Baby on Board? What is the best family car?

Starting a family means learning all about sterilising, nappy changing and multi-tasking. But one of the main perils of parenthood is worry. Constantly evaluating your surroundings and belongings is part and parcel of the job, so you’ll often find yourself asking if something is right for the baby. And this extends to all areas of life, from the newborn car seat you choose to finding the best family car.

What is the best family car?

Feeling overwhelmed by choice when it comes to choosing a family-friendly car? Whether you have young children or older teenagers at home, the car you choose is going to be carrying precious cargo - so above all it needs to be safe, comfortable and reliable.

The good news is, we’re on hand to help you find the best family car for your circumstances. Whether you want to find the best small family car, the most spacious family car or the best family electric car, we have a wide selection of family-friendly cars available to lease.

Read on to find out what you’ll need to consider when leasing a family car.

Looking for safe family cars

These days, many of us assume that all new vehicles will be kitted out with every safety feature possible. But when shopping for a family car, it’s wise to consider the safety features most relevant to you and your baby or child.

For example, if you’re going to be fitting a baby car seat on a seat with an airbag, can you switch this off easily? If you’ve chosen a newborn car seat with ISOFIX, you’ll need to choose a car with ISOFIX points. You should also remember that a newborn car seat takes up a fair amount of space, so in some cars, you might find that the front passenger doesn’t have much legroom.

For older kids, remember that all children weighing between 15 and 25 kg (usually aged between 4 and 6 years) will need to use a Group 2 high-backed booster seat, so you’ll need to choose a car that can accommodate this.

The Renault Captur, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai are all good family cars that have been rated highly by Euro NCAP for their safety features. You can learn more in our guide to the Top 10 Best Family Cars.

The most spacious cars for families

If you have young children, the family car you choose needs to be able to comfortably fit a pram, buggy or pushchair and have space for shopping bags too. However, ease of access is another important consideration. Depending on your height, you might prefer a ‘sit-up’ driving position instead of a high driving position. And while higher driving positions are well documented to improve driver confidence and feelings of safety, choosing a family car that offers plenty of room for adjustment is vital.

You’ll also need to think about the size of your family. If you have more than three children, you’ll need to look at MPVs and people carriers or cars with seven seats.

Fuel consumption

With the ever-rising cost of living, a gas guzzler is not what you want in your family car. If you do lots of motorway driving, opting for a diesel family car could be the most economical choice. If you’re looking for the best family electric car, we have an extensive range of eco-friendly electric and hybrid lease deals to choose from, including the Kia EV6 and Skoda Enyaq.

Gadgets

If you talk on the phone a lot when you’re driving, a family car with Bluetooth is a must - especially with the risk of hefty penalties for mobile phone-related driving convictions. Satellite navigation is another must-have feature for many busy parents. It helps you to avoid getting caught in traffic, even on familiar journeys. And if your family enjoys listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks, you’ll need a car equipped with an easy-to-use entertainment and infotainment system, such as the Audi Q8.

Street credibility

Whether you’re going on a family holiday, heading to the shops or doing the school run, a good family car must be comfortable, reliable and safe - but that doesn’t mean it can’t look good on the driveway too. Buying or leasing a family car is a major expense, so you’ll want to choose a model that both suits your personality and meets the needs of all the family. If the way your car looks is a big deal to you, the Volvo XC90, Volkswagen Touareg or BMW 5 Series Touring will look fantastic in any car park.

Interior

Mess is par for the course when you're travelling with babies and young children. A leather interior makes it much easier to clean up any spillages, and interior storage can be really useful for keeping emergency wipes, bottles and dummies - not to mention the emergency chocolate stash for when everything gets a bit too much! Leather seats are included as standard with many of our luxury car lease deals.

Specifications

Choosing a car with tinted windows can help to reduce sun glare and heat. Parking sensors make it easier to manoeuvre bigger vehicles into parking spaces and panoramic sunroofs allow light to flood into the car, which makes it easier to see your passengers. Parking sensors and a panoramic sunroof are included as standard with the Kia EV6 GT-Line S.

Leasing a Family Car

Staying on top of the demands of your growing family can be tough. When you lease a family car with Rivervale, you can enjoy all of the benefits of driving a new vehicle in exchange for an agreed upfront cost followed by fixed monthly payments.

At the end of your lease term, simply exchange the vehicle for another family car that’s better suited to your needs. Our family car leasing deals include a range of practical vehicles with plenty of space and good fuel economy.

We have family cars to suit every budget - contact our knowledgeable team to find out more.