We all have had our fair share of vehicles. Rather they are not the best working or the fact that they are just too small for our big or growing families. Due to this being the beginning of the New Year and the start of tax season, a lot of families are looking for the perfect vehicle to get their family from point A to point B and off of public transportation (we all know that lugging kids on a full bus is in no way shape of way fun…an adventure but not fun)..

One thing that I know about being a woman and searching for vehicle…they( some car salesmen) think we are totally oblivious to what we are looking for and they con(I use this word loosely) us into buying a vehicle that is not suitable for our needs. Honey, I can go into a 5 hour rant about how wrong I was done over the years with vehicles…..but to save time and your sanity, I will just say that I have had my fair share.

Most men are professionals at purchasing vehicles but I learned that some men just haven’t had to do the ‘back work’ or ‘homework’ for car searching and they genuinely just might not know how. I don’t condemn them or put down their manhood, I understand that every road traveled is not always traveled by everyone…..get my drift and my reference to cars (lol, I am so corny.)

Before you hit those car lots, Penny Saver and Craigslist ads consider these options:

• Do your research first, so you can narrow down your options.
• Buy a car for quality, not just for the price.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions, no matter how many you may have.
• If you see a car of interest…..Get a CarFax on used vehicles http://www.carfax.com/ and check the warranty on new vehicles.
• Do your comparison of prices and ‘perks’. Don’t be talked into a buy that you don’t want or can’t afford.
• If purchasing a vehicle from a nonprofessional car dealer, please remember to see the car in person, take it for a test drive and ask all the questions that you would ask a car salesman and if you’re not getting the answers you are looking for….that might not be the car you need to purchase. Not everyone is honest and not everyone has you or your family’s safety at heart.

Alight…..here are some types of cars for families. Hopefully this will help:

Chevy Suburban

• cargo room 40 cubic-feet
• seating capacity of up to nine
• most Suburban’s third rows fold flat and there’s nifty hidden storage under the cargo floor.

Honda Odyssey

• Seats 8 people
• second row can be reconfigured to accommodate three booster seats at once

Honda CRV

• compact SUV
• fuel Efficiency: 27 miles per gallon in the city and 34 on the highway
• seating for five

Acura MDX

• seating for seven
• Advance Package includes a rear-seat, split-screen display so kids can watch two different family movies at the same time

Subaru Outback

• Seats five
• all-wheel drive
• can carry up to 150 pounds of gear

Buick Encore

• SUV that seats five
• noise-canceling technology

Honda Accord

• family sedan
• family of four

Toyota Sienna

• cargo space wide enough for strollers
• four child-safety-seat LATCH points
• driver easy speak function
• only minivan to offer all-wheel drive

Chevy Tahoe

• Seats 8
• crash imminent braking
• side blind zone alert
• rear backup camera
• Siri Eyes Free technology

These are just a few family vehicle options that are out there. Happy hunting and remember your money….your choice. Make sure your choice is a cost efficient and safe one for you and your family.