Articles by Carolyne Jasinski

There's only one parking space left, you see. And it's got my name on it. At least it's got the name of my VW Polo on it. This is a great little car; "little" being the operative word. And the car park? It's a nightmare spot wedged in between a big cement pole and the up ramp. No way would I attempt it in any other car. It still takes a bit of manoeuvring – after all, I've only had the car a day – but in she goes. Fits like a glove. So close, in fact, that when I lift the hatch to get my bag out, there is a very close encounter with the roof. Needless to say, the Polo handles beautifully. Steering is easy, and she has a tiny turning circle and great visibility. As for her other qualities, this little GTI is the Sporty Spice of the Polo group. Bright red with black and red-trim interior, she's also fashion-conscious. Blue dash lights give her a distinctive look after dark and she comes armed with an impressive list of accessories: eight-speaker CD player, one-touch indicators (a slight tap will give three automatic blinks for quick lane changes), extra indicator lights on the side mirrors, a groovy honeycomb radiator grille, six airbags, self-lighting vanity mirrors, three cup holders (watch out for the flip-open version in the front), sunroof and the all-important butt warmers. "Pocket rocket", "slingshot", whatever you want to call her, the Polo GTI can move. Beware if your teenage son wants one. She looks harmless enough but behind the "cute" exterior is a 1.8-litre turbo engine that can reach 216km/h and can leap to 100km/h in just 8.2 seconds. That's a lot of power in a little package. But she doesn't cost much to run. On the open road, the Polo can hold her own. Again the power sees her climb hills with ease and, despite her diminutive size, she doesn't feel flighty on the highway. Like her body, everything inside the Polo comes in "mini" version. It's a tight fit – especially in the back seat where there are belts for three people but room, really, for just two (unless you're tiny). There is one big component on the Polo. Her booty, sorry, boot. It will take a week's worth of grocery shopping and at least an afternoon's worth of clothes bargains. In typical sports style, her seats hug passengers. But in a car so small, this can be a problem. The arm supports tend to get in the way of gear changes ... or is that just because I'm short and need the seat pulled so far forward? One last concern; when will they learn not to have the indicator and high-beam controls on the left of the steering wheel in manual cars? Trying to manage both and change gears has to be a safety issue, doesn't it? LOVE IT LEAVE IT Volkswagen Polo GTI Turbo Price: $30,320 (on road) LOVE IT Power and panache. Blue dash lights look great and are easy to read. LEAVE IT Still can't get used to high-beam control, indicator and gear stick being on the left side of the steering column. Has to be a safety issue in Australia doesn't it? It's quite a noisy ride – there's a drone in the back that drowns out even the cranked-up stereo.

Most cars have some kind of gimmick to make them stand out. The Grand Carnival has a few – the electric sliding doors and seating for eight people.A big brother to Kia's Carnival, the Grand takes people-moving to a bigger, better level. It has a larger, stronger engine – a 3.8-litre V6 with more power (increased to 184kW from 132kW). In girl torque, that just means it didn't miss a beat driving in the city or on a two-hour open-road trip to Moonta Bay.It has enough grunt to get you there safely with oodles in reserve for overtaking the endless stream of cars towing boats and caravans. But it comes at a price – a few more stops at petrol stations.Sitting high gives great visibility but there is no top-heavy feeling as with some taller people movers.Cruise control is a breeze to use – once you find the "on" switch behind the other cruising buttons on the steering wheel.The Grand comes with a five-speed auto plus manual shift options. But it handles the road smoothly and with such ease that there was no need to use it. Besides, it's probably a boy thing. The all-important seating options send the Grand to the top of the class.There is room for eight adults with two people up front plus two rows of three seats. All have plenty of leg and head room, and all come with their own airconditioning vents and separate temperature and air-flow controls for the rear section.Rear passengers have window vents they can open – as long as they can put up with road noise and fumes. For a long haul with just four people, the back seats fold into the floor to allow for luggage – 2.3cu m. That equates to a huge Esky, four bags of clothes, fishing rods, buckets and tackle boxes, food for a week – and then some.The Grand seems to have all requirements covered. And there is no need to sacrifice good looks for practicality. It's a nice-looking car inside and out.The dash is classy (apart from the fake woodgrain), the sound system is impressive and all gadgets are easy to operate. Given the extra room though, it's a great example of where radio controls on the steering wheel are warranted.The upshot: it moved me.Kia Grand CarnivalRemote-control sliding doors.Individual airconditioning controls front and back.Eight cup holders plus eight more for bottles in the doors.Fake wood-grain panels.Centre console is not strong enough – it folds down like in Honda CRV but collapses under weight of four drinks if you hit a bump in the road.Parallel parking takes practise.

Most cars have some kind of gimmick to make them stand out. The Grand Carnival has a few – the electric sliding doors and seating for eight people.A big brother to Kia's Carnival, the Grand takes people-moving to a bigger, better level. It has a larger, stronger engine – a 3.8-litre V6 with more power (increased to 184kW from 132kW). In girl torque, that just means it didn't miss a beat driving in the city or on a two-hour open-road trip to Moonta Bay.It has enough grunt to get you there safely with oodles in reserve for overtaking the endless stream of cars towing boats and caravans. But it comes at a price – a few more stops at petrol stations.Sitting high gives great visibility but there is no top-heavy feeling as with some taller people movers.Cruise control is a breeze to use – once you find the "on" switch behind the other cruising buttons on the steering wheel.The Grand comes with a five-speed auto plus manual shift options. But it handles the road smoothly and with such ease that there was no need to use it. Besides, it's probably a boy thing. The all-important seating options send the Grand to the top of the class.There is room for eight adults with two people up front plus two rows of three seats. All have plenty of leg and head room, and all come with their own airconditioning vents and separate temperature and air-flow controls for the rear section.Rear passengers have window vents they can open – as long as they can put up with road noise and fumes. For a long haul with just four people, the back seats fold into the floor to allow for luggage – 2.3cu m. That equates to a huge Esky, four bags of clothes, fishing rods, buckets and tackle boxes, food for a week – and then some.The Grand seems to have all requirements covered. And there is no need to sacrifice good looks for practicality. It's a nice-looking car inside and out.The dash is classy (apart from the fake woodgrain), the sound system is impressive and all gadgets are easy to operate. Given the extra room though, it's a great example of where radio controls on the steering wheel are warranted.The upshot: it moved me.Kia Grand CarnivalRemote-control sliding doors.Individual airconditioning controls front and back.Eight cup holders plus eight more for bottles in the doors.Fake wood-grain panels.Centre console is not strong enough – it folds down like in Honda CRV but collapses under weight of four drinks if you hit a bump in the road.Parallel parking takes practise.