When you are ready to buy a new car, you generally think of what you want and not necessarily what you need. Unless you are looking for a family car. In this case, your needs are much different and you will have to make sure that you buy the right vehicle. When you don’t have kids, you have more flexibility but kids change everything.
There are a few basics that you need your car to have. Of course, you can choose to have a truck with the best running boards or a sedan but there are some factors that remain constant. In this article, we will go over what some of those factors are so you can choose wisely.
1 – Safety features
Safety comes in a lot of forms in a family car since it is so important for protecting yourself and your children. On the one hand, you need to have safety features that help prevent an accident. On the other hand, you’ll need to have safety features that protect you when you are in an accident.
Look for a vehicle that has high ratings when it comes to accident protection. There are agencies that test each make and model of car or truck to see how they fare in an accident. Check out these safety ratings to understand what the protection level is like.
You should also be looking for features such as an alert system when you are heading toward a possible accident. For instance, there is an alert if the car begins to drift into another lane or is traveling too closely behind the car in front of it. Even a rearview camera for backing up is helpful since most accidents happen in a parking lot.
2 – Consider your lifestyle
Space is essential in any family car, but where the most space is will be determined by how you use the vehicle. For instance, if you are simply going to be taxiing your family around and doing things like grocery shopping then you don’t need much cargo space and should opt for interior passenger space instead.
If you are looking to be an outdoors type of family then you will need more cargo space since you’ll need the space for things like camping and other outdoor activities. Take some time to analyze how you plan to use the vehicle and you will understand how much space you’ll need and where.
3 – Fuel economy
Fuel prices have been rising over the years so driving a lot for work and family needs can end up costing quite a bit of money. When you have children you will find yourself driving far more than before you started a family. Fuel economy is going to be an important factor in the decision of which vehicle to purchase.
If you are looking at SUVs for the space then you may be in for a shock when you see how many miles you get to a gallon. Look for hybrids that combine electric and gas so you can get a lot more mileage to the gallon and save money that way.