I’ve wanted to be a motoring journalist since I was in high school, back when it was all about Top Gear and fast cars.

But when a family was coming over the nearest hill, and it was immediately apparent I needed to buy my own family car, I realised how unhelpful the current field of motoring publications are when it was my money on the line.

My wife and I aren’t on easy street, but we're savvy, thrifty and live well within our means. So, to throw money at a car that might not live up to expectations was a real concern.

It had me wondering how the rest of the family car buying public could possibly wade through the countless hours of mostly vague or irrelevant or time wasting reviews out there. That was certainly the issue I found with trying to learn how a new car would work in the context of kids. There was so little meaningful content out there, I decided to change that for the sake of other parents and families.

I didn’t have time to watch endless formulaic car reviews just to get to the end and have learned nothing that I needed to know. And I already had a job working from home, which meant no sitting in traffic to and from work. I didn’t work nightshift, I wasn’t a low income earner and I didn’t have three kids needing school drop-offs or doctor appointments or whatever. So, I had the time to research, but bloody hell, it's tedious. And clearly a large number of mums and dads out there in the real world, with lives immeasurable harder than mine, would not have the same time on their hands, nor the expertise I’m fortunate enough to have when it comes to knowing about cars.

Going back to a journalist's first principles, I could see the audience was not being listened to or having their questions answered properly.

You need to know about how child restraints will work, how the boot will function and carry - or not carry - all the stuff you need to take. You need to know whether the top tether points are hard to reach, or if the cup holders or the tailgate are badly designed, or if the air-conditioning vents are poorly placed.

And this isn’t designed to hate on other media outlets and their respective publications. They do a good job giving you a once-over, general look at a car; that’s fine. But typically, they don’t know the first thing about how a new car will fit into your life. They talk too much about styling, they quote the volume capacity of the boot (useless information to you), and they give all of their opinions on how it drives without giving you the context on how that vehicle will or won’t work for you. None of them actually fits a child restraint and reports on that process.

They don’t criticise test cars enough, which is important because if you do buy that car, you want to know what compromises you’re making. Buying the top-spec model isn’t always the best option because you’ll spend more but not necessarily use what you’re paying for. Or, you’ll get features that make life harder - like buttons where there should be levers, extras which might be vulnerable to kids, or sexy white leather which will be destroyed before they start school.

This process is a bit like raising kids. You have to anticipate what you need, and let go of things you perhaps want, but can’t afford or don’t have time for. And you have to watch them every second to make sure they don’t get into trouble. It’s this train of thought which helps me provide you with the observable, and less observable, information that will help you make an informed, logical choice when buying your next new car. The other don’t do this. And nor do they disclose how long they even had the car for.

It’s purely my observation and drive (sorry) behind starting Best Family Cars. I could see parents buying expensive new vehicles with money they’ve earned by stitching people up, or lifting really heavy things, applying themselves generally and working their arses off - but doing so without the full gambit of ‘living with’ information I knew I could provide as I started my journey as a dad.

Best Family Cars is a resource for real families, mums and dads, parents of one or triplets, grandparents and grandkids, sons and daughters. If you have a burning question, or twelve, about a specific car, or you need desperate help working through a shortlist - I'm here to help.

You can email me with questions, ask me anything, free of stigma or prejudice. I’ll test drive a new car on your behalf because you just don’t have a Saturday spare to hop from dealership to dealership. And it's completely free.

And I can help you get a discount on whichever new car you decide to settle on. Every little bit helps, right? Might as well keep it in your pocket.

Let me help you find your next new family car by emailing me via the little red box.

All the best,

Scott Murray