Is a family car the same as a sedan?
Perhaps the difference between a family car and a sedan is best summarized by saying that a sedan is a type of car body, with four doors and a boot, whereas a family car is a family friendly vehicle, whether it is an SUV, a hatchback, van or a sedan.
A sedan is typically a two- or four-door car that fits four to five people, with a roof that stays at full height until the rear doors. The boot on a sedan also opens below the level of the rear windscreen.
There are a few distinct features that define the difference between a family car and a sedan. Firstly a family car can have a hatch that allows the rear windscreen to rise as part of the boot lid. This can give you more room to get things into the boot than a sedan does. Strollers, bikes, sporting equipment and so forth can be easier to stow.
Hatches are the norm for a lot of station wagons, hatchback cars and SUVs (sport utility vehicle). Hatches are sometimes also known as three- or five-door cars.
Family cars are also cars that have four doors – always. While most sedans have four doors, a family friendly car allows easy access to the back seat to allow for strapping kids in, storing shopping and so forth.
Some sedans may not be designed for easy access in the same was a large family car may be.
Speaking of the back seat, family cars are usually designed so that either adults or children fit comfortably. Child seats will fit easily in the back as well as in the front seat and access, though it may be awkward on smaller models, should allow car seats and babies to be moved in and out of the back seat smoothly and without too much back strain (or bumped heads) for parents.
Both seadans and family cars have a roof that is closed, as opposed to a convertible. A sedan is defined as a car with a closed roof, while a family car has to have four doors which convertibles cannot.
Family cars can also be SUVs. SUVs have the luxury of extra ground clearance as well as more space on the inside for kids, shopping and all those other things you need to carry with you for a family trip. They also offer four-wheel drive for those times when bad weather or bad roads are a consideration.
Recently there has been a tendency for families to buy SUVs as family cars, rather than the more traditional sedans or station wagons. This is because they are inaccurately perceived as both safer and more comfortable than the traditional body styles.
In actual fact urban 4WD vehicles can be dangerous to small children and there are many sad stories in the news about toddlers and primary school-aged children being crushed under their parent’s car when reversing. Modern SUV’s often now include reversing cameras and “beep” signalling to help make the driver aware of objects close and low to the car that they may not be able to see clearly.
The key features of a family car, then, are the size of the vehicle and having four or more doors. These features can come with a number of different body styles, including, but not always, a sedan. The sedan is a car with two or four doors but seating for four passengers and a boot that opens under the rear windscreen.
Some family cars have additional, purpose built features such as rear seat DVD players, cup holders, garbage recesses and the like, all of which can make travelling with children and teenagers easier.
About the Author
Freelance writer Hugh McInnes is a passionate lover of cars and keeps an eye on trends and innovations in the car industry. Currently family cars are a big focus with manufacturers and car dealers
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