One minute you’re driving a cool three-door sporty number, and the next, you’re having to size up to a vehicle that feels like a minibus. When you start to have a family, there a few sacrifices fellow mummy’s and daddy’s will often talk about, one of those includes trading in that stylish car for something more “practical”. You might cringe, but you now have little ones to think about too!
Worry not, as there is hope. You can buy a new family car by selling your old damaged car online with a service like Sell The Car USA.
A family car doesn’t necessarily have to be “un-cool”. But before you think about whether it has heated seats or big impressive alloys, do you know what the top things are that you should be looking out for when choosing your family car?
Will your pram/pushchair fit in the boot?
One of the most important things to look at is the boot. Will it fit the pram you’re bound to bring every time you leave the house? Take your pram to the garage and make sure it fits safely. Don’t forget to check whether it still has room around it for your bag of baby essentials and any shopping! The car I had when we had Lucas in his pram didn’t fit the pram in the boot, and it made every journey so much harder.
Does it have five doors?
Have you ever tried to manoeuvre a sleeping baby into the back seat of a three-door car by yourself? If you have, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s hard enough to do this as a grown adult, never mind moving the seat forward, contorting yourself, and safely getting that sleeping child in all by yourself.
Will your children be safe in an accident?
Safety comes first when you have children in tow. Instead of looking at what makes the car cool, make sure that your new car has all the safety features that help protect kids. Does it have isofix for the car seat or are you happy using the seat belt method?
Does it need to be brand new?
Think Cheerios in every nook and cranny, juice stains on every inch of fabric and 10-month-old pieces of toast just hiding there, growing their own inhabitants. Instead of looking for something shiny and new, why not check out used cards on the AA! They have an extensive range of used Ford cars, perfect for your next family run-around.
Long holidays planned? Will it be comfortable enough?
Whether you have a family road trip planned or not, your family car is almost guaranteed to be the car you take absolutely everywhere! Make sure it’s comfortable for everyone for those long trips to the coast.
Comfort isn’t just about squishy seats either; it’s about keeping everyone from losing their minds halfway down the motorway. A decent screen for music, podcasts or the odd film can make those endless miles feel a lot shorter and fitting one of the Apple CarPlay head units means you can plug your phone straight in for maps and tunes without faffing about with cables every two minutes. Mine lets me pull up the sat-nav and skip to the kids’ playlist without taking my eyes off the road, which on a four-hour drive to the coast is worth its weight in gold.
Cup holders…the most overlooked but a super convenient element.
Ah, the humble cup holder. Children need to be kept hydrated (shocking, I know)! Keep them happy and feeling slightly grown-up by letting them pop their no-spill cup in their own little holder. This will help them feel independent and possibly entertained!
Have a look at this post about the importance of Winter tyres by Rice Cakes and Raisins
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