What you should look for in a family car
With Mother’s Day on the horizon in the UK (Sunday 31st March), families across the country will be hopping into the car to enjoy a day out with one the most important people in their lives.
These trusted family cars have to put up with a lot. Whether it’s carting the school’s football team to a muddy field in January or heading off to a sugar-filled birthday party, they can go through a lot of punishment.
Here we take a look at what makes these types of cars special and what anyone looking to invest in a new one should consider.
Know what you need when you start out
This may sound like stating the obvious, but it is very easy to fall into the trap of going for something that catches your eye before considering its practicalities, only finding out later that it’s not quite up to the job.
Carefully consider everything you need the car to do before you start your search. Make a list of all the daily chores; the school run, sports club drop offs and collections and how seats you need. This way you can rule out any cars that don’t meet your requirements from the start.
Consider more than one type of car
We all have a preferred brand or style of car but when looking for a car to keep the whole family happy it’s important to shop around and explore what several brands have to offer.
Don’t settle on a particular type of vehicle, such as an SUV, before you’ve fully explored what is on the market at the moment and considered how they match your lifestyle and needs.
For example, if you have an older family and only need the car for a short commute and running the kids around at the weekend, an electric vehicle might be a good option, they offer savings on road tax and fuel as well as environmental benefits.
The interior trim
We don’t need to tell you that kids can generate a whole lot of mess without much to work with, so it’s vital to inspect the interior trim of the prospective family car thoroughly to ensure it can stand up to the demands of your daily routine.
Muddy football boots? Sticky sweets? Ask yourself will it be easy to clean and will I be able to get into all the nooks and crannies easily? Are the seats wipe clean or will you need to scrub them clean regularly?
Optional extras
The used car market can be a great way to find a bargain but it could limit the flexibility you have when it comes to adding those all-important extras that make your life that little bit easier.
For example, adding in a heated front windscreen could save precious minutes waiting for the car to defrost for those cold school runs. And how about a self-closing boot for when you’re trying to juggle multiple bags of shopping as well as all the kids’ school stuff?
There’s a huge range of options available on cars when buying from new and they can be truly personalised to you and your needs, so it is an avenue worth exploring.
