Important Features Your Next Family Car Needs to Have

Buying a family car is somewhat similar to purchasing any other car, but with a few additional caveats that you must consider. Because you will be transporting your loved ones around, safety will obviously be a huge factor in any model you choose. However, aside from the safety point, there are plenty of other things to keep in mind if you want to be able to shift noisy kids around while keeping your sanity in check. Throughout this post, we will take a look at these factors to give you a better overview of what it takes to put your money into a vehicle that meets all the specifications that any good family vehicle should meet.

Spacious Interior for Kids' Comfort

The right amount of space is usually what turns a journey fraught with stress and tension into one where you are relaxed and arrive at your destination thoroughly zen-like and in a state of sheer tranquility. Ok, so that may be slightly hyperbolic, but space can be a determining factor in how much the kids whine and moan about a trip, exceptionally long ones. This means choosing models that make space a selling point of theirs. In most cases, you can't go wrong with GMC trucks that have been designed around the concept of space, both in terms of passengers and for general storage. Outside of the comfort aspect, having plenty of space is also a safety feature. When there isn't enough room, and you end up cramming everyone inside, any accident you may be involved in will get exponentially worse. This tends to be because when there isn't enough, people will opt not to use their safety belts out of discomfort, making any crash likely to be much more severe for all involved.

Safety Features for Protection

Choosing a family car requires a little more thought regarding the safety features and, more generally, the safety rating your selected models have received. You can find out the rating of all road-legal cars in the USA by visiting the NHTSA website and inputting various models. Broadly speaking, you really want to aim for models with a four-star rating or higher, preferably choosing those with the full five stars. The maximum score of five means the model has been tested and passed the following:

Frontal crash: A full-frontal collision tends to be most dangerous for the driver and front passenger, and if it's passed, it means that the car can handle this sort of accident at a certain speed.
Side crash: You need to pay attention here, as your kids will likely be in the back and can be most affected by a side-impact collision.
Rollover: This is perhaps the worst-case scenario, and if a car has passed this test, it doesn't indicate how well it will fare in a rollover but instead assesses its risk of rolling over due to stability issues. Nonetheless, it is still a crucial component to consider.

Entertainment System to Keep Everyone Entertained

Back in the day, it used to be that the running joke (or not so much a joke to all those long-suffering parents) that kids would emit an incessant phrase of "Are we nearly there yet?" at repeated intervals throughout a trip usually a very, very long journey. Although phones and tablets have eliminated this truly annoying issue, lots of parents aren't too comfortable with having their kid's faces firmly planted into a large glass device that could wreak havoc in a collision. Therefore, it might be wise to choose an auto with in-car entertainment for those in the front and passengers in the rear. You can connect it to a data plan or load it up with movies and shows to keep your lovely bundles of joy quiet for as long as possible...or at least until they need the toilet only five minutes after you've set off!

Easy-To-Clean Interior

It doesn't matter what age your kids are; unless they have been raised Amsih, they will create a mess. This is a universal truth and something that probably all nations worldwide can agree on. Consequently, look for cars that have some sort of easy-to-clean interior that you can either wipe clean or at least materials with which you can use a wet cloth without damaging it. The severity of the "easy to cleanability" is probably proportional to the age of your children, but trust us, the easier it is, the happier you will be…and that absolutely is proportional!

Investing in a so-called family-friendly car takes a bit more effort than if you are a single person buying a car to commute to and from your loft apartment downtown somewhere. Hopefully, this post has given you a few pointers to use in your search to help you end up with the perfect option.

Nanny to Mommy