Articles by Emily Agar

Lexus has launched the GX 550, which is now in its third generation and showcases a brutish new design that looks capable and handsome but will it suit family life?

Someone hit my parked car and left Australia

When can kids sit in front seat?Ah, well the not-so-simple answer is that it depends on how many rows of seating your vehicle has, how many children are travelling with you and how old the children are. Oh, and it varies state by state.Confused? You’re not alone! In fact, there was a Bluey episode (Season 3, ep 49 if you’re interested) where they come across this very dilemma.What is the legal age to sit in the front seat in Australia? It’s a question all parents will eventually ask but the answer isn’t a simple one.In NSW, if a child is aged under four years old, they must not sit in the front seat of a vehicle that has two or more rows of seats. They can sit in the front seat of a vehicle with only one row of seats, like a single cab ute, but must use an approved forward facing child car seat suitable for their age and size.Children aged between four and seven years old must not sit in the front seat of a vehicle that has two or more rows of seats, unless the available seats in the back row are occupied by other children aged under seven years old. They must use an approved child car seat suitable for their age and size.However, since most front seats in Australian vehicles do not have a top-tether anchor point, the booster seat must weigh under 2.0kg. That means it doesn’t have to be anchored via a top-tether, just a three-point lap-sash belt.No rearward facing child seat can be installed in the front seat of a vehicle due to the passenger airbags.The laws change under certain circumstances. For example, if your vehicle is involved in a crash or breakdown, a child aged under 12 months can travel in a tow truck without a suitable child restraint.If a suitable child car seat is not available, they can sit on the lap of another passenger. If the tow truck has two or more rows of seats, they must sit in the back seat. You can find all of the child seat rules here for NSW.Rules are similar across the other states with a few minor variations. Seven years old seems to be the age benchmark but I’ve outlined the rules below.In QLD, where children under four must not sit in the front seat of a vehicle where there is more than one row of seating. Children aged between four to six years old can only sit in the front seat if all other seats are occupied by children under seven years old.However, children seven years and over can sit in the front seat.With vehicles that only have one row of seats, children of any age can sit in the front seat as long as they are properly restrained. If a car has a passenger airbag, a rear-facing child restraint shouldn't be used in the front seat.In Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia, a child can sit in the front seat when they are seven years old or older according to Transport Tasmania. However, it's recommended children under 12 be in the back seat for safety reasons, even if they are over seven years old.In the Northern Territory, a child can legally sit in the front seat at the age of seven years and over. Children aged four and seven years old can only sit in the front seat if all other rear seats are occupied by children under seven. Children under four must not sit in the front seat of a vehicle with two or more rows.In Victoria, children under the age of four years must only travel in the back seat of a vehicle. Children aged four years old to under seven years old can only sit in the front seat if all of the back seats are taken by other passengers under seven years old. The child must travel in a booster seat without a top tether strap, because there will be no anchorage points for the front seat.Children aged seven years and over can travel in the front seat. However, research shows children under 12 years are much safer travelling in the back seat.Did you know that road crashes are the major cause of accidental death for children aged under 15 in Australia?According to the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), a child’s risk of serious injury in a car crash is much higher if they are unrestrained in the car (not in a car seat, booster seat or adult lap-sash seat belt), not restrained correctly (in a car or booster seat not suitable for their size) and travelling in the front seat of the car. The latter doubles their risk of serious injury or death.Despite most road laws being aged based, medical and road safety experts recommend children remain sitting in the back seat until they are at least 12. The injury risk to children under 12 is nearly double in the front seat compared to the back seat, regardless of the type of child car seat.Dangers for children sitting in the front seat include powerful airbags and poorly adjusted seatbelts that are too big for a small child.Children can sustain injuries from adult seatbelts that do not fit them correctly.It’s recommended that a child not move out of a child seat restraint until they are 145cm and above in height.In NSW, you can expect a fine of $353 and three demerit points if you don’t follow the correct child restraint/seating laws.In QLD, a fine of $1161 and four demerit points apply. In Tasmania, a fine of $350 and three demerit points apply.In the NT, a $480 fine and a $20 Victims of Crime levy applies, as well as three demerit points per child not properly restrained.In SA and Vic, a $407.25 fine applies, as well as, three demerit points.In WA, a fine of $600 and four demerit points apply.For children up to three years old, a rearward facing child seat is recommended. We used the below model when my son was little.A harnessed booster seat like those below is recommended from the ages of 12 months to eight years old. The seat below is the model I currently use for my son.A booster seat that uses a harness (safest) or the adult lap sash belt as per below are recommended until the child reaches 145cm or above but many parents choose the legal ‘age-based’ rule instead. The model below is what we chose for my mother's car.The general rule of thumb Australia-wide is once they hit their seventh birthday, but most states recommend they be 145cm or taller before they move out of a child restraint as this height positions them, and the seatbelt, in the correct safety position.A fact that my eight-year old is appalled by because he, like most seven-year-olds, hasn’t hit that height benchmark! And most kids don’t until they’re around 11-years old. So, my son will just have to wait until he is tall enough. He makes me measure him every other week, poor bloke.

The Audi Q8 60 TFSIe quattro S line has had a mid-life upgrade which sees tweaks to its design, technology and features. But do those upgrades make this large plug-in hybrid SUV one to look out for?

Audi have launched the performance grade for the Q6 SUV line - the SQ6 e-tron. Is this the taste-test for what to expect from their high-performance RS that Audi has teased for the future? Only time will tell.

The Qashqai has had a mid-life facelift which includes a reshuffled line-up and a new flagship hybrid variant, but is it a winning combination?

So, you’re heading on a road trip! What fun, but also… kind of a headache if you don’t have the right vehicle.

The popular Kia Cerato, also known as the K3 in overseas markets, has been replaced by a new small sedan - the K4. It brings a sharper and far sportier look to the segment and with a hatchback sibling arriving later in the year, will it prove to be as popular as the model it replaces?

What is a sedan vs SUVAn SUV or Sport Utility Vehicle is used to describe cars that have a higher ground clearance than their sedan cousins, can tackle a fire trail or more if it has AWD/4x4 capabilities and combines the space inside for more than three passengers. So, not a ute, even though these sometimes have 4x4 capability.A sedan or saloon, is a passenger vehicle that seats up to five people and features a long and enclosed boot that generally can’t be accessed easily from inside the cabin. The ground clearance is typically low (around 140mm) and it’s easy to spot their elongated shapes compared to hatchbacks or coupes.The popularity of the humble family sedan has fallen with the rise of the SUV but we’re going to see if there is a clear winner when it comes to on-road handling, comfort and practicality.The biggest advantage with an SUV is that more often than not they’re AWDs or 4X4s and can simply go places where a sedan can’t. SUVs also have more towing power. You typically can’t tow a big caravan with a sedan.However, the sleeker aerodynamics and lower ground clearances of a sedan often mean better fuel efficiency overall, especially if you opt for a hybrid model like the Hyundai i30 or Toyota Camry (3.9 – 4.0L/100km, respectively). With a hybrid powertrain you’re looking at less time at the bowser and a long driving range as well.It's harder for a large or upper-large SUV to be super sufficient and green-energy enthusiasts will balk at the V8 petrol engine found in the Nissan Patrol.While turbo-diesel models like the Toyota Prado offer better efficiency and driving range relative to their high-powered petrol cousins, they're still far off the efficiency of a hybrid sedan.The benefit of driving a sedan is its lower centre of gravity. Why? Because you get a more dynamic on-road experience compared to an SUV. There’s less roll in corners and more sure-footedness in winding roads when you’re taking them at speed.The benefit of an SUV's size means that its easy to see the road ahead and around you from your taller driving position. This comes in handy when you’re travelling at awkward times, like dawn or dusk and the light is poor quality. Being able to confidently see around you is a big advantage in this situation.Yes, this does mean there’s often more roll in cornering and you can feel like you’re driving a big lumbering bruiser (especially in some 4x4 models) when tackling hills but good visibility is a great advantage.Boot capacity. This one depends greatly on the SUV size as compact/small SUVs can have less boot capacity then mid-size to large sedans. Once you hit the mid-size SUV, where boot capacities sit above 550L, boot storage is far superior in an SUV for both capacity and access.In an SUV you have the height of the vehicle itself for the boot, rather than to the top of a boot lid like a sedan. SUV boot apertures tend to be wider and squarer as well, which makes it easier to slide large gear in and out.Individual storage. Most vehicles have a glove box and middle console. But’s it’s the other little cubbies which contribute to a cabin’s practicality. Especially, when you have kids around with all of the stuff they tend to attract.At the very least, every row of a sedan and SUV gets at least two drink holders though it’s often more. Some large SUVS, like the new Hyundai Santa Fe, have six cupholders in the middle row alone! SUVs are larger in size and that means you're able to stuff it full with more items.SUV vs sedan size - passengers. You can’t get a third row in a family sedan and that means you’re limited to a maximum of five occupants. In an SUV you can travel with up to eight occupants and while that will limit the boot capacity in an SUV, SUVs can tow a trailer for additional storage. Not having to take two cars to a destination cuts down fuel costs and overall wear and tear on your vehicle(s).The larger size of an SUV makes them a firm favourite with families, large or small. The option to go for a larger SUV that has a third row means you can accommodate your mini soccer team or simply have more boot space for your family of five when you visit Grandma at Christmas.Kid-friendly. Most of the time my kid favours the weeks I drive an SUV for two simple reasons.The first is his view. The window sills tend to be lower and the windows themselves larger, which means he gets to see everything he wants to see. Perfect for when you’re entertaining them with an I Spy-type game.The second reason is an SUV tends to feel more spacious for him with legroom and less like he is getting crammed behind the front passenger seat.When it comes to sedan vs SUV on-road comfort levels, an SUV often nudges out its smaller cousin. If you’re a family, not having kids and/or pets sitting on top of one another will minimise a lot of backseat squabbles (and parent headaches). Having the space to pop most of your gear in the boot, rather than footwells, also levels up the comfort.In terms of whether or not you’ll enjoy driving a sedan vs SUV for a long drive is entirely up to the vehicle you’re driving. There have been some sedans which leave SUVs in their dust when it comes to the driving pleasure (I’m looking at you Porsche Panamera) and there are some SUVs which absorb every bump in the road and you’re butt doesn’t get tired in the massaging wide seats (here’s to you Audi SQ7). This one is 100 per cent subjective.Not necessarily but an SUV's bulk affords it the most basic of protections against even the best sedan and that’s simply that there’s more of it.The most important takeaway when it comes to safety is to look at its ANCAP safety score, if it has one, and the safety equipment that comes with the variant you’re looking at. It's essential that an SUV offering a third row has curtain airbags that extend across all three rows.Not all maximum five-star scores are the same either. Look at the individual assessment scores and read the ANCAP report. When a vehicle received its ANCAP score is important, too, as each new year tends to bring new safety protocols.If you ever want to feel humbled, check out the crash-test dummy videos of the car itself but remember, no car is 100 per cent safe.So, do you go for a sedan or SUV? It depends on the size of the travelling troupe and age! For my family of three, a sedan is more than adequate for the daily drive and the odd road trip. For my parent's demographic, a sedan can be harsh on joints and access, so they've recently opted for SUVs.However, while I have a big soft spot for sedans… SUVs offer more options and practicality overall, especially for families or those who like to adventure!

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