So, you have decided to upgrade to a family car. That means more safety, more space and more eco-friendly – and that is to mention a few essential traits in selecting a family car!
Let’s take a look at some of the other critical features that you should consider before you settle on one car.
Keep Your Budget in Check
Start by having a budget for the car that you will be available to afford. Consider the costs for fuel, insurance, servicing and more when you are setting your budget for your family car as well.
Once you have set a budget with those costs considered, you can start looking for vehicle options. Start with the necessary safety features that you need for a family car with the appropriate price range.
After you have narrowed down your options, you can compare their prices on websites such as carsales.com. A website like this one would include costs for dealer delivery, stamp duty and more, so the price would be more accurate for your budgeting needs.
Choose a Car that Suits Your Purpose
If your family has been going camping or heading for off-road journeys regularly, then you can consider getting an SUV to suit the purpose. The extra boot space available in SUVs may also be a factor to consider when you are a frequent traveller.
However, you will not need these fuel-heavy vehicles if your journeys are only going to involve the same daily route. Most families that only travel between school, work, supermarkets and home will only need a five-seater.
No need for fancy off-road cars if you are not going to be making full use of their features!
Inspect Child Seat Anchorage Points
Not every car is equipped with enough space or fittings for baby car seats. Ideally, your family vehicle should have the right points allowing your baby car seats to be securely installed according to your local government’s regulations.
The number of fitting points matter as well. Most cars would have three anchorage points, and the number increases to five in some vehicles.You can choose the best vehicle based on the number of children you have or plan to have.
Another popular feature of new cars is ISOFIX, an alternative to securing your child seat with seat belts, and instead, securing it with a single attachment at the top and two attachments at the base.
Last but not least, check to see where the fitting points are located. If they are behind the boot area, then it would impact your available boot space as well.
Look for Available Features
Your family car should come equipped with window locks and child safety locks for all back doors. You will need these safety features so that your children will not accidentally unlock and open the door or put their head out of the windows while you are driving.
You should also install a reversing camera, which would help you to check the back of your car as you reverse out of your own home’s driveway. Having a reversing camera will help to prevent unfortunate accidents from happening at home.
While some child seats do come with their cupholders, having built-in ones in the rear seats would be handy. At the very least, you will be preventing unnecessary spills while your children are sitting in the back of your car.
Always Do a Test Drive
You can request for a test drive with your prefered car model. Book an appointment with your car dealership where possible to ensure that your requested car model will be available for a test drive when you are there.
You can bring your kids to the test drive as well, to see whether the baby car seats are going to fit nicely in your next new car.
You can also request your nearest dealerships to allow you to drive the car back home if needed. As an example, you can see if the vehicle would fit in the driveway, your garage or any other location where you plan to park it.
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