How to choose a family vehicle for holiday travel
The holidays have arrived and this means you will want to travel with your family.
Of course, this is easier said than done. There are a number of issues to consider, but primarily one of these is how you will get your family from one place to another.
Sometimes another country can be easier, since so much of it is restrictive. You are not faced with a wide array of choices, forcing you into working out every little detail.
The question remains, though, what are the best ways to travel? Many opt for a family vehicle if possible, since this means the vehicle is in your hands and you can travel where you like. You also get to manage expenses and fuel, for example, which means keeping the budget under your control. So, what are the best family vehicles, especially for the holiday times?
What to look for in a family vehicle?
When thinking about travel, the first thing most people will say matters most is safety. If a vehicle cannot transport you and your loved ones, with assurance that you will all get there safely, nothing else matters. Safety features aren’t merely the standard assortment of safety belts, door locks, ABS and so on. It’s much, much more.
As Edmunds notes, most people overlook important parameters, for example, crash test scores.
“Obviously, this isn’t a safety feature per se, but crash test scores give crucial insight into the kind of protection offered by a vehicle. Specifically, look for a four- or five-star crash test rating (for both front- and side-impact tests) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and a “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for 40-mph frontal offset and side-impact tests. Of particular interest to family buyers, the side-impact test conducted by the IIHS is designed to measure the level of occupant protection when a vehicle is struck by an SUV or pickup truck.”
Though the NHTSA is an American institution, it has a database anyone can search. You can enter the model, manufacturer and so on, and find out relevant information.
Larger cars, like SUVs, tend to also be designed with safety in mind. However, larger doesn’t necessarily mean safer. As the Grist notes, one study found that smaller SUVs are in fact better.
“There is a relationship between vehicle size and safety — but it’s a different relationship for different kinds of vehicles. People who chose a big SUV because it seemed “safer” than a car in a collision were often making a bad decision; a smaller CSUV, or even a large car, might have offered a safer ride. Similarly, people who chose a big SUV over a smaller one for “safety” reasons were often just increasing the risks they pose to other drivers.”
What cars should you choose?
There’s a reason a lot of people with families search for used BMW X5 for sale. Even the 2014 model has a five star rating. As Cars.com notes, the vehicle comes with: side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags, electronic stability system, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes and traction control. These kind of various features are precisely what you want in a vehicle that can transport you, your family and luggage great distances comfortably. There’s no reason to splash out on the 2017 version, though of course this would mean enhanced versions of these features.
The Cheat Sheet also released a selection of the safest vehicles. They used the metric for what would be safest for first time teens, but some of the larger vehicles make for practical family vehicles, too. They’re also cheaper than newer vehicles, since the idea is that it would be for first time drivers. For example, the 2014 Jeep Cherokee is incredibly safe:
“This is a vehicle that’s known for its practicality, off-road versatility, and slick interior touches, especially when in Trailhawk trim. But it gets high marks for being an extremely safe used vehicle for young drivers. While models prior to 2014 are not recommended, its respectable scores in every other field, accompanied by an all-wheel drive system that can help your kid make it home in a snowstorm, help make the $17,500 asking price far more digestible.”
If you’re willing to fork out a bit more, you can always consider Kelley Blue Book’s list of best family cars in 2016. Here, they’ve used their own extensive criteria to choose the best and latest vehicles suited for family safety that makes it ideal for travel during any festive season.
Regardless of what you choose, safety must always come first. But that doesn’t mean you have to empty the bank. You can make smart investments in second-hand vehicles, too.