Play Together

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Tuesday, December 9, 2014

10 Best Family Cars by Edmunds.com & Parents Magazine


How to Choose the Ideal Family Car

Choosing the ideal family car can be a challenge, however, with careful planning you can choose a good family car that will meet the needs of the family. For starters, it is good to determine exactly what the the possible destination you will be exploring. So, for example, you need to find out if the terrain is a rough one or a smooth one, because some of the top rated family cars might not be able to handle certain rough terrain. Safety should never be overlooked when deciding on a car for the family. This is particularly important when there are is children involved, some of the safest family cars have features such as child safety lock and Advanced frontal airbags. These systems designed for airbags has senses which consider factors like occupant size, seat position and crash severity to determine the level at which driver frontal and passenger frontal airbags will inflate. Another important feature of good family cars are their Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). This system actually prevents a vehicle's wheels from locking up by rapidly applying intermittent brake pressure. This system is usually activated during heavy braking applications, but lighter braking on slick roads may also cause it to activate.

The ABS has two main benefits: shorter stopping distances on slippery surfaces and the maintenance of steering control. It is a fact that a vehicle equipped with an ABS will not always stop more quickly than those without, however, it will give the average driver more control in emergency situations. Some of the safest family cars boost added braking features, such as BreakAssist which supplements the driver's braking effort with additional force to reduce stopping distances in emergency situations, and also, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, which distributes the braking power more evenly among wheels with the objective of reducing stopping distance.

Every driver must always keep in mind the fact that in most cases, accidents can be prevented, so therefore, when choosing a family vehicle, safety features that prevents accidents should be considered. One such feature is the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. It is widely accepted that a tire will fail because of under inflation. The tire pressure monitoring system uses a dashboard warning light to let the driver know when a tire does not have enough air to be driven on safely. The larger the vehicle the more challenging it becomes to see what is behind you, when backing up. This is very critical in cases where there are small children around, such as when you are picking up your child after sports practice or after school. Rare Park Assist ensures that you are made aware of objects behind you when the vehicle is in reverse. It is the norm that notification comes via audible beeps, some systems however, use pillar mounted light displays as well. Some of the top rated family cars have installed rear mounted camera that projects an image onto the vehicles navigation screen, whenever the vehicle is put in reverse.

Rear end collisions usually results in whiplashes for the victims. Active head restraints serve to automatically close the gap between an occupants head and the head restraint. One other important matter to consider when buying a family car is the price. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, So therefore, you should be prepared to shop around. There maybe some great deals being offered, but if you do not shop around, you may never benefit from those deals. We need to keep in mind the importance of value for money. So whether it is a cheap family car, or an expensive car, always pay attention to the value you are getting.