Darcie, aged two with her Grandad.
Budget
The first and most important point is deciding on your budget and that’s not just a budget in mind for the car itself. You should factor in tax, insurance and likely fuel costs of your new car. Having a family is never exactly cheap and making sure you stay within your monthly budget is definitely something to consider when you’re buying your first family car or upgrading. Something else to consider is how you’re going to foot the bill. Can you afford to buy out right? Or do you need to look into a hire purchase option or car leasing? Genus Leasing have some great options to help you get started.
Needs
All families are different. Some are small, some are big. Some have young babies or fully grown teens. Determining your own families needs should be your next steps. How many seats, how much leg room in the rear seats do you need, how much boot space? Do you want to add bike racks? A trailer? All of these things will determine the type of car you’re after.
Safety
Of course safety is going to be paramount for your family. Most cars carry the highest specification when it comes to safety rating but it might be worth looking into what protection a child might have in your potential car.
Body Type
Many people think they will be able to get away with a small sporty three door hatch, but let me level with you... have you ever tried to wrestle a toddler into a car seat? Or carry a car baby carrier? They’re not easy tasks and are even harder if you’re trying to pop them into a three door car.
Once you’ve got these main points covered the next part is using this to help narrow down your search. I believe you can still have “fun” when buying a family car and I think sometimes your car can reflect your personality. Be sure to test drive a few - with your family in tow. A car is a bug investment so take your time.
K Elizabeth xoxox
*Collaborative Post
