I am having to change to an automatic car as I have damaged my knee.  I now sadly only have two dogs of my own (retrievers) so don't need a massive car anymore.  I'm happy to have the back seats permanently down as long as they will go flat.  Does anyone have any ideas on suitable smaller cars please?  It's hard to see in photos how the back looks for dogs.  Thanks!

My SIL has a Honda Jazz which is very reliable and fairly spacious. The sill at the back is quite low which is useful for dogs to get in and out easily. The boot area is of a reasonable size and two retriever sized dogs could get in and travel ok, but would probably appreciate the extra space of seats folded down, however I don't know if they fold absolutely flat.

I was looking for a similar type of car last year, and also wanted an automatic. I narrowed it down to two - Honda Jazz (very popular with dog owners) or Nissan Note.

I test drove both of them and preferred the Note, but the Jazz was cheaper (going through main dealers). In the end it turned out to be the Note as there weren't any suitable used Jazzes in my price range when I was ready to buy.

Nissan Notes are one of the cars on the Motability scheme, so if you go through a main dealer you can buy them when they've finished their 3 years on Motability, often with very low mileage.

The seats in the Note do fold flat and can take some surprisingly large objects.

A friend has a Mazda 2, (about 7 years old now) not only is it flat when the back seats are down but more importantly it doesn't have a lip so his older large dog had no trouble jumping in and not hitting his head.
http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/145550/mazda2-hatchback-pictures#36

Doesn't look as if the newest ones fold flat

similar old thread about flat folding seats http://forum.champdogs.co.uk/topic_show.pl?tid=127572

Really impressed with the hybrid Toyota Yards! Electric used for in town and first starting up engine and the a/c brilliant .Felt comfortable and roomy and for someone with a bad back very supportive seats

Thank you for your suggestions, everyone!  And Barbara, it doesn't matter if the new ones don't fold completely because I can't afford a new one anyway! :)

Citroen Nemo multispace / Peugeot Bipper or the Fiat equivalent.......all three are basically the same car, but I think that the fiat is the only one currently being sold as a new vehicle.

Basically the back seats lift out to leave a flat surface; there is a full size spare wheel which is underneath the car and which is accessed from outside the vehicle, so no issues if you breakdown with dogs in the back.  It has a very low point of entry into the boot and no lip, so easy for older dogs.  There is no carpet - it is all plastic and rubber mats inside....a bit naff but very practical and easy to keep clean. 

I have a 1.3 diesel citroen and get 60mpg on  average; for me it is a great dog-mobile and I get two or three pointers in the back with ease.

Ford B-Max or Nissan Note

Hard to know what to suggest without price range/age range - etc

BUT - if you want to look at all cars suggested and get reviews that actually have videos showing you things like the boots you should go onto which site. Some reviews and videos anyone can watch (I have posted link for Ford B-Max) otherwise you join for £1 and have access to all videos and reviews unlimited on a trial for a month I think.

http://www.which.co.uk/cars/choosing-a-car/latest-first-drives/ford-b-max/

It's this folding flat, and not having a lip to negotiate at the back, that I find a challenge.   Having low to ground dogs (hounds) and not getting any younger (re lifting) it's essential for me to be able to have mine at least put their front legs up so I can lift them into the back without them having to negotiate a lip.   As in hatchbacks.   After our Astra which lasted for years (and had a lip!), we have had a series of Peugeots, first a 206 SW which was a disaster basically, and then 2 X 207 SWs.  We then, when it first came out bought a new 2008 X-over which is now 2 years old and I love it.  I would say the back seats still don't go completely flat, but it's manageable.   This may be a tad bigger than you are looking for but I find it ideal for our life and hounds.

I wish more websites would give a view of the back, with the seats down.  I don't need to see the dashboard, but I do need to see the back, and access. 

My sister had a Dacia Stepway (?) which seemed to be okay (I think it still had a lip) and doesn't cost a lot.

ps     A van would pretty much be the only option for access and 'flat'.

I have a jazz as well , nice car neat and reliable and mine isnt a new one at all . as long as you are happy to have the seats folder down it would be great. just check that the current models do fold down flat or at least as far as you need.
I know they hold their value but have you considered a mini of some sort, the clubman has the doors at the back and goes flat

I just took a look, online, at the Honda Jazz and it looks as if there is a drop onto the rear floor via the tail-gate, in which case it wouldn't suit me.   It does look as if the rear seats fold flat however.

> It does look as if the rear seats fold flat however.  [Honda Jazz]

The rear seats also flip up, like cinema seats, creating a space in the back separated from the hatch space. It's one reason why I was considering a Jazz, as my two dogs don't travel together.

With the Note I planned to have the seats down flat, with one in a crate, and the other in the remaining space. But no, the dogs decided against that - one was unhappy in the crate which was a surprise as she is crate trained, and the other flatly refused to get in the back. So one travels in the hatch space, and the other is on the back seat with a harness.

I go to a lot of agricultural shows and last year when considering whether to choose a Note, walked past the rear of the Crafts Marquee at the end of one show. A lot of the cars parked behind the tent were Notes with the seats flat, and crafts people loading them up with gear!

Also have to consider whether the automatic versions of some cars are as good to drive as the manual equivalent. Honda changed their automatic transmission system a few years ago, but nobody liked it so they went back to CVT... this was one reason why I couldn't find a used Jazz of the right age/price (I specifically wanted CVT as it one of the best forms of automatic transmission).

Thank you everyone - I've settled for a Renault Scenic.  There is actually enough boot space for my two dogs without folding the seats flat, it is very low for my older dog, and if I get more dogs in the future I can use it with the back seats out to make more space. :)

Doh I forgot my son has a scenic! And it's very roomy in the boot and as he says 'he sits up higher driving! "

> I've settled for a Renault Scenic.

Interesting.  Much as I still like my Peugeot 2000 X-over, I am interested in the Renault Captur, especially like the dual colouring!

I have a Renault Scenic. A couple of levers and the seats just lift out, although they are heavy. One very large cage in the back and a fairly large cage where the seats are meant to be (put some bits of wood in the foot well to keep it level). As the seats are designed to lift out to extend the luggage area presumably it doesn't affect insurance as it would if they had to be unbolted. Mine only go back in for the MOT so the seat belts can be checked. Being small I also like the higher front seats as I can see better

If you aren't buying new - please check out cost of servicing at whichever garage you are going to use as well as cost of most common parts (tyres/break-pads etc) and also specifically how much it would ever cost for a replacement gearbox including labour if required - as this is a very common component to go on vehicles after they get to 4 years old (normally just after warranty runs out) most especially important in the case of automatics since it is one of the most expensive parts on a car other than the engine and automatic gearboxes are dearer in general than manual (and finding good or cheap reconditioned ones or ones in a scrap yard is a lot more difficult than finding ones for manuals). 

Certain car manufacturers can make it very difficult for certain repairs to be done if not done by them - they have screws, bolts and parts that can only be taken apart by specialist tools - and they are the manufacturers and only supplier of those tools - therefore if the garage hasn't already got said tool they have to order it in which then adds time on to getting your vehicle back on the road and cost if the cost of the tool is passed down to you which they often have to do (i.e. if you use a normal auto repair garage - less likely in bigger garages or the actual dealership/manufacturers garages but then their service costs (man hours and parts) tend to be a lot higher - the more popular the car model/make is the more likely it is that these things aren't a problem).

Check out that sort of thing in your pricing the same time you get insurance quotes and find out the tax etc etc - it gives you a good idea of whether the vehicle is high or low in cost, not just in fuel but other things that are likely to come up for 2nd hand/older vehicles.

Hope you get a good deal :)

Thank you again!

Another question for you Scenic owners; what do you do about the alarm when you leave the dogs in the car?  There are very complicated instructions in the manual, but as far as I understand that has to be done each time.  Is there a way you can deactivate the alarm completely?

Mine is quite old and doesn't have an alarm. The problem I had was the interior light staying on if I left the tailgate open to give the dogs air and running the battery down. Took the bulb out, problem solved although I have to have a torch in the car.