As part of recent survey by Motors.co.uk, 1000 parents were asked what features they look for in a family vehicle.
Not surprisingly, space and child safety were considered the most important considerations with a respective 519 and 418 of those questioned stating these factors would strongly influence their buying decisions.
Fuel economy and running costs are also quite predictably shown to influence buying decision, with 412 stating as such, as well as: the cost of insurance and tax, the initial cost of the car, age and mileage, ease of access and the make and model.
Often a level of compromise has to be made with regard to these features, in the sense that safety has often come at the expense of style, modern technology or some other aspect of the complete driving experience. The Vauxhall Mokka for example, is a car that is one of the safest on the market, but lacks modern aspects.
So, is there such a thing as a stylish, affordable car (sub-£20,000) that is cheap to run and insure, as well as coming with a certain amount of prestige and modern technology?
Well, yes and here are just two…
The Volvo brand is synonymous with safety and has been since the 1970s. Everyone of a certain age will be familiar with those large, boxy tank-link estate cars that are perhaps the purest example of a car that sacrificed style for practicality and safety. Yet the compact, and stylish Volvo V40 is in many senses the exact opposite of what many expect from the eccentric Swedish manufacturer.
Yet, in terms of safety the V40 is definitely a Volvo, with a solid safety record and a serious premium feel that is compounded by expensive plastics in the interior. Its ‘floating centre’ console is among the favourite features of this car, as well as a generous equipment list (which includes climate control) and a boot floor that may be folded up to create extra space. This car is in insurance group 17, which means that although making not the cheapest to insure, it is certainly nowhere near to being the most expensive. Besides, its fuel economy of 78.5 MPG more than makes up for this.
The Honda Civic has a 1.6L engine that is both pacey and economical, with an MPG of 78.5, as well as being spacious with 477 litres of boot space and the Honda ‘Magic Seats’ which allow the back row to be flipped up, thereby creating 2 separate boot areas – nice. Add to this, impressive safety features and modern technology, such as a climate control, all-round electrics and alloys and you have one very good family car.
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