Selecting the right family car can be tricky. Choosing a car to suit family life is different to choosing a car for your own personal use, there are many factors to consider to make sure it’s the perfect practical fit for your family’s needs. Below, we explore the different considerations you must weight up when choosing your family car.
Why is it important to choose the right family car?
A family car often has different requirements to a personal vehicle. For a start, it needs to be able to fit the whole family in – the days of a two-seater sports car are gone. Plus, good fuel economy will be important if it’s used for long trips.
Factors to consider:
Size
You should get a car of a size that reflects the size of your family. A four-member family would look at a saloon, estate, or other four seaters. Cars with five members will need a car with three seats in the back, including a middle seat in the back too. Meanwhile, families with six or more members will call for larger cars with more seats, such as SUV’s and people carrier cars. This way your whole family will fit, and you won’t need to take numerous trips to transport your whole family.
Cost
Most families run on a tight budget. This is why it’s important to find a car that fits your price range.
Variables that affect cost
New or used? New cars are the most reliable, however, there are many reliable used cars available that can help you to reduce the cost of buying a vehicle. It’s worth considering your budget at the start and drawing up a clear plan to go for a new or used car.
Mileage
Buying a car with relatively higher miles will allow you to save money on the total price, however choosing a car with more miles is more likely to lead to expensive repairs, we advise aiming for a sweet spot of cheap to reliability of around 60k miles.
Buying options
Buying the car in full will allow you to pay less in total for the car, but this may not be an option for many budgets. Opting for a finance plan will allow you to spread the cost over monthly instalments while paying an interest fee.
Selecting a family car comes with plenty of considerations. The vehicle has to be the right size, provide value for money and offer some luxuries along the way. But by following the advice above, you should be able to calculate your expectations and make the right choice for your next family car.
How to choose the right family car is a feature post
