Collaborative Post¦ When you have children, we all know that our priorities shift. No longer are we the most important things in our own lives, but these precious little people that we’ve brought into the world.

With this comes a lot of sacrifices, things like expensive clothing and that non-essential household item that you convince yourself that you need, but don’t really, are out, and in are more practical purchases like a good vacuum cleaner (you’ll definitely need one).

Another thing that’ll need to change is the car you drive. Gone are the days of two-seaters and cars purchased on how fast they go, or what they look like. Now, you need one that’s spacious, practical, has good mileage and space to fit a pram and a car seat.

However, you don’t want to spend too much, as this would render it impractical. With so many used cars sold in the UK, here are what we’d consider to be the top three used cars for families.

Vauxhall Astra

This is an excellent car that’s sure to keep your whole family happy. Yes, Vauxhall’s family-centric hatchback is well-built, economical and most importantly – spacious.

Super comfortable and pretty easy to drive, these 1.0-litre engine vehicles are super reliable, and the power in them is equally as good, so you’re not sacrificing anything with one of these, just gaining space. The best bit is, because there’s quite a lot on the roads, you should be able to pick one up relatively cheap.

Ford Focus

A well-known and well-loved car across the nation, it’s no surprise that this pops up on the list.

With fantastic handling, these are also extremely economical and with various models on the road, you’ll be able to find one with an engine that suits your needs. Also, the Ford Focus has a great boot and back seat space, and was even named ‘What Car? Used Car of the Year’ in 2014.

Mazda 6 Tourer

If you’re looking for something that might as well have ‘family’ written across the windscreen, this is it. The boot on the car is huge, which is ideal for fitting prams of all sizes in, and also that all important bag filled everything from wet wipes to bottles and emergency plasters.

Good for fuel and a comfortable, smooth drive, it can hold its own on both bumps and potholes, helping to eliminate the risk of the kids waking up while they snooze in the back seat.

And there you have it, three amazing cars that will be perfect for you and your family, wherever it is you find yourselves driving.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.