As any expectant parent knows, there are many questions which race through your mind. From strong feelings of giving your child the best start in life to making sure they are kept safe and happy.
...Safe, safety, car, yes car, what type of car? What size of car? Family car? Best car for new mums? Best car for baby seats? What's the safest car on the market?...
These are all valid questions, with, what I found, a volume of answers available.
Everyone is unique and people have varying opinions when it comes to buying a family vehicle. Many families with three, four or even five children think SUV, people carrier or estate. A people carrier or SUV seems to be a great choice; loads of space, you won’t have to change your car if your family expands and you’ll be able to get three car seats across the rear seats. However, you have to watch out for compatibility with the car seats and the car! Lots of people carriers and SUV’s have handy storage boxes in the floor of the passenger foot well, and whilst these are really handy for keeping those car essentials; it also means a baby seat that has a supporting leg is unlikely to be a compatible fit with the floor storage and child car seat.
However, I was expecting my first child and longed for a car that excited me, was good value for money and gave me a boost when required. This, is exactly what I found.
Seat Ibiza
The car which took my daughter home from hospital was a Seat Ibiza and I loved it. It ticked all the boxes for a one child family car. The boot space catered for my pram and left enough room for various, essential bags to accompany our journey. It was reliable, economical and had front and side airbags. We secured our baby’s car seat with the Ibiza’s Isofix and used the car’s responsive power to get home when sailing too close to feeding time!
Renault Clio
We now have the new Renault Clio Dynamique Medianav, another superb supermini with a glowing 5 Star Euro NCAP rating, making this an ideal young family car. With handsfree technology and 7-inch display screen, the Clio is essential for Humpty Dumpty and co. to broadcast through the speakers for children. Navteq ‘n’ Go Satellite Navigation is great for those hard to find locations and this car really makes the difference to mums. This is another car with those essential Isofix points, making a baby seat a doddle to fit safely and securely. The Isofix seats also have indicators for you to make sure it’s clicked in properly too.
Hands free keycard
The Renault Clio is a great car. In particular, the hands free keycard which automatically locks the car when you walk away from it. No need for juggling your little one, remembering your bag and remembering to lock the car when you can just walk away with the key in your pocket and it automatically locks. Genius! Now after preparing my daughters bag for every eventuality before we can go out, the relaxing part is travelling worry free knowing that the Clio is one of the best cars for new mums.
Ford Focus
Loaded with state-of-the-art technology, the safe and reliable Ford Focus has Auto-Start-Stop, saving you fuel as it automatically turns off the engine. As well as this, if you fail to find a parent and child parking space, more often than not in my experience, and you have to squeeze into another space, the Active Park Assist automatically steers you into the tightest spaces, completely hands free. This car was also recognized as best in class in the small family car category and with the Ford Focus Isofix child seat preparation in the rear seats and road tax from £30 on the 1.0 litre Ecoboost, the Ford Focus is definitely a consideration for small car families.
Kia Cee'd
With a seven year warranty and a boot big enough to fit a pram and outside adventure essentials, the Cee’d is a great small family car. The 5 star NCAP safety feature and Isofix in the rear to fit two car seats is ideal. To encourage your little ones to sleep, music can be streamed through Bluetooth or through an auxiliary point. From £13,000, the Kia Cee’d is a generous five door hatchback.
Vauxhall Corsa
Not always an obvious choice for your first family car, the Vauxhall Corsa may be small but packs a punch and caters for a family with one child. Available in 5 doors with a variety of trim levels, eco-friendly ecoflex engines with start/stop technology, the Corsa returns 85.6mpg on a combined cycle, while emitting 88g/km of CO2. Available with Isofix and with enough room in the boot for a pram and its essentials, the Corsa is a great family car. Save money on fuel and treat your little one!
Peugeot 308
The new Peugeot 308 offers small families a sleek and elegant vehicle with the largest boot space in its class. (Cue screams of delight from parents still wedging the essential items in small cavities in the boot before embarking on a long journey.)
Another small family car with Isofix anchors in the rear and a 5 star NCAP rating, ensuring your insurance stays down, the new 308 has a lot to offer.
Volkswagen Golf
Comfortable and enjoyable to drive the new Volkswagen Golf, from £16,975, is another small family car worth consideration. With the Bluemotion technology on all Golfs, the Volkswagen range is fuel efficient and returns 70 miles per gallon. A pram can fit in the boot space and isofix settings in the rear create safe accommodation for two rear car seats.
For more information on choosing and fitting the best seat for your child’s needs, visit the Good Egg Guide Car Safety website.