When we bought our current car my husband did MONTHS of research. We weren’t even in a position to purchase a vehicle when he started trying to decide what to get because he knew it would be quite the task to figure out what would fit our needs with two kids.
I’m happy to tell you that our sponsor for this post is doing a LOT to make car buying easier for families. In fact, I mentioned to my husband that I was writing this post and his immediate response was ‘oooh that sounds so helpful!’
Every year, Kelley Blue Book makes a list of the best cars for families. They do rigorous tests to determine the best vehicles for safety, value, reputation and even fit for car seats…All of the most important things when selecting a new family car!
You can see a video of this year’s top 12 here:
What I love about this information is it gives us a start point. There were things on the list that I wouldn’t have thought about needing to look into, but are really important.
Car seats are obviously essential to families with young kids, but it’s easy to assume all vehicles are equipped for them in the same way. They aren’t though! You need to make sure there is enough room between the front seats and the back to fit a car seat, and that will all the seats you need fit across the back? Those are just two (of many) things to consider about car seats when selecting a new family car. You can check out the KBB.com car seat guide when you read their content about best family cars this year.
We ended up bringing our stroller AND car seat to the dealership with us, and it was a pain. I love the fact that Kelley Blue Book takes this into consideration for us so we don’t have to do that next time.
I had heard of Kelley Blue Book in the past but I did not realize what a useful tool it could be, especially for parents. They have been in the automotive industry for 90 years, producing the first Blue Book in 1926. It is a vehicle valuation and information tool trusted by consumers and the automotive industry. I appreciate that they cover both sides so you know you are getting the facts from a professional standpoint but also broken down in a way that the average person can understand and use as a resource when selecting a vehicle.
KBB.com serves the every day car buyer. You won’t have to rely on potentially biased information from a salesperson who is just trying to get you to make a purchase, because you can find out the facts from the comfort of your home as you browse the Kelley Blue Book site, or watch the video above.
Their editorial team drives HUNDREDS of new cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans every single year…way more than I would ever test drive on my own when trying to decide what car to buy.
One of my favorite things about this is that the KBB.com editorial team includes parents with kids from the baby stage all the way through college. They literally loaded up their families and took them on test drives so they could bring us real-life information about these vehicles.
2017 is actually the first year that no sedans have been included on the KBB.com list of Best Family Cars! According to Kelley Blue Book, families and car shoppers in general have shown a preference in SUVs, so that’s why you’ll see that absence this year.
The price range is right in the sweet spot too with most of the top 12 being in the $20,000 – low $30,000s range, only one is over $40,000 starting price!
Are you curious yet? You can click here to see this year’s Best Family Cars from KBB.com or watch to find out which ones they are in the video above!
How did you pick your family car? Would KBB.com have saved your family a lot of time too the way it would have for us?
Bernard Clyde says
I appreciate you sharing your experience researching and trying to find the best car for your family. I like that you really planned ahead. It’s important to consider what you family needs are now as well as what they will be years down the road so you can make a car purchase that accommodates all of your needs.