Kids Love Cars To - The Best Car Features for Kids
No, we know you’re not buying a car for your kid - but the younger members of the family can be pretty vocal about their opinions, and that can affect how you feel about the drive too. Plus, with your kids on board for a long journey, it’s in everybody’s interests that everybody is happy!
This blog is all about those hidden features and fabulous add-ons that make all the difference for children. These are the creature comforts that you might forget about, or fail to prioritise. But they are also the features that might just make the difference, helping you to all arrive at your destination happy and fully refreshed!
Multimedia Entertainment
Today, more and more tech and entertainment is being brought into your vehicle via wifi capabilities, with tablets, smartphones and even satellite programming.
Multimedia capabilities are a bit of a no-brainer in family cars these days.
If you’re happy for your kids to enjoy a film through that long journey, headphones in, then looking into which cars have headrest screens is a real must. It’s not only a feature in the most luxe, top-end vehicles any more, so make sure to ask if it’s available in the models you’re looking at.
However, there are some high-end models with impressive rear-seat infotainment systems. The BMW X5 for instance offers a rear-seat entertainment Professional package as an add-on, and the Porsche Cayenne offers two high-res, ten-inch touch screens as an add-on. The Mercedes Benz S-Class meanwhile probably has the best tech available in a large sedan (the rear-seat infotainment systems tend to be most prevalent in the family SUV market), with two monitors built into the headrests, and allowing different media options from CD and DVD to a video game system.
View our Family Friendly Vehicles
Video games
The video games capabilities of your car don’t have to be reserved for the back seats. Tesla offers a whole host of videos through the main infotainment touchscreen in the front! When you’re parked up at a charge point, your steering wheel and brake pedal become the controls! Play alone or in split-screen, two-player mode with whoever is in the passenger seat (Tesla states that kids playing in the front must be supervised). And, don’t worry - as soon as the car is on, these functions are disabled, so no real-life racing! This is a great option when you want an eco-friendly electric vehicle but are dreading those short stops for recharging.
The best in the back
Comfort and storage are not going to be the car features that your kids are going to rave about, but actually, they can make for a completely different journey. Reclinable, comfortable seats, enough space (particularly an issue when you’re transporting three in the backseat) and storage for snacks, drinks and books/tablets can cut down on the moaning, and let your kids be more independent.
Land Rover Discovery
The Land Rover Discovery offers a really spacious cabin with reclining rear seats, so the kids can get their heads down on a long journey and arrive refreshed. It also offers a rear-seat entertainment system with screens in the back of the headrests, should kipping be off the cards!
Land Rover Discovery leasing prices start from £585.53 exc. VAT per month
Citroen C4 SpaceTourer
The Citroen C4 SpaceTourer is another smart option with reclinable seats, with comfort, ample legroom and adjustable seating all adding up to make this a fantastic car for keeping passengers comfy. Again, it also offers twin-screen infotainment systems, as well as smartphone mirroring and well-placed power sockets throughout the vehicle, to make sure there are no low-battery meltdowns.
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is a great car, and alongside the ample legroom in the back, the setup here is three individual seats rather than a bench. As well as allowing your passengers to sit side by side with plenty of space and comfort, the seats also recline. This makes the Q7 a brilliant car for long-distance comfort.
Audi Q7 leasing prices start from £591.19 exc. VAT per month
Read More: What to look for in a family car?
Communality
If your passengers are less into ‘plugging in and zoning out’ and more into games and chatting with their fellow backseat riders, a model with different seating layouts could be the way to go. Put your Peugeot Traveller (or very similar Vauxhall Vivaro Life) in ‘lounge mode’, and your passengers can safely travel facing one other around a communal table. It’s perfect for a game of cards, eating packed lunch or just being face-to-face for a chat, and feels more like travelling on a train than in a car.
What ‘ticks your boxes’ can depend on the types, and ages, of people you are carrying. As well as considering the tech, space and layout suggestions we’ve mentioned above, we can offer a few ‘tried and tested’ kid transporting tips for long journeys:
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Always bring a blanket. Whatever temperature it is in the car, someone is bound to be cold.
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Always bring something to nibble. If you survive on service station chocs and sweets everyone will be due a sugar crash just as you arrive!
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Make whatever solution you choose to keep your kids occupied available in the cabin (don’t leave the iPad, colouring book or MP3 player in the boot!)
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If you’re relying on tech like screens and tablets, make sure they’re fully charged before you set off!
We hope some of our tips will make family trips hassle-free, and keep the kids in the back in their best, smiliest, happiest dispositions. Happy travels!
