The ultimate guide to buying a family car

Finding the perfect transport is trickier than it used to be – with so many options, it can be tough to know which route to take. Alex Robbins is here to steer you in the right direction

It feels like everything was simpler just a few years ago. Buying a family car certainly was. Four doors, five seats, a petrol engine big enough to haul it along, and that was that. Off you went to the dealer, plonked down your hardearned cash and came away with a smart saloon in which to carry your nearest and dearest.

Nowadays, though, it’s not quite that simple. What’s the most financially responsible way of doing it? Can you allow yourself the frisson of excitement a new car brings, or should you be sensible and perhaps buy used?

And what about SUVs? Their rise in popularity as family haulers has been unstoppable. But are they appropriate for our cleaner, greener times? Indeed, on that note, what should power your car? An old- school fossil fuel, or electricity – or a combination of both?

To help you answer these questions, we’ve produced our ultimate guide to buying a family car. We’ll take you through what to buy, how to buy it and where to buy it from – and we’ll show you our top five choices on the new car market today.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD FAMILY CAR?

Seems obvious, right? Space for the kids in the back and a big boot. And sure enough, if you go in with that in mind you probably won’t go far wrong. But there are some other important points to consider if you want a family car that really works for you.

For example: access. If you regularly have to load young children in and out of a car seat, it’s worth checking how wide the doors open, how big the apertures are and, of course, how high or low the seats themselves are. Higher seats with wider- opening doors and larger apertures will make your life easier – and could save you from back problems down the line.

Talking of child seats, is there enough room if you need to fit more than one at a time? Three child seats across one