When it comes to the idea of taking your family for a weekend getaway, it’s no longer about those posh sports cars or flashy sedans.
Suddenly, you find yourself tilting your head and looking for vehicles that could serve you well in terms of child safety, expanded capacity and passenger comfort.
So, before you even drive that SUV from the dealer’s lot, check out these five tips that you might find useful when choosing the right car for your family.
Put Safety First. All the Time
The car’s flashy features, style and a few bells and whistles must only come second to safety.To make sure you get the most reliable model, do a background check and look for any recall history and the reasons behind it. The ANCAP safety rating is also useful when assessing the best performing cars in the market. And if you’d like to know which automobile has the best track record, check the USCR ratings as well.
Comfort and Entertainment
Give your children that much legroom and extra comfort while in the backseat. This is particularly important especially during hours of nonstop journey to your destination. And of course, a good entertainment system can keep even the most boring rides all worthwhile.
When Buying a Used Car
Just looking at that shiny new second hand car would make you want to close the deal and drive it down the road. But think again. As we’ve mentioned earlier, always put safety first, and this holds especially true for used cars. In fact, we may never really truly know why its previous owner sold it. But whatever the reasons, it’s always safe to do a background check before buying your choice.
To check the history of the used car, get the vehicle identification number (VIN), and have it checked with PPSR or have a report generated by CarHistory. With the VIN, you would know whether the car was written off, stolen or had a history of repair resulting from serious accidents.
Also check the make and model of the vehicle for any recalls announced by the maker. Sometimes, a car owner would just choose to sell the car for recall instead of returning it to avoid further complications. And you, as a potential buyer, could end up facing any safety issues that might arise in the future.
A Final Thought
No matter how well designed and attractive a family car is on the outside, always put the safety of your family first. Regularly check for recalls, and also check the background of the used car if you wish to go for it to save money.
And when everything is all set, you’re good to go with your very own family car. Enjoy!