Generally, a family car can be a large part of a household’s monthly expenses what with the repayments, fuel, tax, insurance and any maintenance that may be needed.
Due to this, it is important you choose the right car right from the offset and some background research before your purchase could potentially save you money in the long term.
Tips when buying a family car
Some of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a new car should be the type of journeys you take on a regular basis, the fuel efficiency, the environment you typically drive in, the space you need inside the car and any additional features which you may consider an essential.
For example, if you live in the country, have a generally active lifestyle that means you need to carry lots of equipment such as bicycles on a regular basis, yet those in the city may be able to make savings by choosing a smaller city car.
With the rising cost of gas and the increasing pressure for us to all “go green” one of the most important features people now look at when buying a car is the fuel efficiency and green ratings and the information on the various car models is easily available to compare online.
In order to save money, you should also look at the cost of ensuring the car compared to similar vehicles, you may be surprised to see similar cars working out cheaper when it comes to the insurance.
You should narrow the type of cars you are interested in and then compare the pros and cons of each one in relation to the earlier considerations you made.
There are many ways in which you can compare the models, from checking out guides online, reading reviews and arranging test drives of the car with your local dealer.
Tamara says
Great tips! It’s hard to find a balance between all of the factors when shopping for a family car. For us budget and space are the biggest factor. If money wasn’t an issue I’d totally go for a more ecofriendly vehicle!
Stephen says
I’ll remember these. Thanks
Annie says
Great post! One of the biggest factors for me is fuel efficiency! I drive to and from work every day and need my car to not cost me a billion bucks every week. But I also live on a country road, so 4wd or Awd is super needed too. Hard to find something with both.
Danielle @ We Have It All says
Due to our family size, we first have to worry if the vehicle will fit all of us and next would be fuel cost probably. We are looking at a 12-15 seat van at the moment, lol.
Kerri @SavvyMomNYC says
Great tips! We are in the process of looking at a new car so I will keep these in mind.
Laura says
Great advice. My husband and I will be trading in the caddy next year for a more family friendly vehichle.
Jenn L says
We seem to need a new vehicle every couple of years due to our growing family size! We definitely have to look to make sure vehicles have enough SPACE first, then MPG second. 🙂
Jenny @ MyLittleMe says
I love my van (and need it with 7 in the family), but it’s MPG is quickly getting worse. It’s 13 year old.
Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom says
We just bought a new car–a van. We drive long distance a lot as a family so we needed something large, comfortable, but with great gas mileage.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Great tips.
Andrea Kruse says
Great tips! We are in the market to upsize for our family as we go from 4 to 5 this Spring. It is a bit daunting though and I am sure we will pay for it in fuel costs and gas mileage.
Tesa @ 2 Wired 2 Tired says
We will be buying a new car soon and I can’t wait! I’ll be sure to keep some on these things in mind when we are shopping. I’d love to get a hybrid if possible, but we’ll have to see where we are at when the time comes.
Hanan says
Great advice! It’s so important to research a ton before making a decision.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
I most definitely think that insurance is something to consider heavily before deciding on the vehicle!
Christi says
It’s definitely important to think about MPG when purchasing a car – even in our small city the gas usage can add up quickly driving around day-to-day!