When you have a family, there are a few ‘sacrifices’ that you have to make, and most of the time one has to do with your vehicle. As your family gets bigger, there may come a time when you have to say goodbye to your zippy sports car, or at least ‘see you around sometime’ and upgrade to a more practical family size vehicle.

7 considerations when choosing a vehicle for your family

1.     Safety. Safety should always be a priority but when you are considering a vehicle to travel with your family in, especially small children, it will likely be your number one. To give yourself and your family the best possible chance of not being harmed in the unfortunate event of an accident, don’t consider a car with anything less than a 5 star Ancap safety rating.

2.     Size. Car size won’t be far behind safety in the priority list. A growing family requires a spacious vehicle for people, pushchairs, car seats, shopping etc. If you are planning on having more children in the near future, consider that now as an extra car seat and pushchair can take up a considerable amount of space. Also, don’t let looks deceive you, some seemingly large cars can run short on boot space and leg room and visa versa. This may also seem quite obvious, but also ensure that your vehicle has 5 doors!

3.     Fuel efficiency. A growing family means more living expenses and more running around in cars, so you want to make sure your car is fuel efficient to keep running costs down. The Green Vehicle Guide enables you to compare the fuel consumption of vehicles so you can do some research before you start shopping.

4.     Reverse camera and sensors. Large cars often come with poor rear visibility. A reverse camera will not only keep you from causing damage to your car, but is potentially lifesaving, especially with little ones running around. Often cameras still have blind spots but sensors mean almost all areas are covered, as it will make a sound when you are in close proximity to an object even if it isn’t visible in the camera. Although not 100% accident proof, a reverse camera still reduces your risk of reversing into something or someone.

5.     Climate control and rear air conditioning vents. Australia gets hot so adequate air conditioning and the ability for it to reach all areas of a vehicle is important for comfy car travel. A lot of family size vehicles have vents at the front, in the middle and in the rear so that everyone can stay comfortable when travelling.

6.    Practical Height. Whilst this may not be at the top of your priority list, you should definitely add it there. This is particularly important if you have young children or babies. If your car is too high, it will become impractical for you to adjust your baby inside. It will also be harder for young children to get into, and if you find yourself parked on a busy road, this can be extremely dangerous!

7.      Comfort. One of the great joys of having a family is creating memories during the holidays, and this often involves going on long car trips. A such, you want to make sure that your kids can sit comfortably in the back. You’ll thank us for this tip later as a comfortable car usually involves less whining from bored children.

With these tips in mind, your quest for a family size vehicle should be easier than you expect. Why not make car shopping a family day out and take the kids along for the ride!