations, beeps, voice alerts, warning flashes, etc., if they start to make a turn or drift without turning the appropriate indicators first.
Adaptive Cruise Control – Not to be confused with regular cruise control, adaptive cruise control (ACC) comes with several enhanced features that makes it one of the best safety features to have in any car. Whereas cruise control can only maintain a pre-set speed automatically, adaptive cruise control adapts your car’s speed to keep up with the changing traffic conditions in real time. ACC is highly effective in mitigating chances of collision.
Note that your next family car does not necessarily need to have all the safety features mentioned here but having a few more than less is for the best. Also, do check user and expert reviews to find out whether those same features work in the way that they should. Having something on the spec sheet and getting true, real-life value out of those specs are not mutually inclusive. Thanks to the internet, finding more information about a vehicle before buying is now a lot easier.
