Top Five Safe Family Cars Today
Do family cars always have to be slow, brown vans? Can you buy a safe family car which looks good, has some entertainment systems, and is easy on the gas? How about easy on the pocketbook too?
No problem. This guide gives 4 safe family cars which you can drive the kids to school and still have some fun. Each short summary is followed by car safety ratings from the NHTSA. All vehicles hit 5 stars on the first four safety ratings, with some inconsistencies in 2 wheel and 4 wheel rollover safety ratings.
The Classic – Dodge Grand Caravan
If the price seems steep on some of the more luxury family cars, go with the Dodge Grand Caravan, which sells for about $23,000. Dodge keeps putting more powerful engines into these models, and it’s still one of the better looking vans from the inside. It’s likely the best value for price in terms of safe family cars. The Grand Caravan received 5 stars on all ratings except 2 wheel drive rating, for which it received 4 stars from the NHTSA, with no data available on the rollover 4 wheel drive rating.
The Mover – Ford Escape
The Ford Escape has a likable price like other safe family cars, and though the look is simple, it’s good on gas. For a complete pocket saver, you can’t beat a $20,000 safe family car that’s easier on the gas than most SUVs. The only real problem to be addressed is the comfort value. The Ford Escape had 5 star ratings for all initial tests, but did receive 3 star ratings from the NHTSA for both 2 wheel roll over and 4 wheel rollover.
The Big Leaguer – Honda Odyssey
This competes with the other safe family cars in terms of price, gas mileage, comfort, and conveniance. It has a unique look too. The prices for the more luxury bonuses can be steep, as it goes over $40,00, but you can get the basic model for under $28,000. You get more luxury for your dollar here, as Honda offers many options like the rear seat DVD player. The Odyssey had 5 star ratings on all tests except the 2 wheel rollover, for which the NHTSA gave it a 4 star rating, with no data for the 4 wheel rollover rating.
The Winner? – Chrysler Town & Country
Most lists in recent years have the Chysler Town & Country in the top 5 for family cars. It doesn’t have the looks of the Enclave, or the pocket savings of the Escape, but it beats most other vans on the market for power, room, price, and safety. It’s one of the most popular family mini-vans available, retaining value because of functionality. The Town & Country received all 5 star ratings from the NHTSA, except for 2 wheel rollover which had 4 stars, and 4 wheel rollover for which had no data.
So who is the real winner for safest family car? Some are more enjoyable for the kids, some impress friends, some are for bigger budgets, and some are just purely functional.
The most important part: for driving the ones you love, these are safe family cars.
