Becoming a new parent is costly, with the arrival of a newborn(s) meaning a never-ending list of essential purchases.
And a suitable baby-friendly car is likely to be right at the top of that list. You will probably have to say goodbye to the sporty two-seater car, top-down roadster or super-small city car you've been driving over the last few years.
If you are a parent of a newborn or small child, or a young teenager, the speed and style of a car often fall down your list of priorities when assessing your next vehicle. Invariably, space, practicality, comfort and safety ratings might seem dull considerations when choosing a car. However, it’s likely those factors will now take precedent when families are searching for their next set of wheels.
Some of the most important things to look out for in a child-friendly car is a spacious boot that can accommodate pushchairs, your weekly shop and all the other vital items you need to carry around.
Ideally, you also want wide-opening rear doors so you can easily install a car seat, a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating, Isofix attachment points for a car seat and any extra features that make life easier with your little one in the back.
We have done all the legwork to help choose models that have:
Suppose you’re worried that some of these vehicles are too costly to purchase upfront. In that case, we are in an excellent position to offer you low cost and affordable personal or business leasing deals for the vehicles listed below and a vast range of manufacturers and models.
We have more than 20 years of experience and knowledge working in the leasing trade, with partnerships with the UK’s major motor finance companies.
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You get to drive a brand new or nearly-new model fitted with some of the latest infotainment and safety features with leasing a vehicle. Once you’ve agreed on the annual mileage and paid an initial rental fee, you then pay affordable fixed monthly payments over two to four years.
At the end of the contract, you don’t have the hassle of trying to sell the vehicle, as you just hand it back.
If owning the vehicle at the end of the leasing period is important to you, we have other finance options available such as Hire Purchase and Personal Contract Purchase (PCP).
Give us a call on 02392 245570, and one of our experienced and friendly team will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Luggage space seats up: 640-litres
Luggage space seats down: 1,820
Euro NCAP rating: 5*
Previous iterations of the Mercedes E-Class have always performed admirably in terms of comfort and prestige and also coping with the demands of family life. The latest E-Class is no different and appears to be keeping up the good work.
The new E-Class is offered with five equipment trims, spanning the entry-level Sport, AMG Line Edition (plug-in hybrid), AMG Line, AMG Line Premium and range-topping AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus.
Equipment is plentiful on all E-Class models. Even the infotainment system in the entry-level trim has two 12.3-inch screens and features DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The car includes LED headlights and a conveniently powered tailgate, which you can control remotely using the key.
A reversing camera makes manoeuvring easy, while heated front seats and ambient interior lights that offer a rainbow of 64 colour choices add to the feeling of luxury. Outside, 17-inch alloy wheels are standard.
Upgrading from the Sport to the AMG Line Edition will give you rear climate control, privacy glass, and 18.0-inch alloy wheels.
The sportier and more luxurious AMG Line model is distinguished by AMG exterior styling upgrades, including larger alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, an AMG Nappa leather steering wheel and stainless-steel pedals.
The AMG Line Premium model adds keyless entry, a 360-degree camera for effortless parking, upgraded headlights and a function for the navigation that overlays directions onto a camera feed of the road in front of you.
The top-end trim is the AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus, which provides gloss black detailing, 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof and a high-end Burmester surround sound system.
Storage is provided by the passenger glove box, plentiful door pockets and compartments within the front centre armrest. The rear centre armrest also has a small storage compartment, while the seatbacks are both equipped with storage nets. A useful coin storage tray is at the front of the gearstick, as is a pair of cupholders under a sliding lid.
Amazingly, the E-Class has well and truly outdone the likes of Volvo’s V90 for luggage space, which takes some doing as boot space is historically one of Volvo’s strong points. The Mercedes E-Class features a staggering 640-litres of load space, extending to a mammoth 1,820-litres when you fold the rear seats down flat.
The mixture of the boot’s size with its broad, automatic tailgate, flat floor and absence of a load lip makes it straightforward to load even the long and bulky items.
Handily, there’s also a retractable load cover that automatically slides over the luggage area when the tailgate is closed. Whether you’re picking up flat-pack Ikea furniture, or loading the car up with a pushchair and everything else which you need for trips out with your family, the E-Class is likely to have more boot space than you will ever need.
You should note that the hybrid models get a smaller 480-litre boot because of the location of the battery.
Back in 2016, the E-Class Estate was awarded the full five-star rating by Euro NCAP. Now, in 2021, Mercedes has included additional equipment to make the car as safe as can be. It's no wonder the E-Class has an excellent 95% rating for adult occupant protection.
All models are equipped with nine airbags and an autonomous braking system that slows and stops the car if it spots an obstacle in its path.
Upgrade to the Advanced Driving Assistance pack, and you will find several semi-autonomous systems aimed at making long drivers as comfortable and safe as possible.
The E-Class Estate can use data from road signs and the sat-nav to establish its own active speed limit. For example, the adaptive cruise control system can use live traffic data to detect a traffic jam and slow down in anticipation. Once in traffic, it’ll drive itself at speeds of up to 37mph.
Mercedes has also improved its blind-spot monitoring system, which now remains active even after the car is turned off, warning you of anything that may be approaching from behind – this should help prevent exiting occupants from ‘dooring’ passing cyclists or pedestrians.
Luggage space seats up: 300-litres
Luggage space seats down: 1,301-litres with third-row seats down or 2,339-litres with just the front two seats in place.
Euro NCAP rating: 5*
Practicality and space will become some of your main priorities when looking for a new vehicle to suit your family needs – and you can’t go wrong with this multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). The Ford Galaxy, now in its fourth generation, is one of the biggest and most practical of MPVs that has plenty of room for growing families while also offering impressive flexibility, refinement and luxury.
Trim levels follow Ford’s current Zetec/Titanium/Titanium X convention.
The entry-level Zetec models have an impressive standard kit with 17" alloys, front foglights, electrically heated folding door mirrors, a dual exhaust system, and parking sensors. Inside the interior, you get Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system complete with an 8in touchscreen display, DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control and Ford's Quickclear windscreen.
The mid-range Titanium model adds more chrome, LED day-running lights, adaptive headlights, automatic wipers, and Titanium X comes with a sliding panoramic sunroof, a 10.1in touchscreen infotainment system, sat-nav, cruise control, and lane assist as standard. The top of the range Titanium X provides a powered tailgate, a rear-view camera, leather upholstery, and heated and electrically adjustable front seats.
A powered tailgate is available as an option, and it’s a good idea to ensure you have one given the sheer size of the door - that opens to reveal an enormous boot. When all seven seats are in place, you get 300 -litres of luggage space, 1,301 litres with the third row folded down and 2,339 litres with just the front two seats in place.
The seating system itself is easy to use. Folding all the seats flat couldn’t be easier – the third row folds down and back up electrically via a button mounted in the boot, while the second row (made up of three individual seats) flops forward by pressing another series of controls in the boot.
The Ford Galaxy received Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating after it was crash tested in 2015, and it scored 87% for both adult and child occupants protection. As well as the standard host of airbags and tyre pressure monitors, the Galaxy has an intelligent speed limiter that scans traffic signs and can ensure you never break the speed limit.
Some optional extras include adaptive cruise control and an active lane-keep assist function. The auto-braking function can detect pedestrians and other vehicles, while the class-leading adaptive LED headlights automatically adjust to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.
Another helpful feature for families with young children is that each middle row seat has ISOFIX child seat mounts.
Luggage space seats up: 520-litres.
Luggage space seats down: 1,670-litres.
Euro NCAP rating: The 5008 is structurally identical to the 3008 except for extra length in the rear and a third row of seats. Euro NCAP has reviewed data and conducted additional tests to confirm that the 5008 shares the same rating as the 3008 originally tested.
The Peugeot 5008 is definitely a strong candidate for family buyers as it’s a lovely SUV to drive, is very economical, has a stylish and roomy interior, and easily accommodates a family of four.
The 5008 is available in a selection of trim levels that include Active Premium, Allure, Allure Premium, GT and GT Premium.
The entry-level Active Premium gets keyless start, 17.0-inch Chicago alloys, front and rear parking sensors, DAB radio, eco LED headlights and calming blue ambient lighting for the central connecting zone.
Move up to the Allure, and you'll get 18.0-inch alloys, aluminium roof rails, privacy glass, and sat-nav integrated into the infotainment system. The Allure Premium trim adds a little more kit, with tray tables and window blinds for passengers sitting in the rear.
The near top-of-the-range GT trim provides a contrasting black roof, LED headlights, a frameless rear-view mirror and adaptive cruise control. If you opt for the top-end luxury GT Premium model, you will benefit from a gesture-controlled electric tailgate, 19-inch alloy wheels, and massaging function on the front seats.
Fold the 5008's seats down, and you get 952 litres of luggage space. If needed, you can remove the rear seats altogether, as they are relatively light compared to some rivals – and that will provide you with a vast 1,060 litres of space.
If you put the second row of seats down, this Peugeot will provide you with a total of 2,150 litres of space, which makes the 5008 one of the roomiest cars in its class.
The 5008 is reassuringly safe as a family vehicle, providing lane-departure warning and autonomous braking as standard across all models. The Allure trim and above benefit from high-beam and lane-keeping assist functions as well as blind-spot detection.
Although the Peugeot 5008 has not explicitly been crash-tested by Euro NCAP to assess its safety, its smaller sibling, the 3008, gained a five-star score when it hit the market in 2016. With Euro NCAP now using more arduous methods to conduct their safety testing, we will have to see whether the seven-seater 5008 will receive the same score.
Luggage space seats up: 616-litres (Diesel version)
Luggage space seats down: 2,011 (Diesel version)
Euro NCAP rating: 5*
The fourth-generation Kia Sorento is the biggest SUV in Kia’s range and it offers seven-seat capacity as well as reasonably running costs.
Kia depicts the Sorento's three trim levels as ‘gloriously equipped’. and it's fair to say the standard kit on this seven-seater SUV is extremely generous. The basic trim starts at '2' and moves up to the luxurious and premium top-end '4' trim.
You have the choice of two infotainment set-ups, either the entry-level 2 trim that uses an 8.0in touchscreen whereas trims levels 3 and above upgrade that to an expansive 10.3in touchscreen with far sharper and more attractive graphics.
If you opt for the '2' trim you won't get a built-in sat-nav, but that’s not an issue because Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity is provided. That allows you to run your sat-nav apps on your phone through the infotainment touchscreen and also access your music easily and do all sorts of other useful things.
To avoid arguing over who’s charging what, all three rows of seats have USB ports (there are eight in total). Entry-level models get a six-speaker stereo.
The diesel version of the Sorento offers a massive 616-litres of boot space when the rearmost row of seats is folded down. In the standard hybrid model, the boot is reduced to 608 litres, while the PHEV has 604 litres of cargo space.
When both of the rear seating rows are folded flat, storage space increases to a massive 2,011 litres for the diesel model, dropping to 1,996 litres and 1,988 litres in the standard hybrid and PHEV models respectively.
It should come as no surprise that the latest Sorento model received Euro NCAP’s top five-star safety score, as the previous two iterations also received the same score. The seven-seater was awarded 82% and 85% for adult and child passenger safety respectively, and it also earned a good 87% for safety tech.
The Sorento is fitted with plenty of safety features, such as lane-keep assist, driver attention warning, tyre pressure monitoring system, intelligent speed limit assist. Making its debut on this SUV is Kia's clever new Blind-Spot View Monitor - this uses a camera hidden in each door mirror and the 12.3-inch digital dial screen to show you cars lurking in your blind spots.
What is even better for families with young children is the Safe Exit Assist feature – which prevents the rear doors from opening should the vehicle detect an approaching hazard.
When it comes to fitting child seats, there are Isofix points on the outer two middle row seats and rearmost seats.
Luggage space seats up: 615-litres
Luggage space seats down: 1,655-litres
Euro NCAP rating: 5*
The Tiguan is Volkswagen’s best-selling model worldwide and it’s an extremely popular model for families in the UK too. It’s easy to understand why – this is a family-friendly SUV that delivers in terms of safety, practicality, comfort and luxury.
The interior’s extremely spacious thanks to the car’s long wheelbase (the distance between the wheels) and relatively large body. There’s plenty of space for a family in the Tiguan, although if five seats aren’t quite enough, you could consider VW’s larger Tiguan Allspace, which has seven seats as standard.
In the recent facelift, the trim levels were changed to match the Golf, with an entry-level version followed by Life, Elegance and R-Line.
Standard equipment includes a new steering wheel and LED headlights, while the Life trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, climate control and roof rails.
The Elegance and R-Line trims provide Matrix LED headlights, digital instruments, a heated steering wheel and the top infotainment setup.
All Tiguans come with an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, complete Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity. The top-end models also include a wi-fi hotspot.
Compared to its predecessor, the boot space has increased by 145-litres to a highly spacious 615-litres – although that is with the rear seats pushed forwards.
Even when the rear seats are folded back, you still get a roomy 520-litres which is more than enough to accommodate a pushchair, your weekly shop and all the other baby equipment you might need to transport on trips.
By folding the seats over, which creates a near-flat loading area, the VW still leads the following key rivals for boot space: its 1,655-litre capacity beats the BMW X1 (1,550 litres), Kia's Sportage (1,492 litres), Nissan's Qashqai (1,585 litres) and Renault's Kadjar (1,478 litres).
Please note, however, that models fitted with the eHybrid powertrain lose a large amount of luggage space – which reduces the load area to 476 litres. This is due to the location of the batteries being under the rear seat.
In 2016, Euro NCAP assessed the VW Tiguan and awarded it their top five-star rating. In addition, the Tiguan scored an impressive 96% in the adult occupant protection category and 84% for child occupant protection.
Each Tiguan is equipped with an abundance of standard safety features that include Front Assist with City Emergency Braking. This technology helps spot pedestrians and other cars at speeds up to 19mph and applies the brakes if a hazard is detected. Other handy features include lane assist, which can correct the steering if you drift out of lane and even notice kerbs and grass verges.
All Tiguans are also fitted with ISOFIX child-seat fixings.
