Family car features that are a must have

Written by 
Bill Tsouvalas
Bill Tsouvalas is the managing director and a key company spokesperson at Savvy. As a personal finance expert, he often shares his insights on a range of topics, being featured on leading news outlets including News Corp publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun, Fairfax Media publications such as the Australian Financial Review, the Seven Network and more. Bill has over 15 years of experience working in the finance industry and founded Savvy in 2010 with a vision to provide affordable and accessible finance options to all Australians. He has built Savvy from a small asset finance brokerage into a financial comparison website which now attracts close to 2 million Aussies per year and was included in the BRW’s Fast 100 in 2015 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. He’s passionate about helping Australians make financially savvy decisions and reviews content across the brand to ensure its accuracy. You can follow Bill on LinkedIn.
Our authors
, updated on November 25th, 2021       

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Family cars have evolved from the drab looking mini van to cars that are sophisticated with enticing features that the whole family would love. When looking for a family car the first thing is that it must be affordable, be able to fit the whole troop, and does not guzzle on fuel. If you are still looking to drive something that speaks to you and still caters for your children, then finding a car with these five family features is the way to go.

Get all tan and leathered up

Leather is perfect for cleaning down those spills and unknown stains that come with having children. However, you should be careful of what colour you go for. White is obviously out of the window, but black can also turn into a nightmare when it is hot, and you feel like you are being baked in the car.

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) revealed that there have been 1198 children who were left in a hot cars. Furthermore, pets felt the pinch with 720 being locked in a hot car.

Tan leather seats are good in terms of absorbing the suns heat on hot days making the seats feel comfortable. It also has the added feature of disguising wear and tear better, unlike black seats that expose every scratch and ageing crack. Tan is officially the new black!

A rear rubbish bin

This will work wonders for your children and your own sanity. Having a rear built-in rubbish bin that can be removable in a car can prevent your car from looking like a dumpsite with pieces of paper, forgotten juice boxes, and old an old piece of fruit rotting away somewhere under the seat.

Reversing camera’s

Car safety features are a must have, especially if you have young ones on tow. Craning your neck to get a better view behind does work as effectively as having a camera installed to show you a perfect view of the back on a screen display that is in front of you. Sensors that are located low on the rear and sides of your vehicle will help you detect if there is a child or a pet that you have missed, making it safe to reverse.

Something to keep the little ones busy

If you are running a tight budget and the thought of having a car with LCD screens in the rear to keep the children entertained is still something that you are working towards, then getting a car that has a back-seat fold down tables can be the best way to go. You can now whip out the colouring books or snacks without your children sitting in an awkward position to keep everything on their laps.

Keeping everyone snug as a bug

Safety comes first. Anything can happen on the roads and knowing that your car is safe enough to protect your loved ones is vital. Having quality seatbelts and airbags that come with the car are important features that come as top priority. However, you cannot physically check airbags to see if it in full operation. One thing you can do is run your car through the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) to see what it is rated in terms of level of safety, and how likely it is to protect your family during a crash. It’s advisable to steer clear from cars that don’t have:

  • An ANCAP five-star rating
  • ABS brakes
  • Traction control
  • Reinforced frames

In the end, a family car won’t be possible to own unless you have the proper finances. A car loan is one of the most popular ways many Australians go for to finance their wheels, and you can get one by sim

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