Comfort plays a key role in any car, and it goes double for a family car. After all, if you, your spouse and your kids aren't comfortable, it's going to be a long, long drive to Grandma's, no matter how nifty the features may be.

Virtually every car on our lot boasts very good crash test scores. More importantly, active safety systems are becoming commonplace on more and more vehicles, and at more reasonable prices. That means things like collision and blind-spot alerts, backup cameras, lane-keeping assists, and other computerized systems are an important consideration. In fact, it's gotten to the point where if features like backup cameras and blind-spot alerts aren't standard, we're a little surprised.

While not every family needs to carry baby seats everywhere, how well they fit is an important consideration for many buyers. After all, they're mandatory for smaller kids, and frankly, what kind of parent wouldn't use one anyhow, regardless of the law?

Rear-Seat Entertainment is an interesting category, as some on staff think that stand-alone rear-seat entertainment systems will soon go by the wayside as more cars adopt 4G LTE and wireless hotspot options. Still, there's something to be said for plugging in your family's Wii on a long road trip, and the inclusion of a built-in rear-seat screen is still an advantage.

Choosing a vehicle is a personal choice but be sure to bring your family along to the dealership for insights and opinions. You'll want them to try out the car in which they'll spend hours over the next few years. Maybe it's the one that will become their first car. :)