Ready to Upgrade the Family Ride? Here’s What to Consider
When buying your next family vehicle, you don’t have to sacrifice style for functionality. Not only have minivans come a long way (can you say comeback?) both in terms of looks and technology, but family-oriented buyers now have a wide variety of vehicle types and classes to choose from. Here’s how you can narrow down the seemingly endless combination of sizes, trims and features to choose a family car.
Look for key features that will make your car safe — and practical
Space is key when it comes to hauling kids around, along with their sports equipment, musical instruments, strollers and more. From compact cars to wagons, SUVs and trucks, lots of vehicles potentially offer enough space for a family.
What’s the best way to determine if a car is the right size for your crew? Kelly Blue Book (KBB) recommends getting the whole family into the car. Buckling everyone in allows you to play with seating configurations and make sure your car seats, strollers, wheelchairs and any other regularly used gear will fit. You could even take it a step further and ask the dealer to bring the car to your home for a test drive and see how it fits in your garage.
Some additional size considerations:
- Interior measurements. Looking at size measurements can help you compare the spaciousness of different vehicles. Be sure to consider the cubic feet behind each row and in the trunk or cargo area, as well as how many inches of headroom and legroom are available.
- Second-row seating. When possible, opt for a bench seat rather than captain seats. Benches can provide room for more passengers and car seats and are generally safer.
- Third-row seating. A third row needs to have enough space for your passengers, and also be easy enough to get in and out of. Second-row seats that slide forward or fold flat can make this easier.
Safety
With a family vehicle, the safety of your passengers is probably your biggest concern. Check for these features before buying:
1. Weather readiness
Make sure your next car is suited for local weather conditions. Are floods a concern in your area? Will you be driving in the snow? Be sure to get the right tires, since they’re instrumental in keeping you safe on the road. You may also need to upgrade trims to get an all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
2. Infant and toddler safety
For younger passengers, you’ll want to make sure their car seats and strollers fit without major hassle. Sliding doors and a higher vehicle height can help, but the best way to make sure a car seat fits securely is to take the seat with you to the dealership and find out how difficult it could be to install.
Newer technology can also help you make sure that little ones don’t get left in the car alone, to avoid heat-related fatalities. Rear seat reminder systems, for example, can send a text alert to drivers when a child (or pet) is unattended in a back seat or cargo area.
3. Teen driver safety
Large vehicles, ones that seat seven or more passengers, can be difficult for an inexperienced driver to handle. But teen driver controls and other technology can help protect your young driver.
Notification tools allow parents to set a maximum speed or track a vehicle’s location, among other actions that can help establish safe driving habits. Telematic systems, like Onstar, can also help with roadside assistance — plus they may qualify you for a discount on the roughly 112% premium increase you’ll get for adding a teen driver to your insurance.
4. Safety ratings
One of the easiest ways to learn how safe a vehicle is it to review the following reports on the make, model and year, and even the specific car you’re interested in:
- Vehicle Safety Ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
- Vehicle history reports and NHTSA reports on unresolved recalls
Nice-to-haves
Modern technology, like in-car WiFi, multiple USB ports or third-row entertainment systems, can keep passengers happy, but they might not fit in your budget. If they’re affordable, you might consider these more practical features:
- Onboard vacuum
- Hands-free liftgate
- Power-folding rear seats or stowaway seats
- Cupholders for each passenger
- Built-in trash bag holder
American Families’ Favorite Cars:
- Ford’s Expedition was the most popular model in only four states, all of which were in the Southern half of the country (Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and New Mexico)
- The Subaru Forester was the most popular family car overall, ranking No. 1 across 24 states
- The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are practically identical. And even though Palisade was the No. 1 shopped for car in two states, the Telluride was 33% more popular across all state lines.
Methodology
Data pool represents those who shopped for cars from January to November 2021. Data was then sorted and filtered to determine the most popular model per state. For this analysis, the best family cars were determined using a list created by LendingTree to include the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Kia Telluride, Ford Expedition, Mazda CX-9, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Palisade, Volvo XC90 and Honda Odyssey.
Do you drive the most popular family car in your state? Read below to see
- Alaska: Subaru Forester
- Alabama: Honda Odyssey
- Arkansas: Honda Odyssey
- Arizona: Hyundai Palisade
- California: Subaru Forester
- Colorado: Subaru Forester
- Connecticut: Subaru Forester
- District of Columbia: Subaru Forester
- Delaware: Honda Odyssey
- Florida: Honda Odyssey
- Georgia: Honda Odyssey
- Hawaii: Honda Odyssey
- Iowa: Honda Odyssey
- Idaho: Subaru Forester
- Illinois: Honda Odyssey
- Indiana: Honda Odyssey
- Kansas: Honda Odyssey
- Kentucky: Honda Odyssey
- Louisiana: Ford Expedition
- Massachusetts: Subaru Forester
- Maryland: Honda Odyssey
- Maine: Subaru Forester
- Michigan: Subaru Forester
- Minnesota: Subaru Forester
- Missouri: Honda Odyssey
- Mississippi: Ford Expedition
- Montana: Subaru Forester
- North Carolina: Honda Odyssey
- North Dakota: Subaru Forester
- Nebraska: Hyundai Palisade
- New Hampshire: Subaru Forester
- New Jersey: Subaru Forester
- New Mexico: Ford Expedition
- Nevada: Subaru Forester
- New York: Subaru Forester
- Ohio: Honda Odyssey
- Oklahoma: Honda Odyssey
- Oregon: Subaru Forester
- Pennsylvania: Subaru Forester
- Rhode Island: Subaru Forester
- South Carolina: Honda Odyssey
- South Dakota: Subaru Forester
- Tennessee: Honda Odyssey
- Texas: Ford Expedition
- Utah: Honda Odyssey
- Virginia: Honda Odyssey
- Vermont: Subaru Forester
- Washington: Subaru Forester
- Wisconsin: Honda Odyssey
- West Virginia: Subaru Forester
- Wyoming: Subaru Forester
Here’s how to find (and afford) your new car
Buying a new vehicle can present lots of opportunities to either save big or overspend. You’ll get the best deal when you follow these steps:
1. Set a budget — and stick to it
First, determine how much you can afford to borrow. Before shopping around, set a budget and commit to a car price and monthly payments that fit into your budget. Do this before making the classic mistake of shopping for a vehicle and falling in love with something you can’t afford.
2. Find the best loan
Next, shop around for an affordable loan. You can do this by comparing rates from multiple lenders. Using an online marketplace can help you compare a larger number of offers without impacting your credit.
3. Get a great deal on your next car
When you’re ready to shop for your next car, there are a number of ways to save on both the cost of buying and owning:
- Skip the upgrades and go with the base trim.
- Use KBBs 5-Year Cost to Own estimates to help you find a car with high resale value and low cost to register, maintain, repair and insure.
- Buy a qualifying all-electric or plug-in hybrid and get a federal tax credit up to $7,500.
- Reduce your insurance cost by enrolling your teen in a driver safety course or check to see if they qualify for a good student discount.
- Time your purchase to coincide with an increase in inventory or seasonal promotion.
4. Sell your current vehicle (if applicable)
If you’re selling a vehicle, take some time to get the best offer possible. Consider getting the car detailed and listing it for sale on multiple websites. You may also need to make a plan for how to pay off your current car loan.
Related:
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2021 cars with the best gas mileage
There are a variety of hybrid vehicles to suit a variety of budgets and styles. Whether you’re looking to save money on gas, reduce environmental impact or both, these best gas mileage cars can help.
DepositPhotos.com
To make our list of cars with the best gas mileage, vehicles must use gasoline (no all-electric vehicles, sorry Tesla) and rank highly among the U.S. Department of Energy’s top 10 most fuel efficient cars. Vehicle models could not be repeated due to fuel efficiency differences between trims. You will, however, see brands repeated. Toyota and Honda, for example, dominate this list — Toyota expects hybrids to make up a quarter of its sales while Honda plans to stop selling gas and diesel-only cars in Europe next year, according to news reports. Confused about the differences between electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids and plug-in hybrids? Check out our explainer, below.
Drazen_
$28,220 starting MSRP
133 MPGe/54 MPG
The 2021 Toyota Prius Prime has the highest fuel efficiency of any non-electric vehicle on the market, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. You will pay a premium for this plug-in hybrid or PHEV — the traditional Prius hybrid has a lower starting price — but the Prime is reasonable among rival PHEVs. The Prime can get a full charge off a standard 120-volt (V) outlet in 5.5 hours or 2 hours and 15 minutes using a 240V outlet. Toyota offers a hybrid battery warranty good for 10 years or 150,000 miles, something to keep in mind if you’re considering a different hybrid in the Toyota family including Camry, Highlander, Corolla, RAV4, Venza, Avalon or Sienna. For the first time, the RAV4 gets the Prime treatment — the popular compact SUV now has a plug-in version. Read more about it, below.
Toyota
$33,400 starting MSRP
110 MPGe/42 MPG
Honda offers the Clarity as a plug-in hybrid or a fuel cell vehicle, though the latter is only available for lease in California where hydrogen fuel stations are easily available. A four-door sedan with a 1.5-liter (L), four-cylinder engine available in two trims, the Clarity PHEV gets 110 MPGe and a 42-mile electric-only driving range. It takes about 12 hours to fully charge the battery using a 120V outlet, but only 2.5 hours from a 240V outlet. An eight-speaker sound system is standard, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Honda’s battery warranty is 8 years or 100,000 miles.
Honda
$38,100 starting MSRP
94 MPGe/38 MPG
A Kelley Blue Book “best buy,” the 2021 RAV4 Prime joins the Prius Prime as a Toyota plug-in hybrid, as we mentioned earlier. The crossover offers 94 MPGe with 42 miles of electric-only range plus standard all-wheel drive (AWD), a direct injection 2.5L, four-cylinder engine and eight drive modes, including sport, eco and trail. An all-gasoline powered RAV4 is significantly less with a starting MSRP of $26,050 (more for AWD) while a traditional hybrid RAV4 starts at $28,500, but you won’t see the same mileage savings. The RAV4 Prime fully charges in 12 hours from a standard household 120V outlet or in 4.5 hours from a 240V outlet.
Toyota
$23,200 starting MSRP
58/57/59 MPG combined/city/highway
The first vehicle on this list that’s not a plug-in hybrid (though the Ioniq has one of those and an electric too), the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq still offers good mileage for a low price. This traditional hybrid comes in four trims, but the lowest one, Blue, offers the greatest fuel efficiency. The Ioniq Blue gets 58 MPG combined and delivers standard active safety features like emergency braking and blind spot warning plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Its hybrid battery and all of its hybrid system components are covered by a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. The 2021 Hyundai Ioniq (not available as of press time) does not have many changes in store, but there’s buzz about the upcoming all-electric Ioniq 5, not to be confused with the existing electric Ioniq. The Ioniq 5 will have an entirely new EV platform.
Hyundai
$22,930 starting MSRP
52/55/49 MPG combined/city/highway
The lowest-priced vehicle on this list, the 2021 Honda Insight offers 551 miles of total range thanks in part to its efficient in-line four-cylinder engine with port injection. While it doesn’t have the highest MPG ever, its 52 MPG combined rating is still impressive and the sedan’s sizing is rather generous. The Insight would be Goldilocks’ choice as it’s smack between the larger Honda Accord and the smaller, best-selling Honda Civic. It shares many features with the Civic, gets better MPG, and comes in at only a slightly higher price. The Honda Sensing® suite of active safety features, including emergency braking, is standard. The Insight comes in three trims and carries an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty on its hybrid battery.
Honda
It’s important to understand the differences between a traditional hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and an electric vehicle (EV). A traditional hybrid has two sources of power: an internal combustion engine and an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery charged through regenerative braking. A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) retains a traditional gasoline-powered engine but its battery can be charged through a power outlet or charging station, giving it a greater range than “regular” hybrids. An EV also plugs in, but lacks a gasoline-powered engine. Plug-in hybrids and EVs may qualify for a federal tax credit — search by manufacturer here to see if a car you’re interested in is eligible.
Czgur/ istockphoto
Fuel efficiency isn’t the only way for drivers to save money — make sure you’re getting the best deal possible on your car loan, too. The best way to do that is to get a preapproved auto loan from your bank, credit union or online lender before going to the dealer. Short on time? You could fill out a single online form at LendingTree and receive up to five potential auto loan offers from lenders at once, depending on your creditworthiness.
This article originally appeared on LendingTree.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Featured Image Credit: FatCamera.
