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There's a lot to think about when you buy a new car – how much you want to spend, whether to opt for new or used, which model and which colour. When you factor your family into the car-buying decision, there seems to be a lot to think about.
What do you need to think about when picking a family-friendly vehicle, and what features will keep your family not only happy, but safe too? The guide below will take you through everything you should consider when it comes to safe family cars, plus a few extra things to keep in mind.
In operation since 1993, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has been providing consumers with information about their protection in crashes. It does this by analysing a vehicle's ability to protect vehicle occupants in a crash, to educate consumers about vehicle safety features and a host of other things. It then awards a vehicle a star rating out of five.
According to ANCAP, you have twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured in a 3-star ANCAP safety rated car than a 5-star ANCAP safety rated car. ANCAP currently tests for front-on collisions and side impact testing. From 2018 ANCAP will introduce several new physical crash and performance assessments of safety assist technologies to align with Euro NCAP. This will cause the safety ratings to change.
It's easy to have a list of the ten safest cars of 2016. But what will actually work for you and your family? We spoke to some of the finder.com.au parents to find out their experiences with finding cars as parents, what vehicles they drove, what features were most important to them and what their tips were for other parents.
Child seats were a common theme in our respondents' answers. Bessie upgraded to a Subaru Forester for its reputation as a safe, family-friendly vehicle. "We were running out of room in our old car (a Mazda 3), it was feeling very congested which made me worry about the safety implications," she said.
David, a finder.com.au dad, talked about the importance of having an accommodating vehicle when he opted for ridesharing. "As my daughter is so young, it's important for me to have a car that can easily fit a child seat," he said. "As we don't own a car I need to be able to install and remove it on a frequent basis." He says he considered purchasing a new car but instead upgraded his rideshare account on GoGet.
Airbags and safety also ranked high on Fred's list and made him want to replace his car with a family-friendly vehicle.
The size of a vehicle directly correlates to a vehicle's safety. It's important to note that this does not mean "bigger is better". In fact, ANCAP specifically states on its website that "A large vehicle is no guarantee of safety." However, the ability to safely secure items in your car and boot and sufficient leg and head room for passengers ranked highly for safety.
Size also ranked highly for many of the finder.com.au parents. "You don't realise how difficult it can be to get kids and their stuff in and out of cramped spaces," one respondent said. "The car seat might fit in your MINI Cooper, but your back will hate you when you're getting in and out." Remember everything you need to fit in your vehicle when you have a family. Even with one child it means a pram, a car seat, bags, toys, and anything else they need.
However, going out and buying the largest car may not be the best option. "While the appeal for a large SUV exists, particularly for the extra interior space, it may be more practical to downsize," says Scott. "This is in order to provide some extra room outside the vehicle when loading and unloading children in busy or narrow car parks."
While vehicle safety and fuel efficiency don't always go hand in hand, it's an important factor to consider when purchasing a family-friendly vehicle. As Bessie noted, "Parenting is expensive enough without having to worry every time you need to fill up!" Most parents we spoke to did minimal driving during the week but drove around extensively on the weekend taking their kids to weekend activities. Without a fuel-efficient vehicle, the petrol costs can add up quickly.
David, who opted for car-sharing service GoGet rather than buying a new car, said "We didn't own a car before, and we still don't. But when we were getting closer to having our daughter we upgraded our car share account to bring down the price of hiring the vehicle from $10 per hour to $6 per hour." David says that he does tend to hire the larger vehicles, such as a Toyota Corolla, rather than a Toyota Yaris, to be able to fit in extra items such as prams.
One benefit of opting for a car sharing service is the vehicles all have to pass rigorous safety checks. You can choose the vehicles you're going to use, as well, so you can do a bit of research before signing up.
Keeping the following things in mind when test-driving vehicles can help you weed out any unsafe cars early on, and end up with a safe car that you'd be happy to purchase:
A safe family vehicle doesn't have to be hard to find if you know what you're looking for. After researching the market and considering your options, you'll be one step closer to getting on the road.
Picture: Shutterstock
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