The top must-have features your next family car should have: How built-in sun shades and plenty of charging ports are a must for families | Opinion

Every family will have different requirements on what is considered a 'must-have' feature. For my family of three, lots of seats aren't a requirement but a comfortable ride is because we do so many road trips.

When it comes to the top five must-have family features I'm always drawn to the features that make my daily commute as a parent easier.

First cab off the rank are retractable sun blinds in the second and or third rows. These are ridiculously handy for all passengers but for kidlets, they're a must have.

They make the rear cabin darker, which encourages little ones to nod off (or stay) asleep. They extend the patience of kids, which means there can be longer spaces between stops because they're not hot and irritated. They also protect passengers from the sun, which is paramount in a country like Australia.

The second feature is climate control in the rear but one that is accessible from the front — bonus points if the rear has directional air vents positioned on the B-pillar and or ceiling (these are the most effective).

Being able to adjust the temperature for the rear without having to awkwardly reach behind the middle console to fiddle with settings you can't see or worse, having to pull over and stop the car, is so practical. Nothing wakes a kid up faster than a stopped vehicle! Also, if your kid is in a child seat, they won't be able to reach the climate control panel as well, so you'll get a good seven-years worth of use out of this feature.

The third is the right upholstery and what I mean by that is non-fabric upholstery. Synthetic leather/ leather upholstery is easier to keep clean and maintain. There's no way to sugarcoat it, kids are messy.

Yes, you can get seat covers but if you throw them in the wash and decide to risk not putting them back on - you WILL get a poonami (for those not in the know, this is a poo explosion from a nappy). I may or may not be speaking from experience. Learn from my mistakes.

The fourth feature is having charging options in the second and third rows (if you have one). Preferably two USB ports per row and a 12-volt socket is always handy. On a long trip, there are only so many I Spy games you can play (or 'are we there yets' you can hear) before a trusty device or DVD player comes out to play a nice and quiet show.

The last feature on the list, a handsfree powered tailgate, always felt a little gimmicky to me before I had a child, but it is definitely a must-have feature now. Life is also made a lot easier if it has a proximity function; where if you approach the boot with the key fob on your person, the boot will automatically open for you.

Why is it handy? Having to juggle holding keys, a pram, shopping bags, little hands and then trying to open the boot is stressful on a good day. Being able to easily open the largest storage area of the car and quickly deposit all the gear you have can take the sting out of a brewing child tantrum or grizzly baby.

By no means is the above list exhaustive but the features have certainly made my family life a little more peaceful.