By HOMER ASHBURN

THERE are two things that I hate when it comes to driving -- children and back-seat drivers.

Both groups are loud, irritating and have the uncanny ability to drive my blood pressure level -- and I suspect yours too -- up into the stratosphere.

It gets worse on those long, long inter-state trips.

Half-way through it, if dark thoughts haven't crossed your mind, then you're either dead or have the patience of a saint. There is a solution to this particular conundrum, converting the family MPV into an entertainment wagon on wheels.

Like everything in life, the decision to turn that Naza Ria, Toyota Estima or Proton Exora into a family recreational room on the move comes with its own pros and cons.

Let's start with the pros, the main pro being the fact that it can be done.

Most family MPVs today come with double DIN CD-Radio systems and speakers pre-installed.

If you're going down the AV route, these factory-installed audio units can be replaced with a double DIN DVD player with a built-in seven-inch screen.

It's not a big screen, yes, but it's probably not a good idea to be distracted by a movie when you're supposed to be driving.

Many of these aftermarket units from established brands like Kenwood, Pioneer and JVC even come with built-in Bluetooth capability, touch screen panels and reverse camera capabilities.

Some of them even have 5.1 audio outputs. The 5.1, by the way, is the same number of full range audio channels that you will find in most home theatre set-ups.