In The Market For A New Family Car?

Family cars are not necessarily the most glamorous vehicles out there, but if you have children, you need the cargo room and the extra safety features.

Of all the family vehicles out there, it’s hatchbacks and wagons that have a couple of things going for them. Many offer lots of cargo room while remaining relatively compact. More good news is the pricing. With the growing strains on the economy tightening consumer budgets, the faithful family cars are now available at affordable pricing. If you’re looking for a budget new car, a hatchback or wagon may very well be the best choice for you.

Based on the manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing, the top ten most affordable hatchbacks and wagons of 2009 include the 2009 Hyundai Accent GS Hatchback at $9,970, the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo 5 LS Hatchback at $11,965, the 2009 Smart Fortwo Pure Hatchback at $11,990, the 2009 Toyota Yaris Hatchback at $12,205, the 2009 Nissan Versa 1.8 S Hatchback at $13,110, the 2009 Kia Rio 5 LX Wagon at $13,325, the 2009 Pontiac G3 Hatchback at $14,335, the 2009 Honda Fit Hatchback at $14,550, the 2009 Scion xD Hatchback at $14,650, and finally, the 2009 Scion xB Hatchback at $15,750.

When you need an affordable family vehicle to start off the New Year, these top ten picks offer a good starting point. Based on the invoice cost, you can also establish a basis for understanding what you might expect to pay for these types of cars. You can make a determination whether a new family car is affordable and whether the value for money is strong enough to justify the purchase.

As ever, when looking for a new car, you need to make a list of the top features you want. Think about how you are going to be using the car, where you will be driving, who will be driving, and how often it is going to be used.

The advantage to the types of family cars mentioned above is that they are tough and durable. They can survive regular, everyday usage, they are hardy in terms of the work they can do (good cargo storage, good miles to gallons ratio), and they are relatively safe as cars go.

You may want to research specific safety features for children when you plan on purchasing a family car with will be regularly used by your children, particularly young children. The principle detail, however, is that you have options and they may be more affordable than you think.