Looking to find a family orientated car that's perfect for you? There are thousands of cars on the market, so finding one that suits your needs can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you find one.

1. Safety first

Once you find a car you like, it's important that you check up on its safety reviews and reserch its crash and child protection scores. If an accident does happen, you'll want to be reassured that you picked the safest model for your family.

Some cars come with added safety techniques, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB). This system is designed to detect when a car is verging on a crash and apply the brakes automatically if the driver hasn't managed to already.

2. Isofix

If you have small children and require car seats, you'll probably be looking for a car with Isofix fixings. Most cars these days do have Isofix fixings built into them, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find one that satisfies this criteria.

Isofix car fixings allow you to simply plug your car seat into the car and are statistically safer than using seatbelts alone to restrain your child's car seat.

3. Car seats

On a similar note, you might also want to install your newest addition's car seat into the front seat. In order to do this safely, though, you will need to have a car that allows you to disable the front passenger airbag.

4. Plenty of room

For practical purposes, you will want your new family car to have plenty of room. If you're still lugging pushchairs around with you on family outings, you'll want to pick a vehicle with a good size boot space.

Pushchairs these days tend to take up a lot of car space, especially following the emergence of the popular 3 in 1 travel systems. You'll probably also want some kid-friendly features such as cup holders in the back of the car and a good-sized third seat.

5. Think colour

Kids are messy, and unless you want to put a complete ban on food and drink being consumed inside your new vehicle, chances are you’re going to end up with a mess somewhere.

A good way to avoid stains from being produced is to choose interior furnishings that are easy to wipe down, such as leather, and dark in colour. Cream coloured interiors are never a good idea with kids, but darker interiors show less damage.

Similarly, on the outside, metallic paints are easier to chip (and usually more expensive to buy in the first place), so go for something plainer.

6. To buy or lease?

If you aren’t sure which family car you ought to buy, or how long you will need your family car for, leasing a car might be a better option for you.

With a leased car, you will be free to hand it back and trade it in for something newer and smarter when you don’t need all the additional room for the kids – or if something else catches your eye after your deal has ended.

If you buy a car, however, you’re stuck with it for the long run, and you’ll have to go through the trouble of selling it. A Range Rover Evoque lease might be on your radar due to leasing giving you the opportunity to get a higher value car without your monthly payments skyrocketing.

But if leasing isn't for you, consider a car loan with the best car loan rates, which will help afford a car and spread repayments.

7. Go electric

An electric vehicle can make an excellent family car. Not only are they nice and quiet, but they can help the environment, as well as save you money on fuel. Electric cars and hybrid vehicles are surging in popularity, with some excellent family models on the market. Could electric be the way forward for you and your family?