Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Family Car

It’s important that you choose the right car for you and your family. Below are just a few mistakes to avoid when shopping for a family car.

Failing to set a clear budget

Budgeting is very important when you have kids. Buy something too expensive and you could create financial problems for yourself that you’ll later regret. Work out exactly how much you can feasibly spend on a car and stick within this budget. Make sure to factor in the upfront cost and the running costs when doing this - a car that’s cheap to buy could still be expensive to insure, repair and maintain. If you do need to take out finance, make sure to shop around. Car listing sites like Edmunds can help you to find cars within your price range, as well as offering tools like calculators for helping you to understand how much you’re likely to pay on finance.

Ignoring safety ratings

Some cars are safer than others. In the unfortunate event that you do get into a serious accident, it could be worth checking the safety rating of cars to minimize any potential harm to your family. Modern cars are typically a lot safer than older cars - they come with all kinds of cutting-edge features like blind spot cameras, autonomous emergency braking and adaptive headlights, as well as being built to withstand bigger crashes. This could be a good reason to choose a newer car. Of course, if you can only afford an older car, there are still many relatively safe options - check out this guide at What Car? for a few examples.

Not planning for growth

If you’re planning to have a few kids, there may come a time when you need a much larger car. Five-seaters can often become impractical once you have three or more kids. A seven-seater may turn out to be a better purchase. You can compare some of the best 7 seater cars here at Forbes. Make sure to also take into account the trunk space.

Going unnecessarily big

Not every family needs a huge SUV or minibus. Just as you can buy something too small, you can also buy something too big. On the whole, bigger cars tend to consume more fuel, which could make them expensive if you’re doing lots of long journeys. They can also be more difficult to negotiate around cites where parking spaces are limited. Take the time to decide whether you really need a big car.

Rushing the car-buying process

Many of us that have kids live very busy lives. This can result in a tendency to rush the car buying process instead of taking your time. It’s important to remember that a car is a big purchase and one of the most expensive things many of us own. It’s not something you should buy in a hurry. Make time in the evening to look through local listings. When it comes to inspecting cars in person and test-driving them, it may be worth arranging a partner or family member to look after the kids so that you can concentrate on the process. By doing this, you’re much more likely to make the right decision when choosing a car.