could anyone suggest a good car for transporting my 3 labs.... i have been looking but really dont know what to choose... i have not got a lot of cash to spare but i want to be able to put a tail gate on for their safety... we have a trailer but i am not fussed driving with it on... i would love a small car but what i would love and what is practical are two different things... has anyone any ideas

I can fit 3 leonbergers in my 405 estate,  as long as they don't all want to lie down at the same time :D

Well, It would really depend how much street cred you wish to maintain ;)  I have my pride and joy which is my Audi 3Ltr Automatic.  And then theres the Lab Lugger :P  A Skoda Favorit Estate, with the back seats down it takes 8 Labs.  Going to Shows It hold a large crate taking 3 Labs, I would never drive without them in the crate. With the rear seats up the boot still holds 4 labs, but I would not leave them loose like this. I prefer the crate and seats down.  However, my street cred has all but dissapeared :D :D

ps bought the car for £200 just over a year ago, Audi uses fuel at 18mpg, Skoda 65mpg, guess who cares about street cred.... NOT!  :D :D

Peugeot Partner, Citroen Berlingo, Renault Kangoo, and fiat Doblo.  You can get them at a reasonable price compared to standard cars or estates as they are basically vans with seats in.  Very practical interiors for dogs with plenty of height.  You can have the back seats out for even more load space.

do you think it would be ok for me to use the dog trailer would the dogs be ok in it and happy

Whst s good question, i am thinking exactly the same, i really want a ford focus, but practically i think a berlingo would be better. Oh why can't i have smaller dogs!!

I know the feeling!! I would love a Ford Ka or a Smart car. Any suggestions on how I fit an 8 stone Lab X Chow and a Newfoundland in either of these? :D

Looks like I'll be going down the Berlingo route too although I don't think they're particularly attractive (remind me of the pope-mobile :) )but practicality will have to win out I guess. Although I did see a 'Lab Lugger' (as KayC calls it) in the local free ads paper for about £250 so might check it out since it comes so highly recommended :P

For the boot space, even with out loosing the back seats (but if you do it is HUGE!!!) I would definatly go for a Citreon Picasso, we have one and although they are not the most attractive thing to ever own, they are the most practical *car* we found! And I would say definatly more attractive than the Berlingo! They are quite tall, so head room shouldn't be a problem, also they depreciate very quickly, I should think you could get a second hand one for a couple of grand that would still be in a resonable state. HTH :D

Edited to add: Also, forgot to say, I believe that even the basic models have air-con, so this will obviously help with a car full of labs!!!

Before I got the VW Transporter van I have a Citroen Xantia and before the a Citroen ZX both of which could easily cope with 3 great danes ! The Xantia managed 4 with comfort mind you the back seat was down all the time. I found both great run arounds and good on the fuel consuption - both were disiel. Now I have my van and I just love it, mind you I can't for the life of me manage to park it the way I could park my cars !

Margaret

Hi
My peugeot 206 gti (with the back seats down!) is my gsp-mobile!  It frequently also carts 2 x clumber spaniels and the occasional lab as well!  Thanks god for company cars!  :-)  You should get 3 labs in there fine as the back seats fold flat ......which not a lot of small cars do.  However, depends on your priorities and how many humans or luggage you need to move around too as to whether practical or not!  For me and my mutt on my own it's grand!

Also depends on whether crates are used or not :)

Daisy

I have a Renualt Kangoo and wouldn't have anything else now.  It's great, I can fit 5 flatcoats in it, no problem.   I love it! :)

OK I'm going to admit to it - I've got the best most reliable and economical car for the dogs.

Put the back seats down, you can get 8 flatcoats in it.   50 mpg on a trip (diesel) .   It had 40,000 genuine miles on the clock when I bought it.     I paid £500 for it off EBAY, and it's never let me down.

What is this wonder, I hear you ask!

A good old Rover Montego estate.   

I'm not proud :-) :-)

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats