Is your family expanding beyond being sportscar-sized? It may be time to find yourself a family wagon that fits the bill, comes in on budget and doesn’t make you feel like you’re driving a road-train when it’s just you popping to the shops.
So, with literally hundreds of cars to choose from, how do you find the one that ticks all the boxes? It has to suit your individual style and work for your family both today and into the future. The key is narrowing down your choices by concentrating on what you need and what you can afford.
Use our five-S guide (seats, space, size, safety and style) and you’ll be guaranteed to get a car that will suit your needs for years to come – at a price that you won’t regret.
Focus on SEATS
One for each member of the family, right? Not really. You’ve got to consider whether you want more babies in the next five years – if you do, you run the risk of outgrowing your new car. And while most cars offer five seats, many won’t fit three booster seats comfortably across the back seats. The first option to rule out is a two-door car because, unless you’re an Olympic weightlifter, you’ll be hurting your back getting baby in and out of the car.
There are also a growing number of cars that have seven seats thanks to the lift-up seats in the back storage area – great if you usually only have two or three in the car but occasionally need to drive Grandma around or need extra space for friends. Think you’ll have more than three kids? People movers with seven or eight permanent seats are what you’ll be after. Eliminate whatever doesn’t qualify.
Consider SPACE
Forget anything with a boot that will only fit golf clubs because this car will need to take prams, travel cots, kids’ bikes – the lot. It’s one of the reasons that SUVs and hatchbacks have become so popular – like the station wagons of the ’70s they have plenty of room for young families. Check how the back seating folds down; a good option is ‘split fold’ – which means you only have to fold a portion of the seat, so you don’t have to take out your whole baby capsule if you need more space. It’s a big plus. Again, eliminate whatever doesn’t qualify.
DO take your actual pram with you when you check out cars – eyeballing the boot for fit won’t do.
SIZE matters
If you live in the suburbs how big you go really depends on what fuel economy that you’re prepared to give up on. If you live in the inner city where you’ve got on-street parking or a smaller garage, shorter and more compact cars have big advantages. Also look at the turning circle radius. The smaller it is, the better you’ll be able to manoeuvre into tight spots, which is important wherever you live. Eliminate whatever doesn’t qualify.
Don’t forget SAFETY
There are two types of safety systems in cars today – the features that protect you when a crash happens (passive safety) and the features that stop you having an accident in the first place (active). Both are equally important to consider.
Michael Paine from Vehicle Design and Research Australia is one of the country’s top authorities in car safety. For PASSIVE SAFETY, he has three main recommendations.
1.Look at the ANCAP test results. It measures passenger safety in serious head-on and side crashes.
2. Get side air bags. The biggest area of weakness for car crashes is side impact and “curtain (side) bags halve the risk of fatality,” says Paine.
3. Ban lap seatbelts. Too many cars still have a lap seatbelt in the central rear passenger seats. “They’re far more dangerous, create horrific abdominal injuries and you’re guaranteed to find similar cars with proper three-point seatbelts everywhere,” says Paine. Eliminate whatever doesn’t qualify.
ACTIVE SAFETY is where car makers throw an army of terms at you but ESP (Electronic Stability Program) is the term you should look for. Australian safety standards have lagged behind with ESP but overseas, ESP has been shown to reduce passenger car crashes by 30 percent and SUV crashes in particular by 67 percent.
The car’s computer analyses and then judges whether you’re in control of the car and then takes over the brakes and steering to stabilise the vehicle if it recognises danger. This is the best thing since air bags. It’s called DSC by BMW, VSC by Toyota and Lexus and DSTC by Volvo but they all basically work on the same principles. Don’t eliminate cars just because they don’t have it, but bear in mind that it’s a definite minus if it’s missing.
Time to test drive and see if you like its STYLE
Your list should now be down to around five cars. This is your ‘showroom list’. Book a test drive for each, preferably all on the same day. Arm yourself with a notebook and start giving each car a full inspection. If you can, bring the baby capsule and pram to see how easy it is to get them in and out. It’s also really important to check where the child restraint anchor point is – back of the seat or base of the floor is best.
And if you’re getting a car with a side-opening back door, check if it will stay open on a hill (plenty of kids get hurt by these heavy doors accidentally closing). Then see how the seats fold down.
Put yourself in your children’s shoes and actually get in the back seat. Are there rear air-conditioning vents, entertainment options, drink holders and places to stuff toys?
Then take it for a spin. Go for at least 20 minutes and drive at least 10km over a variety of road types (suburban streets, arterial roads and, if possible, a highway). Try reverse parking and a three-point turn.
Do you like it and does it tick all your boxes? Tell the dealer. And then ask more questions. What colours does it come in? What sort of optional extras are available (built in DVD players, rear-parking sensors and hands-free mobile connections)?
What warranty and added benefits can they offer? What are the ongoing maintenance costs? What is the ‘on the road’ or ‘changeover’ (if you’re trading in a car) price including all the options (and what is the cost of each option) and what sort of discounts are there?
Get some brochures and then, that night, shortlist two for another test drive.
SEAL THE DEAL
Allow yourself a couple of days and don’t be afraid to be a bit pushy over price. Until the deal is done, it can always go lower. Ask about added features that can be thrown in.
Once you’ve got a ‘final’ price, give yourself a 24-hour cooling off period and call three other dealers to see if they can do better. Also get three insurance quotes over the phone as you can save thousands over the life of the car.
Then haggle; in the current economic climate, car dealers are desperate to move merchandise, so you should be able to get thousands off.
TOP CAR SITES
WhichCar The ultimate website for comparing prices on new cars to help find the perfect car for you.
Redbook Known as an industry benchmark, it lists the details and features of used and new cars along with pricing guides.
Drive This site gives you car details as well as good articles that compare similar cars like Frugal Family Wagons, Compact 4WD and Best Used Car Buys Under $15,000.
NRMA, RACV and other state motoring bodies. A great resource with car comparisons, good advice and other ratings such as theft-resistance and car safety (on the NRMA site). Some are better than others so don’t be afraid to use websites from other states.
Australia’s Best Cars This is the nation’s biggest vehicle testing awards site and has a great ‘choosing your next car’ section.
