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When it’s time to replace the family car, there are a few things to consider. As a mother-of-three, I’ve faced a few challenges when choosing a car, and I’ve bought cars in the past that haven’t been ideal for transporting my brood of kids around.
This handy guide should help you figure out how to choose the best car for your family’s needs.
Is the trunk big enough?
For me, the biggest mistakes I’ve made when buying cars is that there’s not enough room in the trunk. Prams are a notorious pain point for parents who drive. Even compact strollers can take up a lot of room if you don’t have much storage space. Some parents I know like to store the pram or stroller in a storage container on the roof rack, but I find that a bit inconvenient.
If you’re unsure whether your pram will fit in the trunk of the car you’re considering buying, it’s best to take it with you and try it out before you buy.
Can you afford it?
While getting a car on credit is pretty common, it’s important to consider if you can afford the repayments when things like the cost of fuel and living are both rising. The best thing you can do is choose a slightly lower priced car so that lower monthly repayments are easier to make (even if other costs shoot up). If in doubt, work out the monthly repayments before you commit.
Will everyone fit in it?
I’m really lucky in that there’s a big age gap between my eldest and youngest. My older daughter is 13, while my younger daughter is two (and my son in the middle is 7). This means I only need two car seats, and my teen can sit in the middle seat unaided. You’d be surprised how many vehicles that market themselves as family cars only have space for two car seats and just a half-size seat in the middle section. If your children all need car seats, there might not be enough space to fit them all in.
Another thing to consider is whether or not you’re done having kids. If you’ve only got two children, most cars will be an adequate size. If a third child might be in your future, you might have to suddenly upgrade your car. I have three kids but I’d like a fourth, so we went with a 7-seater to ensure we’ve always got enough room.
Check its history
Buying a second hand car can be a real minefield. If you’re not lucky enough to buy brand new (and let’s face it, not many people are at the moment), there could be any number of things you don’t know about the car you’re getting. I once owned a car that regularly wouldn’t start, but no one knew why. It was a fault with the car before I bought it, but the person selling it didn’t let me know. You can check the history of cars before you buy them to see if they’ve previously been involved in accidents or written off, and I think this is quite important to do. This is a paid for service, so if you don’t fancy paying to research the vehicle, you can also check its MOT history. Checking MOT history can be handy for finding out any issues that might crop up when you next MOT the car.