When I fell pregnant with twins last year, purchasing a new car for my expanding family was top of my priority list.
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]uying a new car for a family can be a tricky process with so many different requirements and essentials to make it work for everyone. To help parents choose the best car for their family, I am working with MotorEasy to offer top tips for buying a new or used family car – proving that the purchase and maintenance needn’t be a hassle.
1) Set your budget before you search. It’s very easy to get carried away when purchasing a new car so know exactly what you can afford – be that upfront or on a monthly basis. It’s also important to know how you want to finance the purchase – cash, bank loan or finance provided by the dealer.
2) When you test drive the car, think about the all-round visibility and how easy it is to drive and manoeuvre. Remember it can be distracting travelling with kids, so you want to make sure as much of your attention as possible is on the road ahead.
3) How many child seats do you need to fit in the car? If you need three, do you need to consider a 7 seater? There are some cars that allow three seats across the second row, but it will depend on the size of your car seats. Dealers won’t mind if you take them with you and test where they fit. It’s also worth taking the kids with you on a second viewing if you can and test how easy it is to buckle them all in. If you need to lift a heavy toddler into a middle seat you may want to rethink!
4) If your children are young or particularly messy, consider getting leather seats. They are so much easier to clean and if anyone suffers from car sickness you don’t need to worry about getting the smell out of the fabric.
5) Some babies when they are small don’t like being in the car – could you sit comfortably in the back with them should you need to?
6) If you have multiple children you might want to consider sliding doors – some even open via a remote button! Could key less entry or an automatic boot make your life easier?
7) What about boot size? Can you fit a pushchair alongside a full weekly shop from the supermarket? It’s worth taking your pushchair with you to check it fits easily.
8) Do you intend to sell the car on in a few years’ time? If so, make sure you choose a car with good residuals and a specification that will appeal to others.
9) Don’t forget to think about your running costs – you don’t want a shock when it comes to tax and insurance.
Buying a new car should be fun! I really enjoyed choosing the car for my new life with the babies.
Being a mummy is the most rewarding job in the world, but we all know how crazy life can get. So, anything we can do to help reduce the pressure is a life saver in my book!
Rebecca Jackson is a  TV personality and racing driver
