Buying a New Family Car

Mummy says…. There is nothing quite like buying a new family car. But it is a HUGE decision, with so many things to think about. I have some been thinking about some of the most important questions to ask and what answers to look for….

1. How many people are in your family? Not just you, your partner and your children, but any grandparents or extended family that you need to get around too.
2. The ages of the passengers. Cars like a Vauxhall Zafira or VW Touran have great 7 seat options, but the rear 2 seats are not great for adults / tall teens / elderly folk. Car seats can take up more room too.
3. How many seats you need – folding or full. Cars like a Ford Galaxy have 7 full seats suitable for everyone.
4. What else do you have to have? Pushchairs and other baby equipment can take up a whole load of space. You may even need get a roof box if you have a car full of people and a baby (We had to!)
5. Where will you drive the car? Is it for travelling a lot? Features like cruise control are great for long trips and you will need super comfy seats. If it is going to be a local run around or second car you need great economy and parking sensors are fab!

The other HUGE question is how will you pay for you new family car? Here are some options and points to think about:

1. Buying direct or leasing a car. There are so many options available – this site has some great deals on leasing.
2. What is the difference between buying a car or leasing one? Leasing often has the best deals which makes it more affordable. It’s very simple and straightforward, with one monthly repayment  including a warranty, car tax, breakdown cover and with no MOT for cars up to three years old, it makes it easy to budget for. Some leases also include maintenance.When you buy a car from the manufacturer through a car dealer, it’s usually the same price whether you buy it outright or whether you lease the car. The big difference with leasing is you don’t actually pay for the value of the car, just the price the car will depreciate in value over the lease period.For example a car is £10000 and after the lease period it is worth £6000. The car will have depreciated £4000. That is how much a lease will cost you, plus a little interest.
3. Leasing is a great option if you don’t have, or don’t want to use a lump sum of cash. There are deals available where you don’t even need a cash deposit.
4. There are loads of other questions answered on the internet.
5. So to help to decide if leasing a car is the best option: You pay an initial fee which is normally 6 or 3 months payments upfront. There are cars with a zero upfront payment too. You have a set monthly payment, for a set period of time which doesn’t go up or down.You never own the car so if something goes wrong, it’s the problem of the finance company. It’s as risk-free as owning a car can be.Car leasing is a good fit for almost everyone, because it’s low risk, easy and straightforward. It is probably not a good option if you lack job security, and may struggle to afford the repayments.

If you are thinking of buying a new family car make sure you take professional advice and look into all options to find the best one for you.

Have you ever leased a car?