FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2018 NISSAN NAVARA

The tray door of the Navara is very heavy, I had to use two arms to open and close it. It is at prime child head height and I am always worried about them falling down onto a child's head or a child walking into the corner of it when it is down.

The tray of the Navara will hold 24 shopping bags in total.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres ia not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

Accessing the tray actually isn't too difficult once the tray cover is removed. I could reach over the side to put the shopping bags in but couldn't quite reach the centre of the tray.

With the Mountain Buggy Duet twin stroller in the tray, I could get 14 shopping bags in around it using the whole tray. If we are only measuring the front reachable space then I could get the Mountain Buggy Duet with four shopping bags beside it.

The Britax Flexx tandem stroller fits with six bags in the reachable space, or 16 in the whole tray.

With the Britax Flexx stroller in the tray I could get eight shopping bags in the reachable space beside it and 18 in the whole tray.

The Britax Holiday compact stroller is so small you could just put it in the cab, in a footwell, or it will fit in the tray with the 24 bags.

Putting the strollers in and out of the tray I found okay with the Navara. The surface of the tray is grippy but smooth and the Flexx strollers just roll into the tray which is really useful! I have had other ute trays that have had rough grippy surfaces that have scratched the strollers putting them in and out.

You could easily get any size dogs in the tray of the Navara.

In the dual cab of the Nissan Navara there are two cup holders in the central console. They are large square shapes though which is a bit annoying. A 600ml water bottle just wobbles around in them, re-usable and disposable coffee cups rattle around noisily. My large refillable water bottle is the best fit, as wedged in it doesn't rattle about.

There is another cup holder at either end of the dashboard that pull out. I LOVE these cup holders! They keep the hot drinks out of reach of little hands coming through from the back AND you can cool hot drinks with the air vent above it AND you can reach them really easily when your hands are on the steering wheel!

The door bins have a large bottle holder at the front, which would hold my large refillable water bottle but anything smaller rattled about. Alongside that in the door bins my wallet fits really nicely and so would an iPad.

The glove box of the Navara is very small. Without the manual in there, I could get my wallet and iPad in but with a manual in there they wouldn't fit.

On top of the dashboard is a storage tray with a 12V socket in it, it's a nice idea but is not rubber lined and anything you put in there would scrape around on the surface and might make unnecessary noise. Also, anything you put in there will also get cooked by the sun and reflects in the windscreen, which affects your vision out of the front.

In front of the gear lever is a tray, which again is not rubber lined so again anything you put in there may scrape or slide around on the plastic. Next to it are the AUX and USB socket, so it is logically where you would store a phone. Also above that is another 12V socket.

On either side of the central console as you go into the footwell there is a small pocket for storing something. Maybe designed for radios?!

There are also little wells in the door handles too which are fab!

I find the door wells really handy for keys or little things my daughter has in her hands when I'm putting her in and out of the car.

One of the things I have noticed with the Navara are all the storage pockets and wells appear to not be lined in any way? So things will rattle and scrape around on the bare plastic as you drive around which I have found is dreadful for disturbing sleeping children!

The central console storage box is small, it is really only big enough for a couple of cans. There is a 12V socket in there and the lid is padded small so you can rest your elbow on it! It is more of a token effort than a very useful storage space.

Storage in the back seats of the Navara is quite limited. There are solid map pockets on both the seat backs that will hold and conceal an iPad.

The door bins are smaller the back; they will hold a 600ml bottle or a Pigeon baby bottle but they are too small for large refillable water bottles.

There are no cup holders in the back so it's a good job there are four in the front!! There is a lined glasses case in the ceiling in the front too.

The engine noise in the Navara is REALLY loud when you are accelerating, especially uphill! The road noise isn't too bad as you are just going along but the engine noise is.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The window mechanisms are pretty quiet in the Navara and only slightly noisy as they seal closed, but nothing too bad.

The doors on the other hand I found heavy and when you close them you need to give them a slam for them to close properly, which would obviously disturb a sleeping child!

With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!

The indicator noise is quite quiet, it has a nice gentle ticking sound that I don't think will disturb a sleeping child.

I could not find a way to turn down the sat-nav voice in the menu options or on the screen.

The seatbelt removal alarm is loud and will definitely alert you if a passenger takes their seatbelt off!

When you're reversing the camera comes on and the parking sensors. The sensors are loud, you can turn them off with a button on the dash but you can't mute them and keep the sensor visual.

In the digital display in front of the steering wheel, within the parking aids menu, you can turn the sensors on and off and change the volume of the parking sensors to low. I found this to be a much better volume for not disturbing passengers or frying my nerves!!

You can check your fuel tank's distance to empty in the digital display in front of the steering wheel too.

The distance to empty display becomes extra important as a mum because getting fuel with a baby is a whole new world of difficult. If they are screaming in the car you definitely do not want your journey prolonged with a fuel stop! If they are asleep the turning off of the engine, doors opening and locking and unlocking, then re-opening the doors and closing, starting the engine again, beepers going off because you haven’t got your seatbelt on when you start the car or because you blink in the wrong direction, do you take them out of the car when you go in to pay? If you do will you get them back in the seat again or will they have a complete meltdown and you’ll be stuck on the fuel station forecourt with a screaming baby!! Hopefully you are starting to gather the anxiety that what was once a simple fuel stop can be for a mum!!!!

For this reason the distance to empty display can let you know if you have enough fuel to make it home with bub and then go out and get fuel another time when you will not have to take bub with you.

I managed to fit two child seats in the back of the Navara and I found that installing the child seats wasn't the simplest thing!

There are no ISO Fix in the model I tested at all. (The latest Series 3 Navara does come with ISO Fix though).

For the top tethers, there are three woven loops behind the headrests, attached to the frame of the car. To fit a child seat into the outer seat position you pass the top tether under the headrest, through the loop behind the headrest and then across and connect it onto the loop behind the central seat headrest.

I was concerned with this method of top tethers because I found them really quite difficult to use. Getting the top tethers through the loops is not easy and connecting and disconnecting off the central loop is difficult too.

Also I was worried that over time the metal top tether clip against the woven loop will wear away at it, possibly causing fraying of the loop and how would you get another loop fitted?

Concerns have also been raised that having the two outer seat top tethers attached to that central loop in the event of an accident each seat will move differently pulling on that loop and could cause a kind of tug effect on the loop depending on which seat has more momentum.

I did raise my concerns with the salesmen and ask if the top tethers are tested to hold three child seats at the same time and they put the question to their Nissan contact but there was no real answer, I was just told there are three top tether loops. I also got no clear answer from a journalist asking someone high up in Nissan directly.

It isn't just me who questions the Navara top tethers. ACRI has asked for clarification on how many child seats are safe, also to no satisfactory answer from Nissan.

It may be that there are completely safe to install three child seats but some official clarification would be good.

With that aside and ignoring the politics, installing two child seats wasn't simple, I found I had to be inside the cab to reach around and do it all which was quite confined. Also, the logistics of getting a top tether clip through the webbing loops was very fiddly and difficult.

I fitted the Britax rear facing Unity infant capsule in one outer seat and the Britax Platinum Pro in the other outer seat rear facing. With two child seats installed there is room between for someone to sit and the seatbelt and buckle are both easily accessible.

There is not actually an enormous amount of room for posting Bub into their rear-facing child seat from outside the Navara. The rear side pillar comes quite forward, affecting the amount of room you have got.

It is actually much easier from inside when you have only one child seat installed because the pillar is not obstructing it and the ceiling is high.

Australia being a country of weather extremes- blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back too if you only have one child seat installed.

With rear facing child seats installed, there is plenty of room in front of them for the front passengers leg room. In the front passenger seat, there is more than 25cm of knee room even with a rear facing capsule behind!! That's AMAZING!!!!

The seats are black leather and would be wipe cleanable were they not all perforated! The perforations always make cleaning harder because the little holes trap crumbs and spills!

Legroom for the central seat is good as there is not a hump in the floor that you have to straddle, but there is not much room for your feet. The backrest is comfy as there are no fold- down armrest or cup holders.

For the first year of Tulsi's life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Tulsi so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The front seats of the Navara are really comfortable and are cooled and heated. The driver's seat has electric adjustment and the passenger manual. They are perforated and have quite a bit of stitching and piping detail which all make cleaning a little more difficult.

The steering wheel is only adjustable up/down not in/out which is a shame as there is so much legroom for taller passengers that they have to crane forward to reach the steering wheel.

The headrests in the front stick forward too far to allow for wearing a ponytail, where as in the back they are a different angle and do allow for ponytails!

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get it just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

There are two large horizontal air vents in the centre of the dashboard and a round one at either end. There are also vents in the back of the central console box for the rear passengers. I find this a good position for the rear vents as I can reach to adjust them while driving for little rear passengers.

The controls are in the central dash below the media screen and are simple to use. The airflow is plenty to cool the cab down.

The visibility is good in the Navara. The windows are really nice and deep and big, and even with rear facing child seats installed, I can still see well out of the rear side windows. The high riding position also helps in making visibility excellent.

The reversing camera definitely helps when parking because it is a really large vehicle and it's just great to have that extra vision down at child height at the back when manoeuvring.

I have realised I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

The rear side windows do actually slope up a little bit, so visibility for rear facing little passengers is not so good. Also, the rear windscreen is flat which I find is a problem for rear facing child seats as the sun just beats straight in, even when windows are tinted. Putting a shade up would affect the driver's ability to see out.

Forward facing rear passengers have great visibility out of the windows and the ceiling is nice and high so there's a very open feel to the cab.

The visors in the front are nice and deep and both have lit vanity mirrors in them.

The interior lights in the front are press on and the rear lights are in the ceiling above the front seats so the driver can control them whilst driving, which is fantastic!

I have found Tulsi does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINATELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a 5minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

There are handles above both back doors that are quite well positioned to hold a child's toy, though they could be a little further toward the seat backs to be perfectly positioned.

The doors and surfaces are all very wipe cleanable, durable plastic that does seem it would scratch easily especially in the lower interior door panels.

There are carpeted floor mats throughout the Navara, but I find rubber floor mats are the easiest with children as they are easily hosed down!

The Navara has keyless entry which is great too.

I LOVE keyless entry now I am a mum! When I go out to the car carrying my daughter, with my arms laden with everything I now appear to need even just to nip to the shops for some milk!! I can press a button on the door handle and they unlock as simple as that!

The Nissan Navara scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2015.

It got an overall score of 35.01 out of 37, getting 14.01 out of 16 for frontal offset test, 16 out of 16 for side impact and pedestrian protection was rated marginal.

The Navara come with seven airbags; dual frontal, side chest and head-protecting curtain airbags and driver knee airbag as standard.

As standard the Navara also comes with anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD), traction control system (TCS), brake assist (BA), vehicle dynamic control (VDC) with brake limited slip differential (BLSD) and advanced seat belt reminders are fitted to all seats as standard.