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Holden Crewman Cross8
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A four-door ute is a very useful vehicle

Growing up on a cattle farm in northern Victoria, the humble ute has always been close to my heart.

My city-dwelling husband has always toyed with the idea of getting me a ute as a runabout - the only problem was that we'd have to throw our two kids (aged 2 and 4) in the back tray.

When he brought the Crewman Cross8 home for the weekly test drive, the kids breathed a sigh of relief that they wouldn't be bundled up with tools and tie-downs in the back - as he threatened with the Ford RTV ute.

Although not as roomy as the family-friendly Adventra, Holden's four-door ute certainly provided many of the comforts we've come to appreciate in the latest Commodores.

The kids' booster seats fitted snugly in the back seat row, with enough room for dangling feet, though not as much as the Adventra. Although it was nice to have room on the rear bench, it would be great to have a cargo net in the back tray, as there's no space behind the rear seats for shopping etc.

Like the Adventra, the steering was a little heavy at lower speeds, which was apparent when navigating the shopping centre carpark.

I found it as easy to drive and live with as other family cars I've driven, but the Cross8 had the extra versatility of cargo tray and its AWD aspect was reassuring. I was wary of the extra length when reverse parking and things like that.

I enjoyed the comments from other parents when taking the kids to kinder and playgroup, as it gave me a chance to talk about my childhood on the farm. Many of the other parents were surprised at how good it looked, that it could carry the kids and it means we could do away with the trailer sitting in the carport.

All told it was easy to live with, and it felt like driving a sedan rather than a traditional ute. Anyone who needs a ute during the week for work, but still wants to take the whole family out and about, this thing would make a lot of sense and means that you can get away with just the one car.

Thoughts? Questions?

I'd love to get some feedback, so email me here. We'll post your comments on this page like for the Adventra.