3 car options perfect for a growing family
What’s the most challenging type of car for any car manufacturer to design and build? You might presume that it would be a supercar or maybe even an off-roader, but I’d argue that it would actually be a family car.
After all, family cars have to do a lot. They need to be tough enough to stand up to whatever punishment they might be subject to (including from adults and kids alike!), as well as reasonably economical to run, and reliable enough for the day-to-day commute.
But what if you’re a parent seeking a suitable car as your family expands? Yes, it’s certainly a sad moment when you have to trade in that sleek sports coupe or roadster you met your partner in, but with the pitter-patter of tiny feet, comes a need to think practical and… dare I say it… mundane.
The best family cars aren’t dull and soul-sapping, though! In fact, the market leaders tick all the above boxes, and quite a few more. So, I thought I’d pick out just a few of the great family-oriented car models you should probably be considering as you welcome new additions to your brood.
Volkswagen Golf
Sure, I won’t be winning any prizes for originality for suggesting you get a Golf! But there are good reasons why this venerable Volkswagen has enjoyed such a strong reputation as the go-to family hatchback (alongside the likes of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra) down the years: it is an excellent all-rounder that offers a lot for the price.
There has long been a certain consistent theme with the Golf: good build quality, comfort, and specifications, above what other manufacturers can offer for the same price.
The Mk8 Golf was unveiled in 2019, and it retains many of the things that made previous versions of the car great. Auto Express, for example, gave it a four-star review, praising its new mild-hybrid powertrain, excellent safety levels, and comfort.
MG ZS EV
Well, I started my rundown of family cars with a relatively obvious suggestion, so let’s continue with something rather less obvious. Not everyone is fully aware that the MG marque is even still active – albeit, now under Chinese ownership – never mind that it offers such a fine electric car in the form of the ZS EV.
With its SUV body shape, the ZS EV certainly looks the part, and there’s plentiful space for five passengers, as well as 470 litres of boot space with the seats up. The biggest selling point of this car, though, might be its exceptional level of affordability compared to the electric SUV norm. And with that pesky cost-of-living crisis still going on, this could be an even bigger boon than it might have once been for you and your family.
Citroen Berlingo XL
But what if you really do just need loads and loads of space in a car? Do good old-fashioned monster-sized MPVs still exist, in a world in which anything and everything automotive seems to increasingly look like an SUV?
The short answer is: yes! But the latest Berlingo isn’t as crudely ‘van with more windows’ as you might expect, given that it’s based on the modern EMP2 platform that has underpinned a wide range of very good cars, such as the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer and Peugeot 308.
The XL variant measures some 4.75 metres long, and you can have it with either five or seven seats. Even with all seven seats in place, you’ll still get a very decent 322 litres of boot space to play with. In the words of Top Gear’s review of the car: “Enormously practical and built for family life, the Berlingo does all you could realistically ask of it.”
There you have it – just three very fine suggestions for a family car for a growing household. Why not turn to Car Finance Genie, a car finance company based in Essex, for help with affording one of the above models, so that you can be driving your family around in a great set of wheels for many more years to come?
*This is a collaborative post
