Five Car-Buying Tips for New Parents on a Budget

by Vicky Parrott

We’re big on kids at CarGurus. Here on the team, we’ve got them all – from little ones that won’t leave you alone, to big ones that only want to be alone. We’ve wrestled with the car seats, cursed the buggy and generally made all the mistakes that you, as a new parent, will probably also make.

So, while we can’t really prepare you for the moment your toddler vomits into your favourite shoes, we can hold your hand when it comes to what you should be looking for in a family car.

At this point we'll acknowledge that there are few descriptions more vague than that of ‘family car’. Here’s a genre that could mean a £3,000 Ford Fiesta, or it could mean a £50,000 Range Rover. In this guide, however, we are sticking to the budget end of the market, proving that with a bit of research it is perfectly possible to find a great family car without spending a fortune. Here, then, is how to make the most of a modest budget, without sacrificing the practicality and safety considerations that are key to any family car purchase.

Five Car-Buying Tips for New Parents on a Budget

  1. An Estate Car Can Beat an SUV
  2. Check your Isofix
  3. You Need a Five-Door Car
  4. Keyless Entry is Really Useful
  5. Check the Airbag Switch

Skoda Superb Estate rear quarter

1. An Estate Car Can Beat an SUV

Don’t get us wrong, we love an SUV as much as the next parent. The high seating position, the tall roof, the sense of superiority – it’s all good. But in reality, with a baby or small kid, lugging stuff endlessly in and out of the boot that gets wearisome and, believe it or not, an estate or hatchback is more practical on this front.

The lower boot lip and boxy opening of a car such as the Skoda Superb Estate is ideal for family life, whether that means carrying a baby buggy, a dog cage, or all your possessions bar the kitchen sink. And while estate cars might lack the high-up driving position of SUVs, the lower centre of gravity can often make them more stable and enjoyable to drive. Oh, and they're generally cheaper to buy, too.

So, we’ll say it again: you don’t need an SUV. You might want one, but unless you live in the far flung, muddy/snowy/unpaved wilderness, the arrival of your first child does not mean that you need one. Also, by thinking outside the fashionable SUV box you’ll get more car for your money.

Car Buying Tips for New Parents Seat

2. Check your Isofix

The vast majority of cars built in the last decade or so will have at least two pairs of Isofix fittings (solid metal hoops that you can click Isofix-compatible car seats into), one on each of the outer rear seats. Above and beyond this, you might also find Isofix points in the middle rear seat, in the third row of seven seat models, and on the passenger seat. If you're buying a smaller or older car it's still worth asking the dealer if Isofix is included – or for inspiration check out our full guide to the best cars with three Isofix points.

If you're on a tight budget, something like a used Hyundai i30 Estate or Toyota Auris Touring Sports is hard to beat for a car that is safe, roomy and costs as little money as possible. A car like this can be bought for less than £4,000, but has Isofix fittings in the back seats, a front passenger airbag that can be switched off, a big boot, will be cheap to fuel and insure, and has a solid reputation for reliability.

Mum strapping child in with car seat safety shield

3. You Need a Five-Door Car

We know – you love your Audi TT, and it’s got rear seats, right? It’ll be fine! Well, good luck. Easy family motoring is all about easy access. Four wide-opening doors and four full-sized seats with a couple of Isofix fittings are your absolute essentials for a parent-on-the-road, and a big, square boot opening will also be worth its weight in Bugaboos. So your sporty coupe or your three-door hot hatch simply won't cut it if it's your sole transport.

The alternative doesn’t have to be boring, mind. A five-door Volkswagen Golf GTI will be a safe and useful all-round family car, without making you feel terribly boring.

Plus, as mentioned above, if you have more than two small children to transport, there are a some cars out there that have three Isofix points, some with all three in the second row of seats, some with the third in the front passenger seat.

Car Buying Tips for New Parents Keyless

4. Keyless Entry is Really Useful

Keyless entry and drive is just a joy if you’ve got kids. When you’ve got the baby seat or toddler in one hand, a bag of shopping in the other, and keys lost deep in your pockets or handbag, being able to get into the car without rummaging for your keys is a great feeling.

Forget powered bootlids, if you want one luxury convenience, it’s keyless entry and go. Usefully, you can filter listings on CarGurus to show only models with Keyless entry/start, as well as various criteria including number of doors, so a quick look at the keyless five-door cars for sale right now will always turn up something interesting. Or, if you need some guidance, we’d advise starting with the smart-looking, well-equipped and economical Citroen C4 SpaceTourer; a lot of car for the asking price.

Car Buying Tips for New Parents Airbags

5. Check the Airbag Switch

Undoubtedly you’ve mumsnetted car safety for kids until you see Isofix fittings and car seat star ratings on the inside of your eyelids. But it is worth checking that any car you’re looking at has a front passenger airbag that you can turn off as you have to be able to do this if you want to put a rear-facing child seat in the front passenger seat.

The vast majority of cars have this feature as standard, but not all used cars will – especially smaller or older ones – so don’t be afraid to contact the seller and ask. After all, no matter your ambitions to travel light, before you know it a one-night stay at the grandparents will have you folding the back seats and brimming the car with everything from travel cots and play tents to baby bouncers, so you may find you need the passenger seat more often than you imagined.

Lexus does fit switchable passenger airbags to all of its recent cars, as well as a huge array of safety stuff including driver aids like lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control, and most models even get a reversing camera – rather like the very posh-looking Lexus NX300h.

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Vicky Parrott is a contributing editor at CarGurus. Vicky started her career at Autocar and spent a happy eight years there as a road tester and video presenter, before progressing to be deputy road test editor at What Car? magazine and Associate Editor for DrivingElectric. She's a specialist in EVs but she does also admit to enjoying a V8 and a flyweight.

Now a regular contributor to CarGurus, Matt Rigby's career has covered everything from road testing and reporting for weekly magazines such as Auto Express and Autocar, to writing for hugely enthusiastic online communities such as PistonHeads.

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