3 On Your Side: Buying A Family Friendly Vehicle
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If spring weather has you thinking about upgrading your wheels, make sure the car you're looking at meets your needs. As 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan reminds us, families in the market for a new ride need to keep certain factors in mind.
Buying a family car can present different challenges. First, research safety ratings like those from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Then, according to Matt DeLorenzo, Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com Managing Editor, "Take your child's safety seat with you and test for yourself to see how difficult it is to get that seat in and out - and even booster seats too, because sometimes the belts are hard to work around."
For safety outside of the vehicle -- DeLorenzo has this advice, "There are so many systems available with blind-spot detection, and especially with a family, you really want a backup camera or you want sensors around the vehicles that let you know that there is either cross-traffic or pedestrians. Those really in many cases can be life-savers."
Scope out the rear cargo area. An extra row of seating may come at the expense of storage space. Also note the height of the lift gate and whether the hatch can be opened hands-free -- to help pack items like strollers. And finally, look for rear-seat entertainment options -- to get ready for that summer road trip, and the rest of the road ahead.
By the way, if you're in the market for a used car be sure to check for outstanding recalls too.
For more information visit: www.http://www.safercar.gov/Safety+Ratings and http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings
