There’s no doubt life is never the same once you start a family and it almost inevitably means re-thinking priorities, including in the finance and transport departments.

So, what things should you be considering when you come to selecting a new family car?

Safety should be top of mind for any vehicle purchase but will assume heightened importance once there are more vulnerable and precious family members to protect. So, buy the safest car your budget allows.

Look for cars that are well specified with crash prevention features – the minimum should be autonomous emergency braking, anti-lock brakes, stability control and brake assist, with the widest array of advanced driver assistance features (e.g., blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, speed sign recognition) highly desirable.

A full suite of airbags to protect all occupants should also be on the check list. This includes airbags for the third-row seats if it’s a seven-seater.

For used cars look for their Used Car Safety Rating.

These star ratings are based on analysis of real-world crash outcomes. Look for five-star rating and a ‘safer pick’ marker. 

For newer cars check their ANCAP score, looking for a five-star car with the latest date stamp possible. ANCAP assess how the car performs in laboratory crash tests as well as the standard safety features fitted. 

Personal needs and preferences will play a part in determining the size, style, and practical aspects of a suitable vehicle too.

 Consider current and future needs including how many children you have or might be considering. In time you may also need to transport family friends or extended family.

You may wish to purchase something bigger at the outset. That said, if a smaller vehicle will do the job, then it will usually be cheaper to run than a larger one.

Ease of entry and exit is important particularly when fitting child restraints, so check door opening width and angles for suitable access.

Seating that is too high or too low can also make restraint fitting or getting kids in and out awkward.

Consider cargo area size to ensure it’s suitable for carrying family ‘essentials’ that might include prams etc.

Many seven-seaters won’t have a lot of space left when the third row is in use.

A ‘smart’ power operated tailgate can make access to the load area easier when your hands are full. Check the height of the cargo area load lip to ensure it’s an easy workable height for you.

Look to ensure the vehicle has a sufficient child restraint anchor points for your requirements fitted – some vehicles won’t have an anchor point for every rear seating position.

 If you need to fit multiple child restraints or a rear facing restraint, we suggest you take your restraints to the dealer and physically try them to ensure they fit, or better still arrange to have the vehicle brought to you so you can check.

Many smaller vehicles won’t fit three restraints across the back seat.

You won’t find a vehicle without blind spots, but some are worse than others.

Windscreen pillars, large mirrors and the rear body design all produce blind spots.

This is an issue on the road and for driveway safety, with one child per week on average runover in a driveway.

Vehicles with good rear-view mirror field of view and valuable technology such as reversing and multi-view cameras can assist with preventing such incidents.