There are several car types that are considered family cars, such as MPVs, SUVs, estate cars, minivans, and so on. Each of these come with their unique strengths and weaknesses. They all check the important requirements like practicality, passenger and luggage room, but when hunting for the best second-hand family cars there are plenty of things to look at and compare.
For the past years we say an increase in demand for MPVs and SUVs as family cars, rightfully so, but other types such as the estate cars are a match for you needs too. Of course, an estate car won’t have the tall body shape on an MPV, but a lower roofline can translate into better aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. The smaller height with lower gravity centre means also better handling than an SUV. So if you don’t have a very large family to carry around or need to go off-road, an estate car is the solution for you. Off-road capability translates into a higher price, so giving up on that will save you some good money.
Although MPVs or minivans come with a lot more seating making them very practical for large families or special needs passengers, they also tend to depreciate more than estate cars. Estate cars are great when it comes to travelling on long distances or towing, and are usually equipped with diesel engines to meet that need. But this makes them also more expensive to buy, so sometimes a petrol car can be cheaper in case you don’t take those long trips that would make a diesel engine more financially savvy.
It is essential to check the boot capacity of your estate car to be enough for your needs, although this may translate sometimes in a less stylish profile. Practicality makes the best second hand family cars stand out after all, not necessarily the style.
But if you need an all-terrain estate car, you have a range of options for that as well, but bare in mind that they come with a hefty price. In this situation, a second-hand 4×4 estate car is the saviour for your budget while fulfilling your needs. You can go off the beaten track in style, with beautiful cars like the Audi A6 allroad or the Peugeot 508 RXH, while still feeling like normal driving. The all-terrain estate cars will also have a raised ground clearance to ease the move on rougher terrains.
Based on the distances you plan to travel you should pick between petrol, diesel, or even hybrid, which will also affect your tax cost.
For travelling long distances your family car or estate if that is your choice must be firstly big, comfortable, practical, safe, economical, but when it comes to differentiate between them other factors like what equipment it has or how it handles. The best second-hand family cars in the estate class can look and feel like a new one because of their build quality, refined and comfortable cabin, handling capabilities, sturdy yet streamlined looks.
Other features to look for in your used family car are the advanced driver assistance systems, such as blind spot warning, forward collision warning, and automatic braking, rear-view camera, that would make driving and parking a generally large family car less daunting.