While you may have bought cars in the past based on how fun they are to drive or their cool features, buying budget friendly used cars for family is different. Choosing the perfect family car can be quite daunting, given all the things that you have to take into account. For practical reasons, budget always comes on top of the checklist. Thinking carefully about how much you can afford before starting your search is very helpful to avoid overspending.
Fortunately, there are a lot of budget friendly used cars that are available in the market. Buying a used car means you don’t have to worry about the value depreciation associated with brand new cars.
But you might ask, “Which used budget friendly car is perfect for my family?” As any reasonable parent would, you would put the children’s safety and comfort at the top of the priority list.
Things to Consider When Buying Used Car for a Family
Buying a used car could save you a large sum of money, but a great deal of care is needed to ensure you don’t end up with a vehicle that you would regret buying. To help you buy with confidence, have a look at these tips.
- Buy from a reliable trader. Buying from a reliable dealer means the used car has most likely undergone rigorous inspection and you would be offered a good warranty.
- Check the car before buying. Check for the quality of the tires, bodywork, electrics, upholstery, spare wheels and accessories. Also check if there are any dents or scratches and for general wear and tear.
- Check the vehicle history report. These reports can help you find out important information about the used car you are buying. This check can be conveniently done online.
- Check for the vehicle’s safety features. Safety is a top priority for families; therefore, choose a car that can address all the necessary safety needs, especially for younger children.
- Look out for child friendly features to make longer journeys more bearable.
Best Budget Friendly Used Cars for the family
We have compiled a list of the best budget friendly used family cars to tick all the important considerations in your list.
MAZDA CX-5 2016
The Mazda CX-5 2016 model has an impressive build, and is rated by many users as reliable and economical. It gives you a sturdy and sporty driving feel and offers lots of desirable features. It comes with safety features such as smart brake support, adaptive cruise control, cross traffic alert, child safety locks, daytime running lights, blind spot monitor,integrated turn signal mirrors, and lane departure warning.
It has a spacious interior with big seats in both rows. It has user friendly dashboard controls, heated front seats, second row bench seats, climate control, dual-zone A/C, power door locks, premium sound system. It also has a large boot that could easily contain enough luggage for a family camping holiday.
This vehicle is available with a 2.2-liter diesel engine or 2.0 petrol, in automatic or manual transmission. Not only is it fuel-efficient but also affordable to the budget. The price for a used Mazda CX-5 2016 ranges from $15,500 – $21,000. It is definitely a good value for money.
Chevrolet Equinox 2016
The 2016 Chevrolet Equinox is bigger than other compact SUVs in the market. It has amazing features, excellent fuel economy, great maneuverability, spacious interior, and large cargo area, making it appealing for a family car.
Its interior features speak of comfort, safety, and convenience with vehicle anti-theft system, steering wheel controls, cruise control, adjustable steering wheel, power mirrors, keyless entry, heated mirrors, and so much more to give a pleasurable family driving experience.
Among the many competitors, this vehicle easily stands out because of its stellar features that make it favorable for families – wide space, enhanced safety, and affordability.
The price for a used Chevrolet Equinox 2016 ranges from $14,000 – $21000.
Chrysler Pacifica 2017
The Chrysler Pacifica 2017 model offers a smart and comfortable way to drive your family. This vehicle looks and feels upscale inside with its spacious seats and convenient luxurious features. It has a modern dashboard and entertainment system, solid controls, Blu-ray disc playback mounted on the back of the front seats, and input for various gaming devices. Surely, long trips would be so much easier, especially with younger children.
This vehicle is also equipped with excellent safety features to add peace of mind to your every journey. It has built-in stability control, antilock disc brakes, driver and front passenger knee airbags, front seat side airbags, rear view camera, anti lock brake system, emergency assistance, vehicle location services, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring,
Certainly, this car is a joy to drive!
The price for a used Chrysler Pacifica 2017 ranges from $17,000 – $26,900.
Honda CRV 2015
Honda CRV 2015 is one of the top choices among family cars because of its excellent ride quality, practicality, comfort, and safety. It has a spacious cabin, providing plenty of room for passengers and luggage. Its 1.6-liter diesel engine combines low emission and fuel economy. On top of that, it is packed with safety features to make you feel more secure in your journey.
Being in the fourth generation of CRV, its exterior has undergone enhancements to make it look more assertive than its predecessors. In terms of practicality, this model of Honda CRV overtakes its rivals with its impressive rear cabin space, spacious leg room, and back seats that can be folded to create more room for bigger loads.
Some of its safety features include brake assist, vehicle stability assist, ABS, tire pressure monitoring system, child-proof door locks, and three-point seat belts. It also has loads of features to provide comfort and convenience, such as power windows, cruise control, bluetooth connectivity, power door and tailgate locks, rear seat center armrest, and rear window defroster.
The price for a used Honda CRV 2015 ranges from $16,000 – $22,000.
Volkswagen Golf TDI Sportwagen 2015
This compact car has a lot of usable cargo space, powerful engines, and a good looking interior. It has an excellent fuel economy with a 40-mpg highway rating from the EPA. Of course, its rarity is also a plus!
It features 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, fog lights, keyless entry, heated windshield-washer nozzles, panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, a rearview camera and a nine-speaker Fender audio system. Its safety features include front side airbags, anti lock disc brakes, and a post collision braking system.
The price for a used Volkswagen Golf TDI Sportwagen 2015 ranges from $13,000 – $22,000.
Honda Fit 2012
The 2012 Honda Fit is considered one of the most reliable, compact, and economic used cars in the market. It has a large and versatile cargo space and has rear seats that can be flipped and folded to accomodate more load. It also has a large leg room in both front and rear seats. With EPA ratings as high as 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, it can definitely be considered very efficient in terms of fuel economy.
Some of its features include bluetooth technology, navigation system, cruise control, air conditioning, CD audio system, USB port, power windows, and door locks.
The price for a used Honda Fit 2012 ranges from $7000 – $9000.
Ford Fusion 2010
If you are looking for an affordable midsize family car, then the 2010 Ford Fusion is a perfect choice. This model is available in manual and automatic transmission, with revamped engine line-up for more power. Its good fuel economy, vast cabin, comfortable seats, and large trunk make it a perfect option for a family car.
Some of its features include cruise control, four-speaker stereo, auxiliary input, six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, and blind spot monitoring system.
The price for a used Ford Fusion 2010 ranges from $5000 – $7000.
Toyota Sienna 2010
The 2010 Toyota Sienna is a highly-reliable, solid, and spacious minivan that has garnered a number of good reviews from its users. It boasts of its great engine power, spacious interior, and versatile cargo space. It has two unique second-row seat configurations that provide room for up to eight passengers. The seats are fitted with leather and faux wood for higher end models, while high-quality fabric is used for other models.
Its safety features include side curtain airbags for the three rows, front seat side airbags, front airbags, and anti-lock brakes. No question that it is a great value for money given all its excellent and convenient features.
The price for a used Toyota Sienna 2010 ranges from $7300 – $11,100.
Honda Accord 2015
The Honda Accord 2015 has been voted by many users as one of the best family cars for a number of reasons. It is fuel efficient with approximately 23 mpg in cities and as high as 37 mpg on the highways, thus saves the family a lot of money. It also has a roomy interior and large leg room for added comfort especially on long journeys. Furthermore, it has a vast trunk space to fit large luggages with ease.
In addition, it has great technology to provide entertainment such as Apple Carplay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and satellite radio. It is also packed with standard safety features and comes with an affordable price.
The cost for a used Honda Accord 2015 ranges from $14,000 – $20,000.
Toyota RAV4 2013
This powerful compact vehicle is not only fuel-efficient but also convenient and budget friendly. The 2013 model is more massive and efficient as compared to its predecessors. It is a very spacious car, which makes it perfect for families. It has a large boot and back seats that can be folded to create more space.
Its safety features include anti lock brakes, stability control, overhead airbags, knee airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, and ignition disable device security system.
The price for a used Toyota RAV4 2013 ranges from $11000 – $19000.
Toyota Highlander 2012
With the Toyota Highlander, you can rely on an excellent track record of reliability and efficiency. This car is a smooth highway cruiser, thanks to its powerful engines. This spacious car can accomodate 7 people in three rows. The cabin is comfortable and roomy, which makes it convenient for long trips.
It is child friendly and has two complete sets of LATCH child-seat connectors on the second-row seats. It also features remote keyless entry, front and rear air conditioning, bluetooth connectivity, CD player, trizone climate control, and a premium sound system.
The price for a used Toyota Highlander 2012 ranges from $13000 – $18000.
Honda Odyssey 2015
This 8-seater vehicle is perfect for families who are looking for comfort, practicality, and good fuel economy. It has sliding doors, which are convenient in tight parking spaces.
Some of its features include keyless start, cruise control, power door locks, heated mirrors, adjustable steering wheel, power liftgate, back-up camera, smart device integration, auxiliary audio input, climate control, dual zone air conditioning, and heated front seats.
Its safety features include brake assist, electronic stability control, daytime running lights, child safety locks, traction control, and lane departure warning.
The price for a used Honda Odyssey 2015 ranges from $10000 – $20000.
Conclusion
Choosing and buying a family car is one of the most important decisions most families undertake. It takes a lot of things to consider like reliability, affordability, and above all, safety. In making this crucial decision, one of the first things to bear in mind is how much money you are willing to spend for your family car. For many of us, we would go for a great quality car that is, at the same time, budget friendly. With this, used cars are a great option.
With the vast amount of budget friendly used cars for families available in the market, you have a wide-range of choices. You only have to set in what your priorities and requirements are for your ideal family car.