How would we get by without the family car these days? I cannot even begin to consider how laborious life would become without it. But it’s always a chore to have to think about replacing the vehicle when it comes to it!
How Many Seats Do You Need
This is a very important question as you will, no doubt, need at least a 5 seater if it’s a family car. But what about those larger families, well you are going to have to go to the extent of getting a 7 seater or mini-van but it’s going to limit your options. It is not impossible though it just limits your options a little, but consider also that there are certain large cars where you can add seats for smaller kids into the boot area such as a Vauxhall Zafira, Volvo Estate or Land Rover.
What About Child Car Seats
For younger children it is a safety must, and also a legal obligation, to put them in a safe and suitable car seat. For infants there are specific car seats, usually rear facing ones, be sure to not put these carriers in a seat with an active airbag as they are unsuitable. For older kids a booster seat is a must to raise their height up to the level that the belt will not give them a neck injury on impact. If you are unsure of what to get then most sales centres will give free advice and demonstration of how to install these seats.
Finance, Lease Or Buy Outright
There are various options on how to get a car these days, you would do no harm in going down the traditional route of a getting Money Expert car loan to finance the purchase, or leasing is popular as well these days but with the downside of you never owning the car. If you can afford it you might want to buy outright but often this means that you will only be able to afford an older car which is a gamble as you may be paying much more in repairs. You can consider different loan options to buy the car.
What Are You Going To Do With The Old Car
How is best to get rid of the old car? I always say there are advantages and disadvantages to trading in and selling privately. The hassle free version is to just trade in and get what the dealer offers, although you can always haggle and often they offer deals to get the sale. If you sell privately then then advantage is that you will likely get a better price but you will have to deal with all the non-buyers, no-shows and tyre kickers.
Is It A 2nd Car
If the car is the second in your house, remember that you can get deals on your insurance and also breakdown cover if you take out a multi-car policy. It also has the added advantage of only having one renewal for both vehicles at a time.
