Opinion: I’m a mum and these are the family car features you ACTUALLY need

Becoming a parent is unbelievably overwhelming – the emotions, the highs and lows, the awe-inspiring sense of wonder and earth-shattering sense of responsibility. And that's before you even consider all the equipment you need.

As any new parent will know, everyone is trying to sell you something for 'the sake of your child', but some 'essentials' are more essential than others.

RELATED: Every car available with seven seats in Australia
RELATED: The real reason for those 'baby on board' signs

Unfortunately, in your exhausted, distracted state, it's easy to be tricked into thinking you need things you don't.

If you're in the fortunate position to be shopping for a new family car, you'll likely be feeling confused as you read over model brochures and specification sheets, wondering whether going without dual-zone climate control makes you a bad parent.

I know, because three years ago I was in the same position. Since then, I've learned a lot of kid-specific car knowledge I wish I knew earlier.

I was told leather seats are easier to clean – but my car's fabric seats have proven perfectly fine. I was told I needed to pay a professional to fit my child's car seat – but with a bit of research, I've figured out how to do it myself in a matter of minutes.

I was also told to "sleep when the baby sleeps", but I won't go into how I feel about that particular piece of advice.

To help other parents wading through jargon and 'must-have' lists, I thought I'd spell out the new-car features I have found properly useful so far.

These are things over and above the obvious features like car seats, airbags and autonomous emergency braking – all of which are definitely important.

Of course, everyone is different, so take whatever you like from my advice and ignore the rest. You've got this.

Nothing can prepare you for the panic you'll feel when the sun's glare hits your precious child's face and they scream like they've just been plunged into the fires of Hell.

Car sun blinds are an essential in Australian summers – but it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. I'm a fan of these cheap and cheerful Maxi Cosi ones because they stretch big enough to cover the windows on a large SUV, but I've also heard good things about the custom-sized blinds from Snap Shades – they're just fairly pricey.

Keep in mind you'll want to get some that allow you to raise and lower the windows if needed.

Helpfully, plenty of car brands are now selling models already equipped with inbuilt sun shades – although they tend to be found on higher model grades.

Cars that offer inbuilt sun blinds in the back seat include: the Nissan X-Trail, Skoda Kodiaq, Mazda CX-9 and Toyota Kluger, to name a few.

Picture this: your child is finally asleep, blissfully unaware of the horrors of the world. But alas, your fuel light is on and you're running out of petrol.

Once you've filled up, you can't leave your little one in the car while you go to pay, so you have to wake them up and carry them into the fluorescent lights of the petrol station. A rude awakening.

Rather than having to go through the rigmarole of taking them in and out of the car seat, invest in a petrol app that allows you to make a contactless payment from the comfort of your car. Ampol has one, BP has one and Shell has one as well. You're welcome.

No one warns you that for the first year (or more) of your child's life, they'll be rear-facing in their child seat or capsule. As a result, you can't see them from the driver's seat, which is incredibly unnerving.

On long drives, you'll want to be able to see whether they're awake, asleep, tired, hungry or upset without pulling over.

Thankfully, baby stores sell mirrors you can fix to the back of the front-row headrests so you can keep eyes on your child and the road.

This is what they look like. If money is tight, you can also make your own version using a shaving or cosmetic mirror and some tape, ribbons or ratchet straps.

If you have a child, you're likely spend 80 per cent of your life worrying about the temperature. Living in Australia, where the summers can be scorching and the winters can be brutal, you're constantly fretting that your child is too hot or too cold.

This temperature anxiety extends to the car, where kids can often be found sweating or shivering.

Given little ones are often facing towards the rear of the car, good air circulation can be hard to achieve. If you're buying a three-row car, I'd suggest checking there are some roof-mounted and/or side-mounted, air vents for third-row occupants so they don't overheat.

If you're buying a two-row car, ensure the climate control is effective enough to quickly heat or cool your car on extreme days and keep your little one comfortable. Vents located on the roof or side pillars of the car tend to make this easier and faster to achieve.

Bonus points if your car be heated or cooled remotely via app connectivity. This means you can start the climate-control system up from inside the house, then bundle your kids straight from the living room into a lovely warm – or cool – vehicle.

Car brands that offer remote climate control functionality via an app include Ford, Volvo, Tesla, BMW and Kia.

I'm a staunch minimalist – but when I had my son, this flew out the window. Particularly when it came to my car.

I had grand plans to keep my mum kit streamlined, but before I knew it I was ferrying around a portable cot, pram, picnic blanket, nappy bag, supermarket shopping bags and change mat at all times.

Prams these days aren't small, so you'd be hard-pressed to fit the whole thing into the boot of a sedan or small hatch.

I also found myself using my car's boot as a changing station when my son had a nappy incident while out and about.

You can certainly parent successfully without a big boot, but it will make your life just that little bit harder.

If you don't have room for a large car, don't fret – there are actually plenty of small SUVs with big boots available (see them all here), plus wagons and hatchbacks with the ability to easily and quickly fold the rear seats will also offer plenty of cargo space.

No matter how vigilant you are, it's likely your child will at some point figure out how to lock themselves in the car with the keys.

That's why it pays to have a second set of keys stored in your house, handbag, or with a trusted family member who can rush to the scene.

You may never need to use them, but the peace of mind is priceless.

For more tips on what to do if your kid locks themselves in the car, head here.

To my earlier point, even if you don't currently use your car's map pockets, drink bottle holders, cupholders and storage trays – you soon will.

Make sure your car has plenty of places to store things like snacks, baby wipes, drink bottles and nappies.

This might sound really obvious, but if you're new to parent life, it's not necessarily assumed knowledge.

While having ISOFIX in your car is helpful, it's not essential. If you need to fit one or more child seats, you'll need to make sure you're using your car's 'top-tether anchorage points'. You can see a photo of what they look like below.

Under the Australian Design Rules, passenger vehicles are required to have top-tether anchorage points fitted to three rear seating positions.

However, ADRs do not require light commercial vehicles like dual-cab utes to fit top-tether anchorage points – although many manufacturers of popular dual-cab ute models are choosing to at least provide two top-tether anchorage points in the second row.

Even in older cars or commercial vehicles without a top-tether, Australian law requires one to be retrofitted when a child seat is being used.

Whether you install your child's car seat using ISOFIX points or the seatbelt, you'll need to secure the top strap to the top-tether point.

"In terms of the anchor points and tether straps, we see a huge range of misuse," Christine Erskine, Executive Officer at KidSafe NSW, told Drive.

"People don’t attach the top-tether strap to the anchor, or they will attach it to a cargo clip [in the boot] rather than the anchor clip."

Kathy Taylor, child car restraint manager at KidSafe Victoria, added that, in her experience, top-tether straps are often "not used at all".

Then there are the features that won't necessarily change your life, but could certainly prove useful if you can afford them.

Wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto: When you're carrying a million different things, finding your phone and a corresponding USB cable in your bag can feel impossible. I love wireless CarPlay because it means I can lose my phone in my handbag and still access music, maps and phone contacts through my car's infotainment screen without having to dig it out.

An aftermarket phone or tablet holder: On long car trips, your kids will likely want to watch TV or movies on your smartphone or tablet. To avoid giving them access to your phone (where they might accidentally call your boss), attach an aftermarket phone or tablet holder to the back of the front seats so it's like a mini cinema for your kids. Skoda sells one as part of its genuine accessories, but you can find them on Amazon, Kogan and even Kmart.

Keyless entry: If your car key is buried at the bottom of a nappy bag, keyless entry means you can still lock and unlock your car. Genius.

Wide-opening doors: If you're regularly taking small children in and out of child seats, you'll likely crave better ingress or egress to your car's back seat. The doors on the Nissan X-Trail and Nissan Qashqai open up to almost 90 degrees, providing plenty of space for you to load and unload your family without obstructions.

Mutable or customisable engine noises: A loud exhaust note isn't exactly your best friend during nap time. Cars like the Skoda Kodiaq RS offer the ability to turn engine noises on or off, while electric cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N allow you to customise your car's sound effects. Clever!

Tilt and slide seats: If you're buying a three-row car, having easy access to the third row is paramount. Cars like the Hyundai Santa Fe allow you to tilt the middle row forward, rather than folding it, so you can still access the third row while keeping your child seat installed.