Question: I’m looking at new cars and I love the idea of an electric vehicle. But my car needs to work well as a family car. Is Tesla a good family car?
Answer: That’s exciting to hear that you’re thinking of going electric. Tesla is the best known and top selling electric car in the US for a good reason. It’s an awesome car.
There are four different Tesla models available for sale, and they all make a good family car, in our opinion. Here’s why.
Tesla cars have amazing crash test ratings, which is an important consideration when you are driving around with your family. The Model 3, which is the lowest priced Tesla model, was the top safety pick of all cars by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for the 2019 model. But all of the other models also have 5 star ratings too. So whichever model you are considering, you can be assured that you are picking a safe car.
The high tech features of Tesla cars help prevent crashes in the first place. Maybe you’ve read about people crashing when they improperly use the autopilot Tesla settings. Well, you have to use it responsibly just like traditional cruise control. It is a driver assist feature and not a driver replacement! When used properly, it is dramatically safer and can help you avoid ending up in a rear end collision when cars stop in front of you suddenly.
Even if you aren’t using Autopilot, Tesla cars have cameras in front, in back and on the sides of the cars, as well as other sensors. These cameras and sensors help you avoid changing lanes into another vehicle because you can more easily see on the dash if there are cars near you in other lanes. You’ll get a warning if you’re coming up on an object that you might run into.
The four Tesla models, the Model S luxury sedan, the Model X luxury SUV, the Model 3 mainstream sedan and the Model Y mainstream SUV all have very comfortable seats with plenty of legroom in front and back. Since the Tesla is electric, it does not have a traditional transmission like a gasoline car. That means no giant hump in the middle of the back seat and lots more room for the middle passenger in the back.
Your family will also enjoy all the cool entertainment features like the ability to watch Netflix or play games on the big screen of the car while it is parked. (Those things don’t work when you’re driving, of course!)
Teslas are reliable. Electric vehicles have fewer parts than gasoline powered cars. Electric motors are extremely reliable and efficient, with no moving parts. You also don’t have to worry about oil changes, because electric motors don’t need them. Learn more about the reliability at Car and Driver and Consumer Reports.
You can charge your car at home overnight, so that you always have a full charge and are ready to take a long trip. It’s very convenient to skip all the time you’d otherwise spend at gas stations each week filling up.