What do you need to consider when buying a family car?

The dawning of family life, more specifically the introduction of a child or two, can really throw a spanner in the works of a few key aspects of the status quo. Less time for yourself? Check. Less money in the bank? Check. But generally, a happier and more fulfilling life? Also check.

Indeed, there are many trade-offs you’ll need to make in exchange for welcoming smaller people into your life, another of which is limiting the type of car you can realistically buy as your next purchase. While the dreams of the two-seater roadster may be out the window, there are a number of great family cars out there to choose from. They do need to tick a few boxes, though, and here’s what you need to be looking out for when buying a family car and you decide to junk your previous vehicle for a newer one.

Safety

First and foremost, each and every time, safety for your family is paramount when considering new vehicles. You’ll no doubt be driving everywhere like an OAP in a 20mph zone the first few times you have the kids in the car, but it’s important you’ve got everyone properly safeguarded against the unlikely happening.

The gold standard of safety in cars tends to be the Euro NCAP. Head on over to their site and you can find safety ratings for virtually every car out there. Most top end family cars will have the max five-star rating, which should probably be your minimum expectation when choosing a family model.

Boot size

Travelling to the park? You’ll need somewhere to put the pram. Travelling abroad? You’ll have more cases than you used to. Generally speaking, you’ll find yourself carrying more bits and bobs around with you day to day than in your previous life. Because of that, choosing a car with a good literage figure in the boot is an essential.

Look out for models that offer good boot capacity with the back seats both up and down – you never know when you might need a little extra room.

Space in the back

Continuing the space theme, the rear seats of the car can’t be tight – it just won’t work. Your rear seats should offer enough space to get a child seat or two in and also be airy enough that the kids, whatever age, don’t start to get stressed and uncomfortable, which in turn will make you stressed and uncomfortable.

The rise of the crossover SUV as the family car of choice has helped a lot in this regard, meaning there are more spacious five- and seven-seaters on the market than ever before.

Comfort

“The ride” factor of a vehicle is an extremely important factor regardless of whether you have kids or not. Choose a car with a stiff suspension and you’ll grow weary of the speed bumps on the way to the school sooner rather than later.

Car comfort comes in a few forms – the space afforded, the quality of the upholstery and the ride the car itself provides. All three should be under consideration when shopping for a new motor.

Running costs

Children are expensive, and you’ll have no doubt found yourself having to adapt financially to accommodate everyone in the family. Cars are a high-ticket purchase off the bat, but you need to remember the costs don’t stop once you’ve bought the car. Your insurance, servicing and fuel costs will all play a considerable figure in your annual budget, so finding a car that negates all those factors as much as possible is essential.

You want to find a car that will demand minimal fill up costs, pass its MOT each year and not scare the insurers. That usually means finding a not-too-powerful, reliable model from a trusted brand. As for buying in the first place, especially if you’re buying new, you’ll need to consider the impact of monthly finance payments should you not be able to buy outright. If you’re struggling to get accessible finance because of bad credit, lenders like Go Car Credit can offer a manageable solution to get you and your family up and running on the road.

Buying a new car for the family might not be as exciting as if you were buying a new car for yourself, but the family car market is so vast these days that you’ll almost certainly be able to find a car you love. Just make sure it ticks all the boxes listed above, with safety first, and space, comfort and costs following closely behind.