Choosing A New Car To Meet The Demands Of Your Expanding Family

You and your spouse have just brought the new baby home from the hospital. It's time to trade in the old car for something larger, safer and more convenient to accommodate your growing family. Before you head out to the car dealerships in your community (such as Jack Burford Chevrolet), make a list of the features that are your priority. This gives you a start when talking with the salesmen on the car lot. 

Safety Should Be Number 1

Features that focus on safety while in the car are most important now. You and your spouse may feel safe in any car with front and side airbags, but that little bundle of joy in the child car seat needs extra protection. Some of the features you might consider to enhance the safety of the car include:

  • hands-free calling and answering so you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes focused on the other traffic
  • anti-lock brakes with brake assist, which helps slow the car down when they detect your sudden and hard braking
  • automatic braking, which slows the car down when it determines that a collision with another car is imminent
  • integrated child safety harnesses which easily secure the child seat in the car
  • rear view camera to watch the road when you back the car out of your garage, driveway or parking spot

Easy Access is a Second Priority

Take a child's car seat with you when you look at new cars. Try getting the seat in and out of all the cars you consider. The car doors should open wide to let you easily place the seat in the car and secure it. Sliding doors in a mini-van or SUV allow you to park in cramped spaces and still open the doors. A convenient feature is doors that you can open automatically with the key fob. This is a helpful feature to have when juggling a car seat, a fussy child and a bag of groceries.

Ease of Maintenance Will Keep the New Car Looking Good For Years

Consider the following items to keep your new car clean and in good shape:

  • stain resistant seat covers and headliner that are easy to clean
  • removable floor mats or carpet that can be shampooed or steam cleaned
  • cup holder liners that come out for cleaning
  • trash containers that come out of the car for dumping
  • storage compartments where you can keep cleaning supplies for those splashes and spills that happen in the car

Share