It’s never easy to choose a car, especially when you need to pick a child-friendly car for your family. Some features, like fuel efficiency and a good sound system, are useful to everyone, but some that are necessary for good family cars are irrelevant in other vehicles. It’s important to look for those features when choosing either a new or a used car to make sure that you make a good decision.
Play it Safe
Family friendly cars have plenty of safety features. There are times when it’s impossible to avoid an accident, and those features can save a person’s life. That is especially important for families with young children since they can suffer serious injuries from accidents that wouldn’t do much harm to an adult.
Airbags are the most important safety feature. They can do a lot to protect an adult, but they aren’t always safe for children. In general, the side air in the front seats is dangerous for small children. If you are going to put a child up front, make sure that they are disabled. Side airbags in the rear are often safe due to voluntary safety standards, but not every manufacturer follows those standards. Ask the dealer for confirmation before you make the choice. Some airbags also come with advanced safety features that can adjust their power to accommodate passengers of different sizes, and those can be very useful for cars that will hold growing children.
Interior trunk releases are also important for families with children. Sometimes children sneak into the truck, and there’s a chance that they will lock themselves inside. A trunk with an interior release makes that impossible since the child can let himself out. Make sure that the release is large and obvious so that a curious child can find it without any trouble.
Look for Space
People who know how to choose a family car often make storage space a priority. It opens up opportunities to save money by buying groceries in bulk, but the main benefit appears when the children start joining sports teams and activities. Many sports require bulky pieces of equipment, and it isn’t easy to bring it to the game without a large trunk.
Seat space is also important. Children tend to get irritated during long trips, and separating them so that they can’t fight can prevent a lot of problems in the car. Bigger seats also make it easier to use booster seats, which can make a car trip much safer for small children. Removable seats are ideal since they can be used for seating when necessary but removed to provide more cargo space during trips to the grocery store.
Details Matter
People often ignore little details when they choose a car, but those details can make a big difference for children. Make sure that your car has enough cup holders for every child. Small children usually can’t handle a cup during a bumpy ride without spilling it, so a set of cup holders can save a lot of time on cleaning. Ideally, every child should also have access to an electrical outlet. Phones and gaming devices run out of power quickly in a car, and nothing will make children fight like only having access to a single outlet to recharge them.
The Right Price
The final consideration when choosing a new family car is the price. Every dollar that you spend on the car is a dollar that you can’t spend somewhere else, so it’s worth making sure that a car is worth the money. Family cars tend to experience a lot of wear and tear, so it’s usually best to save money by avoiding fancy seats and other bonus features that can break easily.
Many people choose to save money by purchasing a used car for their family, and that is often a sound choice. They’re much cheaper than new cars, but they’re harder to customize and they sometimes need more repairs than newer vehicles. That means that it isn’t always easy to choose between a used car or new car, and families need to carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages before making a choice. This infographic can help you make the decision, and a good dealer can help you assess the quality of a specific used car that catches your eye.
About the Writer
This post is written by Sally is a working woman and a mother of 2 kids (currently 10 and 8), living in a suburb of Brisbane. As mom, she learn so much about providing healthier and happier lifestyle for her kids. You can find more of her articles being featured on www.mouthsofmums.com.au.
Images provided by Sally.
We have been into planning to get our first car sometime this year. Space is what matters for us since we're quite a huge family. Price is a factor too but in this present times, a lot of brands and models are being produce and the price is somehow attainable. I just hope that there will be a major price drop on vehicle prices .. hehehe (hoping)