9 interior must-haves for your family

What do you look for in a car when buying one for the family? It's not like before children (shall we call that BC?) when all you wanted was two seats and a roof that goes down.

No, these days, your desires are much more practical. Well, your priorities are anyway. Here's the checklist while you're car shopping to make sure all your prerequisites are ticked off before you buy. 

Interior Space

For you in the front just as much as the kids need it in the back. Look out for leg space both in the driver and the passenger seat, and check the leg space on the passenger side while there is a baby capsule in the back seat (if that is the family stage you're up to). Rear facing capsules are big, and you'd be surprised how much the front passenger will have to compromise on leg space, so if there's not enough room and you're tall, you're in trouble.

Space in the rear is important if you've got growing teenagers with long legs that need to sit behind you, too. 

Space in the rear is important if you've got growing teenagers with long legs that need to sit behind you.

Boot space

"I think the boot is too big," said no parent ever. You won't know the joy of a big boot until you regularly drive a car with one, and then have it taken away from you. Fitting things easily into the boot and not feeling like it's a giant jigsaw puzzle every time is joyful. So you can fit prams, groceries, school bags, bikes, sporting equipment, picnic baskets, blankets, towels, beach bags, boogie boards... need I go on?

You won't know the joy of a big boot until you regularly drive a car with one.

Good tech

Because it's 2019 and we all deserve to live like it is. Good technology today means Apple CarPlay or Android Auto which essentially sync your phone with the multimedia screen instantly connect your phone's main apps to the touchscreen just by plugging it into the USB point. It's not hard, you don't have to learn it, and you can easily navigate via the maps app or stream music via Spotify. You can also make calls and send texts by using voice control in some cars like the Subaru Outback pictured here. 

Good technology allows you to easily navigate between apps.

Storage

To me, good storage maketh a good car drive, especially when you treat your car like your living room, which is often the case. So you want a spot for your coffee/tea - cupholders are essential, you want a bottle holder in the door for hydration, and you want a spot to throw keys and a phone because they get lost easily otherwise. The centre storage bin can be useful to pop toys for the kids or iPads when they're not in use. The children also appreciate cupholders in the back.

Good steering wheel

So this isn't an essential, sure, but it improves your drive dramatically. A leather-trimmed steering wheel especially feels really lovely under the hands and even if the rest of the car's interior is not up to scratch, if you're touching a leather steering wheel it won't matter.

A leather-trimmed steering wheel improves your drive dramatically.

Easy climate control

Dual-zone air conditioning is good, but even better is a functional design and easy access to the climate control that doesn't involve jumping through 10 different screens on the multimedia. There is something to be said for knobs and buttons that are within arms reach and just work when you move them, like on the Subaru Outback pictured here.

A functional design gives easy access to climate control in the Subaru Outback.

Air vents in the rear

Because kids get hot and if there's one thing I've learned since driving different cars on a weekly basis, it's that my children will notice when there are no air vents in the back, especially in summer.

Air vents in the back keep the kids cool, especially in summer.

ISOFIX/Top tether points

These are a must to fit children's car seats in safely, and most new cars will have both so you have the choice between an ISOFIX seat or just the top tether seats. Some cars top tether points can be on the roof, so just note where they are and if in a weird spot, see how that affects head space. 

ISOFIX/ Top tether seats fit children's car seats in safely.

Comfortable seats

I've been in cars where the kids' car seats involuntarily rolled inward, because they were at too much of an angle, so it's always good to check these things and also check the comfort level of the front seats because once you have kids, you tend to go on long, arduous road trips and you start to notice when the seats are not up to standard. You can really tell the difference when you get into a car like the Subaru Outback and everything is super comfy. 

Comfortable seats can really make a difference on longer trips.