Buying a family car can be a hard thing to do; many models on the market promise to have the best safety features and be incredibly reliable, but how can you be sure without at least taking the car for a test drive? And when you’re considering the fact that you need a new car that also needs to be child-friendly, you’ve got a lot of options on your plate. 

Do you buy used or new? Do you save money by leaving out a few features? And how do you know the car you’ve got your eye on is going to be safe enough anyway? Well, to go into a decision like this with a lot more confidence, here’s what you should be on the lookout for in any car you’re thinking of purchasing as a family vehicle. 

Look for Physical Warning Signs

These are usually quite obvious, but you’ll still have to take a good look around a car to be sure you catch them all. So, keep an eye out for scratches to the paintworks, scratches on the windows (which could turn into cracks one day), as well as dents in the body, typically at the rear of the vehicle. 

Whilst these signs can often be easily done up, and guarantee you get a good deal, they’re not worth the time, effort, and risk of your family’s safety if you’ve got little ones to ferry around on a daily basis! 

Consider the Dealer’s Reputation

Your Local Car Garage should be a place you trust. It should have plenty of cars to sell, with a clearly rotating stock, and it should always be upfront and honest about the condition of the cars on its market. And there are quite a few ways to determine if you can trust your car dealer or not – most of all, if they’ve been well-reviewed by Mums just like you, you know you’re in safe hands! 

However, be sure to also take a look around in person. Get to know the dealer face to face, and see what you can feel out. Trust your instinct, and go with your gut, and make sure you know the physical warning signs above so you can spot a dud when touring the vehicles themselves. 

Think About the Model Itself

Finally, take a look at the model’s reputation. Is it known to be a good family car? If so, why? What makes it different or better than other similarly priced and made models on the market? And should you be looking into a different model to get a better price point? 

Take your time with research like this, and make sure you get a true picture. It could lead to a good haggle down the car dealership, and most importantly of all, grant you true peace of mind over your vehicle decision. Remember that you can also make alterations to some cars to alter little aesthetic characteristics you’d prefer, such as Fourdot Designer Car Number Plates, so make sure to look at the substance of the vehicle and its specifications most of all.

So, should you buy that car for your family? Only decide after you’ve done some lengthy legwork into the question!