The term ‘family car’,
let’s be honest, is a pretty broad one. Especially these days, with the rise of
the ‘crossover’, it could be used in reference to all manner of vehicle shapes,
encompassing the likes of SUVs, MPVs and saloons, as well as the small and medium-sized
hatchbacks a lot of people have long associated the term with.
So, if you will be in
the market for a new family car this year, you could be forgiven for feeling a
little overwhelmed. That’s why, here at Car Finance Genie, we thought we’d
pinpoint just five such vehicles among our favourites for families, and why you
should consider each one.
Don’t forget that,
whether you opt for any of the below vehicles or a completely different family
car, Car Finance Genie offer specialist bad credit
car finance options
that may help to make your ideal new set of wheels more attainable than you
think.
Ford Focus
For the first entry in
our list, we decided to go with an evergreen favourite, the Ford Focus, which
has been delighting families since the first iteration was launched in 1998.
The most recent,
fourth-generation Focus broke cover in 2018, and retains previous models’
reputation as the most rewarding ‘driver’s car’ in its sector.
It’s still not perfect
– What Car?, for instance, having said the interior quality isn’t as
impressive as rivals such as the SEAT Leon or Mazda 3 – but with the magazine giving it an overall four-stars-out-of-five review, it’s still an appealing option.
Suzuki Vitara
There was a time when
many of us might not have regarded the term ‘SUV’ as synonymous with ‘family
car’, but of course, times change. If we were going to include one in this
rundown, though, we felt it made sense to put the spotlight on an arguably
underrated one: the latest Suzuki Vitara.
The Vitara is
definitely from the more ‘traditional’ and rugged school of what an SUV is; it’s
solidly built, and with four-wheel-drive available on some variants, it boasts
genuine off-road ability. Crucially, it also offers the amount of interior
space you would want from a good family car.
If you aren’t a ‘badge
snob’ but are interested in an unfussy and fun-driving SUV, we would urge you
to give this unassuming Suzuki some thought.
Volkswagen ID.3
The electric-car
market seems to have ballooned out of nowhere in recent years, so it’s
perfectly possible that as a would-be family-car buyer, you might not have yet
owned one.
In that case – and if
you’re wondering what the highest-rated fully electric family cars are in the
UK as of 2022 – you could hardly choose a better place to start than the ID.3.
As the first car to be
launched from Volkswagen’s ID. family of battery electric cars, the ID.3 is a
stylish hatchback which attracted a 4.5-out-of-five review
from Auto Express
on account of such strengths as its smart looks, refinement and a “usable,
real-world range”.
Skoda Superb
While we’re on the
subject of Auto Express’s take on the family-car market, did you know
that the Skoda Superb was the magazine’s “family car of
the year” in 2020? That
was around the time the third generation of this much-admired five-door
hatchback and estate received a facelift.
It has long been
well-known that the Czech Skoda marque is far from a joke these days, and the
Superb has drawn warm reviews from the motoring press, who have saluted its
combination of a premium feel and a very reasonable price tag.
Not only is the Superb
a comfortable and relaxing drive, but its interior manages to be practical
while still feeling upmarket – and that’s before we even get to the subject of its
generous-sized boot.
Volvo V60
As we touched on
earlier in this blog post, there are a lot of different car body styles and
shapes that can be regarded as ‘family cars’ nowadays. And if it’s an estate
you specifically have in mind, you no longer have to settle for some boxy, crude,
deeply unglamorous thing.
That brings us neatly
onto the Volvo V60. It ticks almost all the essential boxes for a medium-sized
estate car – including a plush and well-equipped interior, enough room in the
cabin for five people, and 529 litres of boot space – while also being
genuinely stylish.
On the more negative
side, though, if the driving experience is important for you in an estate, the
BMW 3 Series is well worth looking at as an alternative.
There you go – just
five vehicles that show, in 2022, a new family car doesn’t have to be ‘dull’,
or represent a serious compromise to your preferences and lifestyle. So, why
not browse our online vehicle stock today to see which of these cars – or other
attractive models – could be available for you at a great price when you turn to the Car Finance Genie team for a competitive finance deal?
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