Mama to 6 Blessings wrote this post on behalf of Cars.com and their PR Company. I received product in exchange for an honest review. This is a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way.
It’s funny how we say we would never do something prior to having kids. For me it was I will never own a mini van. I look back and laugh at that statement because I did drive a mini van after we outgrew our SUV when our 4th child was born. It gets even funnier because after baby 5 was born we outgrew our mini van and moved up to a 12 passenger van! Boy how my comment about never driving vans could have been more wrong. Now at baby 6 I wish we had a 15 passenger van!
Searching for the perfect family car can have it’s challenges but if you stick to a few simple guidelines you can be on your way to finding what works best for your family. Cars.com has is a great place to start when researching and finding the right car for you.
Figure out your purpose of the vehicle. Are you using it as a commuter car to go back and work in? Even though we have a 12 passenger van which we consider my car my husband has a small compact car he uses to commuter back and fourth to work which ultimately saves on gas. Will you be using it for recreation and/or do you need to tow a recreational vehicle behind it? These are all questions to ask yourself. I am glad we purchased a big hardy vehicle because it works great to tow our camper for all of our camping trips.
Safety is a huge factor. What is the safety rating for the vehicle (s) you are interested in? To determine crashworthiness, research how the vehicle was rated? Was it classified as good, acceptable, marginal or poor? Does the car have airbags, are there enough seat belts and car seat latches to accommodate your family? I try not to think about it but it is a reality, kids do grow up and drive. Will your teen be safe?
Will this vehicle be durable for your family? Our poor van takes a beating with from our big family. It has definitely lost it’s new car smell! If you have children in car seats and strollers make sure there is enough room to accommodate these must haves. For adults is there enough leg room and space for long car rides? If you are a traveler, is enough room for everyday needed items plus travel gear?
What is your budget? A car purchase is huge! It can be expensive so make sure what you are looking to buy is affordable for your family. Take into consideration not just the monthly payments if you are getting a car loan but remember there is car insurance and gas.
Looking back on our purchase I wish I would have found a van with more bells and whistles. When we purchased the van we intended on having a DVD player installed in our van but years later that still has not happened. It’s one of those things you say you will do but it never happens. Purchasing a vehicle with the bells and whistles you already want then it’s already done for you.
Are you going car shopping soon? What tips do you have to help find that perfect family vehicle?
Mama to 6 Blessings wrote this post on behalf of Cars.com and their PR Company. I received product in exchange for an honest review. This is a sponsored review and all views and opinions are of my own and were not influenced in any way.
When we bought our car in 2016, my ONLY requirement was heated seats. I ended up getting exactly what I wanted and now my fanny is nice and warm in the winter 🙂
If I lived up north that would be a big requirement too! No one wants cold buns! 🙂
These are some really good tips. For me I think safety is number one and also I like the car that’s not a tiny little thing.
Great tips! Knowing your budget is key – we just went through this a little less than a year ago and they always try to upsell you!
These are good tips for finding the perfect car. It’s important to consider what you want but also your budget.
Great tips. Family car is a huge buy.
A car is such an expensive purchase that you have to be so careful before you buy! You have some good tips here on things to think about before buying a vehicle. I’m guilty of buying a car without all the features I wanted (trying to save some money) and then suffered buyer’s remorse. That’s not fun!
The biggest tips I have is to throw any pre conceived notions about car models and makes that you might have had and look at your life and really take stock of what would be the best vehicle to suit your lifestyle. If you are shopping for a car for the kids- your tips are RIGHT on target!
You definitely don’t want to buy a car that doesn’t fit your needs. When you have a family, a good vehicle is a big deal!
These are some really awesome tips! I wish I had knows some of these when I was looking for my family car.
These are all very good tips. My husband and I are going to be looking for one soon. I think we need something with a bit more space.
We bought our family vehicle last year — and goodness was it an adventure! My main requirements were that it was an SUV, had the third-row seating, and did NOT have leather seats (I had them in my last car and was not a fan!). Most of the sales crews we met ignored my requests and tried to sell us vehicles that didn’t meet my wants list. We are in the market to get my husband a new work truck. I want him to stay safe, warm, and be comfortable on his hour drive to and from work!
That is one giant van! I would love to have one for more room and storage, etc. when buying big things.
These are such great tips for buying a family car. We are in the market now and cannot decide.
These are great tips for finding the perfect car! Love them! It’s important to consider what you need and still stay on a budget!
Really good tips! It’s so hard to find the right car. I know when we bought our last car, there was a ton of back and forth.
These are really great tips! Sharing this with a friend who’s planning to buy a car!
I need to check out cars.com. We will be in the market soon.