The parents’ handbook

Information and tips for parents, children and families

The birth of a first child has a major impact on a couple’s life – right down to the choice of car. Instead of prestige, looks or sporty qualities, it is now usually the utility value that decides the purchase. Around 83 percent of parents-to-be are planning to buy a different car for the birth of their child. The main focus here is on the space available.

So what type of car is best suited to a young family??

Sedans are hardly suitable for families

The classic sedan may offer a comfortable journey – but this type of body is not ideal for young families. Strollers are difficult to fit, and the high window line makes it difficult for children to see outside. This makes long car journeys particularly nerve-racking for everyone involved.

Although a station wagon offers enough space for a stroller, the available space is often limited due to the low height of the vehicle. Parents who like to drive a sporty car, however, are pleased with the driving performance. The differences between a station wagon and a sedan are usually very small in this respect.

Van or SUV: popular with young drivers

Among the classics of family cars are vans. With many models, this class of vehicle is aimed specifically at families and combines a large amount of space with moderate prices. The higher seat height gives the entire family a better overview.

The disadvantages, however, include the somewhat inferior equipment and, compared to sedans and station wagons, the driving behavior is often somewhat worse.

An SUV is also suitable as a family car. Space and seat height are essentially similar to those of the van, while the higher body also makes it easier to drive off-road. The high loading edge is often a disadvantage when loading the family groceries. Because the higher ground clearance also has a less streamlined effect, experience shows that an SUV consumes more gasoline. The purchase price of an SUV is usually higher than that of a van.

Stress-free choice: the new car

Once the decision has been made in favor of a particular model, the customer often considers whether to buy a new or a used car. New cars do have a number of advantages: on the one hand, new car buyers can configure the vehicle they want entirely according to their own ideas, and on the other hand, they can choose from a wide range of options. On the other hand, only new cars offer the full range of warranty services.

In the case of a used car, on the other hand, the statutory warranty applies, but it only covers twelve months. In addition, parts subject to wear and tear are excluded from this warranty, which means that repairs may be necessary.

With a new car, expensive repair stress is hardly to be expected in the first few years. In addition, of course, only new cars offer the latest technical developments. There has been enormous progress in this area in recent years, particularly in the field of entertainment systems.

0.0% financing not always the best choice

The only real disadvantage of a new car is the higher price. In this case, favorable financing models are often available. dealers often even offer 0.0% financing for the new car.

But even with a free loan, there are disadvantages: with such favorable financing, there is usually no more room for negotiation on the selling price itself. So it can be cheaper in the overall calculation to pay cash for the car and to finance the purchase sum with a favorable loan. on platforms such as smava, families can find out about different car loans before buying a car* and thus choose the loan that suits them best.

Car buyers should take advantage of low capital market interest rates

due to the low interest rate level on the capital market, car loans are particularly favorable at the moment. It is especially worthwhile to look for the best conditions online, because here you can also find offers from direct banks without their own branches.

Car buyers get particularly attractive conditions, because the loan can be secured by the new car. The bank gets the vehicle registration certificate (registration certificate part II) for the time of the financing and can sell the car if the buyer can no longer pay the installments.

Low-cost car financing is already available for interest rates below 5 percent; however, with skillful negotiation, up to 30 percent off the list price can be negotiated when buying a new car. And so the cheap new car becomes another reason to look forward to the new member of the family.