What to Look for in a Family Car

January 30th, 2022

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The humble family car has become central to the everyday life of Australians right around the country. Whether it’s the school run, day trips or weekends away, you want to ensure that you have a vehicle that is cut out for the task.

With that, there are certain traits that endear themselves well when it comes to picking up a great family car. We take a look at some of these key features so that you know what to look for when searching for your next family car.

First-rate safety technology

When it comes to the family car, this is one area you don’t want to sacrifice. After all, nothing is more important than the wellbeing of your family, so it only makes sense to see to it that you protect them in every which way.

Opt for a vehicle that has a five-star ANCAP safety rating. These cars have passed strict testing to ensure they are among the safest vehicles on the road. You’ll also want to make sure that the car is equipped with the latest safety technology, including the likes of ABS, AEB, lane-departure and lane-keep assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alerts, reversing cameras and more.

Spend a little more on these areas, it doesn’t hurt to be safe and secure.

Comfort, amenity and space

For those long trips on the road, who doesn’t value a bit of extra comfort and leg room to keep everyone happy?

While the value of having additional seating cannot be overlooked – and it’s something we’ll touch on shortly – it’s also important to have space that allows everyone to be at ease.

Look for supportive and ergonomic seating, large windows (with sunshades) that afford rear-seated occupants plenty of visibility, and also rear climate control. Happy family, happy life!

Entertainment

As technology has become so ingrained in the latest vehicles, an increasing number of cars are equipped with fantastic entertainment options.

This includes in-car entertainment systems with rear-screens, but just as important – given our dependence on mobiles – is smartphone integration. It goes without saying, make sure there are plenty of ports available to recharge those mobiles as well!

Practicality

As a family you’ll often head out for a variety of purposes. This means that you’ll need a car with practicality to allow for such flexibility. Whether it be off-roading capabilities to help you embark on those camping plans, additional boot space for the kids’ sports gear, or compartments to keep all those extra items you need at hand, there is great value in searching for a car that is as much an ‘all-rounder’ as anything.

Extra seating

Earlier we briefly touched on the trade-off that comes with extra seating and leg room for everyone. Of course, it’s great to have capacity for up to 8 occupants, but if that means cramped conditions, no one will enjoy that. Fortunately, many of the latest SUVs and people-movers include third-row seats that can be configured and folded away when you don’t need them. The perfect solution to balance that predicament!

There you have it, these are the key things to look for in your next family car!