As your family grows, so too will your needs. This has major implications when it comes to your choice of vehicle. What was suitable when you were single might be impractical when you’re married with a child. What was suitable when you had just one child, by the same token, might be impractical when you have lots of them.
What to Look for in a Family Upgrade
Upgrading a vehicle means being conscious of your family’s needs, and looking for models that will help you to meet them.
Near the top of your list of concerns should be the amount of space you have for passengers and luggage. Think not just about what you can accommodate on an average day, but on a family holiday when the car is packed.
Once you know that there’s room for everybody, you can think about how easily you’ll be able to actually get into the car. This applies especially for young children in seats, and for children with additional mobility needs.
You might consider checking a car’s performance on Euro NCAP before you commit to it. This is an independent safety rating agency. There’s also the infotainment and climate control systems to consider.
Fuel Types & Running Costs: Petrol, Hybrid, Electric or Plug-in
A traditional internal combustion engine vehicle will tend to come with the lowest upfront cost. But if you’re putting in significant mileage, and you’re willing to pay a little more to begin with, the appeal of a hybrid vehicle, or a fully electric one, might be difficult to ignore.
Increasingly, lists of the best family cars are featuring more electric motors. This is largely because the obstacles to ownership, like range anxiety and a lack of charging facilities, are receding. You’ll need to think about how easily you’ll be able to charge, and whether your local garage can conduct maintenance on your new electric family car!
Seven-Seat & MPV Alternatives for Larger Families
Larger families might need more than the usual complement of five seats. If you have more than three children, then you might have no choice but to opt for a large SUV, with room for seven seats or more.
This will have a few practical implications besides the cost. You’ll need to prepare yourself for a larger, more awkward vehicle – and to accept that you’ll have more difficulty parking it.
Safety, Technology & Practical Features That Make a Difference
Modern cars are actually safer than ever before. In recent times, new technologies have helped drivers obtain more information about the road around them. Cameras, sensors, and automatic braking can help you to avoid a collision – and to make long journeys easier with the help of adaptive cruise control.
Families might also look for ISOFIX points, and large infotainment screens to help long journeys go that much more smoothly.
Financing Your Upgrade & Choosing a Car with Flexibility
It’s important that you’re conscious of your budget. The good news is that there are a lot of options when it comes to money. You might look into leasing, or part-exchange your old vehicle, or consider PCP/HP finance. Car financing has come under scrutiny in recent months, thanks largely to the FCA’s mis-selling redress scheme. But it remains a powerful way to get a purchase over the line.
But, at the same time, you don’t want to assume more debt than you can reasonably handle. Through bad credit car finance, you might be able to enjoy access to the right amount of cash, even if your history with money is patchy.
What matters is that you have a plan for paying back the debt, and managing it along the way.
