5 Family-Friendly Cars to Buy in Singapore

(Photo Credit: Payne)

If you’re the head of the family, you’ll need to make decisions that are in the best interest of your household, and that includes buying a suitable family car. In our latest guide, we take a look at 5 family-friendly cars to buy in Singapore.

Public transport in Singapore is (relatively) reliable, and private-hire cars are convenient to use. Therefore, buying a car in Singapore doesn’t make much sense to some. However, for parents with young children, a car is almost a necessity, as traveling around Singapore without one can be a hassle.

There are plenty of family cars out there and choosing one really depends on your family’s needs. For example, do you prefer a spacious seven-seater for your entire litter, or would you rather get a vehicle with a big boot for a stroller? After considering what families look for in a car and scouring the new car market, we have come up with a list of our top five family-friendly cars.

1) Toyota Alphard

(Photo Credit: Toyota)

The Alphard is Toyota’s best-selling luxury Multi-Purpose Vehicle for a good reason. A favoured car among ‘Tow-Kays’, it is big, spacious, luxurious and comfortable, thus making it ideal for large families.

The car is able to sit up to seven occupants, depending on your seating configuration. The car seats two in the middle, and two or three seats in the rear. The dual seating in the middle means occupants have plenty of space to stretch.

There’s also a small gap in-between the middle seats to allow kids to slip through easily to the rear. In addition, there’s also an access step that lets them climb up the car with ease.

2) Volvo XC40

(Photo Credit: Volvo)

Volvo has always been a byword for safety. The company is constantly investing in and working on ways to make their vehicles safer. Often considered as reliable family cars, Volvo places strong emphasis on safety and space in all of their vehicles.

Their compact SUV, the XC40, continues to build on their obsession with safety and space. There is an auto child lock for the rear doors, and a detection system that warns the driver when the car senses a change in the movement pattern.

The car has five seats and is smaller than Volvo’s seven-seater flagship, the XC90, but it is still quite spacious for a car of its size. The XC40 is also quite practical with plenty of cubby holes around the car to store items for the kids.

3) Volkswagen Golf Variant

(Photo Credit: Volkswagen)

The regular Golf hatchback is already a very practical family car for its size, seating five people with ease and having a usable boot. But, as the needs of the family grows bigger, so should the boot size. Volkswagen has thought of that, making a station wagon version of their best-seller, called the Volkswagen Golf Variant.

The Variant has a boot capacity of 605 litres, much bigger than the regular Golf’s 380 litres. The new Variant’s suspension has also been tweaked for a less sporty, more comfortable ride.

Don’t get us wrong, if you want the smaller Golf hatchback, which has its own perks, like being easy to park, you should still get it. It is, after all, a good family car. But if you want a more comfortable Golf with a much bigger boot, the Variant would be perfect family car for you.

4) Mazda 6

(Photo Credit: Mazda)

The previous iteration of this car won sgCarMart’s Family Sedan of the Year in 2017 for its new styling and its plethora of new safety and convenience features. This face-lifted version has a new front end with slimmer headlights and a larger front grille which looks better than the horizontal grilles of old.

Inside, there is an improved infotainment system which has grown in size from seven to eight inches. There is also a new 360-degrees parking camera system, helping drivers park easily and safely. This is in addition to the wide array of safety features on the Mazda 6, which includes a blind spot monitoring system and driver attention alert, to name a few.

The spacious cabin from the previous iteration remains, with passengers in the rear enjoying a generous amount of legroom and a comfortable ride. For a good family sedan, you can’t wrong with the new Mazda 6.

5) Honda Jazz

(Photo Credit: Torque)

Affordable, practical and comfortable. Three words associated with the Honda Jazz that make it a good family car in Singapore. Starting at S$71,999 (15 Oct), that would make the Jazz one of the most affordable cars in Singapore. Recently face-lifted, the car boasts a new front grille and LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights.

Despite the car’s small size, it has a boot size capacity of 363 litres, one of the biggest in its class. For families with babies and toddlers, the car has two built-in anchors to secure child seats.

Without any child seats, the rear seats can comfortably fit three adults. In terms of safety, the car has brake and stability assist systems. For carparks that have steep inclines, the Jazz has a system called Hill Start Assist. The system will stop the car from rolling backwards when moving off on an incline, allowing drivers to accelerate off smoothly.

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We hope you found our guide useful. If you have any tips for families looking to purchase their car, share them with us in the comments below.

Read more: A Fresh Graduate’s Guide to Buying Their First Car

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