Choose the Best Car For Your Family
If you’re a typical guy, when you purchased your first car, you were likely thinking “sporty and fast” with thoughts of utility value being the furthest from your mind. Unless you were really lucky and had rich parents, you weren’t thinking about lots of space in the trunk and rear seats. And likely, you ended up with a car that you could afford - and wasn’t all that close to your dream machine.
But now if you have a family, your needs for transportation are likely quite a bit different than when you chose your first car, if you’re thinking of a “family car.” So how do you go about choosing the best car for your family? In the end, you’ll want the best car you can get that suits your budget.
What are some of the things you’ll need to think about?
What will the main use of the car be? If this is your commuter car to work and home, and your family won’t usually be driven around in it, then you’ll have different things to consider than the car you will be taking the entire family out in on outings, camping trips and other adventures.
Who will be the primary driver? The comfort of the driver is a very important safety consideration. Regardless of all the other safety features in a car, if the driver is not comfortable, much of the safety value may be lost. The comfort of the driver’s seat, as well as the driver’s ability to quickly check the instrument panels, speedometer, and easily and comfortably handle all the controls.
What sort of trips will you be taking your family on? If your family outings are more about heading out to a local diner in the next town, you won’t need to worry as much about rear seat leg room and trunk space. But if you want to be able to go on picnics, camping trips, or head out to the local fishing hole, obviously you’ll need to consider how well any additional equipment and gear you need will fit safely in the storage areas of your vehicle. Consider taking along some of your gear when you’re looking at a family car and see how it will all fit.
If this is a car that you’re planning on having for awhile, and you have small children, you’ll probably regret purchasing any two door models. When the children are small, it may not be that difficult to get them in and out of the back seat with a two door model, but as they grow, it will be uncomfortable for both the kids and the adults!
You might not be worried to much about seating room in the back seat if you’re just taking along your two five year olds right now - but those five year olds will be longer legged ten year olds in five years. And if they don’t have room for their knees, I can guarantee you that there will be many a distraction to the driver on long road trips with uncomfortable ten year olds in the back seat! So be sure to think of future needs as well as your present requirements when choosing a car for your family.
Fuel prices are also a concern - what kind of mileage will your car get? You might be surprised at how well some larger cars do on the highway - so if you know that most of your driving will be highway driving, don’t let fears of higher fuel consumption scare you too much. I own a 1989 Cadillac DeVille that gets 25 and sometimes 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Yes, it’s a brute driving in city conditions, but for me, that seldom happens so there’s lots of space for everyone, plus enough room in the trunk to safely stow enough camping gear for a week’s trip.
Don’t forget to also consider a van. Many vans today are very economical while providing lots of space and roominess for passengers and gear alike.
Whatever you decide on, get the whole family involved in the decision making process, and you’re all sure to have a great relationship with the car - and within the car!
Tags: buying a used car, family car, used cars
