Whether it is automatically deposited into your account or arrives in the mail, most people eagerly welcome their income tax refund. A tax refund can be put away into a “rainy day” savings account or used to pay down debt. Another use for those refund dollars is improving some aspect of your family’s life. Items such as home repairs, wardrobe upgrades, and remodeling the backyard playground fall into this category. No matter what you hope to accomplish with your tax refund, it is most likely destined to help your family get ahead.

Using your tax refund to help fund the purchase of a new family vehicle shows where your priorities lie. In other words, your family ranks first. Whether you want a wagon, SUV, or a minivan, an excellent vehicle is a must. After all, your family needs comfortable, reliable transportation to everyday errands and extraordinary vacations.

The 2019 Honda Passport Is Your Ticket to Family-Friendly Travels

When you have a family, safety is your priority, and the 2019 Honda Passport delivers. This vehicle has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It ranked high in crashworthiness as well as crash avoidance.

In the event of a crash, you need to be well-protected. The Passport provides this protection through a high-strength steel cage. It also cushions everyone in the car with front and rear head curtain and side airbags with an additional set of dual airbags for the driver and front passenger.

The Passport’s driver-assist innovations are practical ways to help avoid a collision in the first place. The lane departure warning and Blind Spot Information System can keep you from crashing into another vehicle or pedestrian. The backup camera can safely help you or your teenage driver make it out of a crowded parking lot.

Who said safe needs to be dull? This vehicle is far from it. The 2019 Passport has an interior spacious enough for anything you need, complete with comfortable and easy to care for upholstery. Perhaps the most impressive achievement of Honda’s design team is the moonroof. It’s ready to impress passersby with its style and impress your family with on-demand views of the stars.

Invest that tax refund in a top family-friendly vehicle
Feel Good in a 2017 Nissan Rogue

If the Passport looks good to you but you would choose comfort over style any day, then the 2017 Nissan Rogue is an SUV you’ll want to consider. This small SUV is a good choice for those with a few children or those without children. Either way, you’ll enjoy the many amenities this vehicle has to offer.

The Rogue is a comfortable vehicle to drive. Thanks to features such as Hill Start Assist and power steering, basic driving maneuvers are not physically taxing. Cruise control with full speed range and hold offers welcome relief to vacationing drivers on seemingly endless miles of highway. This car is so pleasant to drive that Consumer Reports claimed it should be renamed “Mr. Congeniality.”

Quick Comfort heated front seats and a heated steering wheel can keep you nice and toasty in the winter. A memory seat and memory outside mirrors coupled with power windows ensure that your vehicle is the way you want it when you first get into it. A motion-activated liftgate will impress your friends and give you hands-free convenience as you bring home the groceries.

Invest that tax refund in a top family-friendly vehicle
Enjoy Versatility in a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Versatility is a trait that is very welcome in the car world, and the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has it in spades. If you’ve driven a larger vehicle, you know a little about removing and replacing seats. With the Pacifica’s Stow ‘n Go system, all you need to do is slide the front seats forward to reveal convenient in-floor storage bins for your stuff so the children don’t feel squeezed out by cargo. If you’re hauling a large amount of cargo home, you can even use the bins to store the second-row seats themselves.

Complaints about too much hot sun will dramatically go down due to the second and third-row window shades. When summer is long gone and the cold winter winds blow, your second-row passengers will feel warm on their heated seats. The LATCH Ready Child Seat Anchor System will give your youngest passengers a snuggly place for an afternoon nap and you some peace of mind over their safety.

On long stretches of road, bickering and boredom can quickly set in. Thanks to the Pacifica’s Uconnect 5.0 infotainment system, you can quickly and easily provide entertainment for your children through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. You can also control the audio system from the steering wheel to prevent unexpected and potentially dangerous blasts of sound.

Invest that tax refund in a top family-friendly vehicle
Get the Best in a 2016 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen

If you’re after a station wagon, then you should go for the 2016 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen. It was named one of the Editor’s Choice station wagons by Car and Driver. This sporty wagon has excellent features in several categories.

The exterior features a sculpted hood and a fun rear spoiler. Classic black roof rails complement the shape of the sleek spoiler quite well. The SportWagen is also equipped with halogen lights that have a daytime running option.

Once you open the door, the interior is equally as beautiful. Cloth seats provide an upscale backdrop for a comfortable vehicle. The driver’s seat features an adjustable lumbar support and ergonomically positioned controls. All passengers ride in comfort thanks to the four-wheel independent suspension that keeps the wheels in contact with the ground for a smooth ride.

This car is also easy to drive. Servotronic electromechanical power steering combined with electronic stability control ensures the Golf SportWagen goes where you want it to go. Cruise control provides extra support on long stretches of roadway.

Safety, of course, was a critical priority for the designers of this vehicle. A tire pressure monitoring system reports information about tire pressure and gives you an early warning of any pressure issues. An Intelligent Crash Response system automatically performs useful tasks following a collision, such as unlocking doors, alerting emergency personnel, and stopping the engine.

Invest in Your Family

No matter what vehicle you’re considering, please take some time to read the reviews available online. One of the advantages of shopping for a used vehicle is that other families have driven these models for a few years and have gained valuable knowledge about them. You’ll be able to see how these cars functioned for other families, giving you the full picture of the vehicle you’re looking at.

A reputable dealer like Carvana will give you all of the information you need about the used car. This gives you peace of mind that the vehicle you’re looking at has been inspected and is up to standard.

Once you’ve completed your research, considered your options, and spoken to a reputable used vehicle dealer, you have the best chance of putting your income tax refund to excellent use.