Hi Guys

I know this has been done to death on here but I really, really need some help and advice.

The time is long overdue to change our hatchback for something a bit more dog-friendly. As we have two large hounds (biggest being a Newfie) we need something than can easily and safely accomodate them. I am looking for recommendations from those of you who regularly transport large dogs on a suitable car to do so and also the best way to adapt them for the dogs (best type of cages etc.)

Make and model of car is not terribly important to us but it needs to be economical. We do not want a van as we need to be able to carry passengers on occasions. Also, a people-carrier type would not be our first preference but we are open-minded and will consider anything within reason as we have a limited budget.

The OH has asked me to compile a shortlist and we'll look at each and take it from there. So far I have suggested the Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot Partner/Renault Kangoo (not particularly attractive (IMO) but seem very practical) which are all pretty much the same so I'm looking for some alternatives. I know very little about cars so I'm hoping you can help.

Cheers!

With the cars you have suggested you can't take dogs and passengers IMO :)  Boot size not the biggest!

What about something like Vaxual Astra or ford feista (estates)  Dad's astra used to just about get 4 setters in boot with 4 people in car.  The feista strikes me as being similar although I've never been in one!

Sorry, I should have been clearer...

We don't necessarily need to carry dogs and passengers at the same time but as this will be our only car, we need it to be as versatile as possible.

I'm kind of thinking along the lines of being able to fold rear seats down to fit cages in, maybe?? Like I say, I haven't much clue about cars, particularly modern ones as our current car is about 11 years old and the one before that was an ancient Renault Xtra van that OH's dad gave us when he was replacing it. It was on its last legs when we got it and we sold it 6 years later!! (I still see it driving around now as it was sold to someone locally). It hardly gave us a days trouble and was economical to run. That is why I was thinking of the Renault Kangoo as it's basically the updated model of the Xtra (I think).

Hi, its funny you shouls ask this question because we are currently looking to get rid of our hatchback too! :D We are thinking about a renault laguna estate. We had one out last week for a test drive and were quite impressed. The boot is big and it is very low, although Tyson uses a ramp anyway. I will be keeping a close eye on this thread to see what others everyone recommends. ;-)

Hi Mackleback!!

It's those flippin' big dogs we insist on having dictating our entire lives again ;) :D Now, if I liked little dogs I could have the Ford KA that I so desperately want....can't see me getting one dog into one of those, let alone two.

Mind you, with a dog the size of Tyson, I'd skip looking at cars and go straight to trucks. You know the ones with the hydraulic tail-lift on the back? Think that would suit your big boy down to the ground :D :D

LOL :D :D That sounds about right!! Not sure if the suspension on a 'normal' car would take the strain! ;-) Tyson was weighed the other week on his 7 month birthday and he was just over 8 stone!! OH had his eye on a sporty car before we got Tyson but he now has his sights set on something more practical. The salesmen keep giving us funny looks when we are more interested in the boot space than anything else!! :D

Hi shaynlola

I have a ford KA it is my first ever car only been driving 2 years and i love it dearly :) its fine taking my son to footy ect but just when i take my mum for the local weekly shop my boot isnt big enough :(
anyway hubby has just been given a company van and im gutted i have to say goodbye to my 'squishy' (thats the name of my car sad i know) i will have to learn to drive oh's freelander which i hate and it hates me :(
I dont think my little car would accomodate a hubby, child and great dane, aswell as tow our boat from yorkshire to cornwall every year!!

ShaynLola,

Just over 2 weeks ago I bought myself a Fiat Doblo (2ndhand), not the van but the MPV type and it's great.   I can get 3 Munsters with ease in the boot space and the back seats fold down as well which gives you even more space.  Its diesel 1.9, great to drive, wide, roomy, I've seen it written that they have high visibility too because the windows are huge.

I have an Escort estate at the mo and could easily get 4 medium sized dogs in it but I'm changing to a Focus estate(diesel)coz mine ss such a fuel guzzler(1.8 petrol )!! But I'm getting a cage and am expecting to get the same amount in(1 cage with a divider so all 3/4 won't have to cram in together!) Modeos have huge boots but they are quite low so not so good for taller dogs, Astras also have a good sized boot.
I think the thing with those car/van thingies is that they are quite tall but very narrow in the boot department, good if your dogs like to sit in the car! But they seem very popular with show people.
There's loads of companies that make cages for car, just do a search on here, everyone has their favourite but do a bit of research, see what you like, compare prices etc, most will courier it to you if you can't get to them
Good luck
Emily :)

Modaeo's arn't that low, our setters fit in fine to it but it's said to be not the best car to park because of it's width and lengh (I don't drive yet)

the belingo etc are all popular because it's cheepish and can be equiped out with cages and is ideal for dogs.  however if you wnat to put cages in and out then that's fine, personally I wouldn't but again thats me personally.  Cages do take up boot space and like I have said we have 4 dogs and can't afford to loose space so we have the boot "open plan" with a tail gate. 

Hi Ice Queen

I quite like the idea of having the boot open plan like you describe but how do you go about getting a tailgate fitted? The dogs like to lie down on longer journeys so this might be a good idea for us. Not sure about the Mondeo, though...they do look very long and our driveway is tiny (not to mention the fact that I am the world's worst at parking ;) )

Tailgets are just bolted to the car....It's hard to describe, you can do it yourself but might be wiser to get it fitted by the manufacturer.  We have always used Barjo but there are many others.  IMO the whole idea is the dog lays down (they can't get thrown about)

FWIW, I changed my car 18 months ago, used to have a Focus but the dogs (Briards) outgrew it :rolleyes:

For economy, driveability and space I settled on my Mondeo diesel estate. Yes they're not as tall as some other models, but I can get a good size crate in the bootspace and 2 big crates when I fold the seats down.

On average I get 47mpg out of it and that's not hanging about :D I don't take the youngest out in the car very often, she tends to go with OH, prefers his driving I think :rolleyes: But my boy comes everywhere with me and he can still sit up comfortably in his crate. Loads of passenger space front and back as well.

I call it the "travelling handbag" as everything that is precious to me is nicely accommodated :)

Edited to add: Shaynlola, I got parking sensors on my big beast (car not dog LOL) as the back seems so far away when you're driving it seemed a sensible option.......I've probably saved a fortune in rear end prangs so far :P

Thanks HP

Looks like the Mondeo might make the shortlist, then. Those parking sensors will be a 'must-have' for me...or are rubber bumpers an optional extra?? :D :D

Other cars you may want to look at (depending on budget) are: Vauxhaul Sigmun, Volvo C70 - really easy to switch from 4 seats to 4 dogs (T70 if OH wants sporty), or Merc E class. All more economical in diesel, merc and volvo may not be as expensive as they look because they hold their value well. Others are freely and cheeply available second hand. Once you have had test drives, check out the car supermarkets like Motorpoint for new and nearly new prices, you dont have to go there but they make a good negotiating tool at your local dealer.    

Mondeo estate has a large load area and perfect for loading as it has a wide tailgate opening and a low lip, much easier for cages etc. With rear seats folded forwarded we can get our cage (biggest size they sell) in with ease.
After putting the seats back up of course it can easily seat 5 adults and has plenty of leg room. Diesel engine is very powerful for a 115bhp engine but economical at approx' 56mpg. Lots of airbags!! Drivers seat raises up really high - (good for smaller driver). Nearly same price bracket would be VW Passat estate (130bhp). Mondeo is built on same floor plan as Passat. Estate will cost more that hatchback and diesel more than petrol. Mondeo estate is a very easy car to drive with plenty of visability, don't be put off by size!!

One of the odd things about cars is that it is often easier to drive the big ones :D Dont know if it is because people get out of your way or because they tend to have useful extras like parking sensors.

LOL, its true, we have a Ford Ranger(pick up jobby with a double cab) and its one of my favourite cars to drive, people give you more respect when they see you driving one of them(unless of course you can't drive it!!) I've driven it to Manchester and back numerous times and its great, and you feel super safe too, maybe its the height and beefyness of them!
Ours is open at the back but you could get it covered and have cages put in or a tailgate guard but I'm guessing a ramp would be a good idea coz the drop is quite far!
I've never driven a Mondeo but its one of my mams favourite cars and she doesn't even like driving :D

My Dad has the Mitsubishi L200 4life version (twin cab) and people
do tend to respect it as it is much bigger and heavier than a normal
car - people are normally the same with lorries & buses...

The guards (tailgate and rear seat guards) are ok if you don't have a
car protective dog. As they still allow access to windows etc.
But they do allow more room in the boot area of the car, which is important
when carrying larger dogs. (I have a cage as I do have one that's a car protective dog)
A friend who shows Newfies had an Astra estate with the guards and she used
to put the rear seats down so they had the whole of the back of the car.

I love the Astra estate, I did swap for a short period to a Escort estate and hated it.
The Astra that I had previously to the Escort had 160K on a 1.3 engine and was 6 years older
than the Escort. It was faster and drove better than the newer Escort which had a 1.4 engine and 100K
less on the clock! I'm back on my 2nd Astra Diesel estate and I love it, easy & comfortable to drive
economical to keep running (Insurance and parts etc) so I love my Vauxhall Astra :)

Having investigated 4x4 type vehicles when I was changing mine, I was totally disappointed with the boot space and in the end settled on a very economical Seat Cordoba Estate.  It's the same as the older style Golf and runs like a dream with amazing amounts of boot space.  The only down side was that it didn't fit the same Lintran cage as my old Mazda estate.

I would go with an estate any day.

Thanks for all your suggestions guys, they have been really helpful.

I think we've decided that an estate car will suit us best as it appears to be the most versatile option for us. We will be going out to start having a look and taking some test drives on Saturday. Thanks Jackyjat, I will now be adding the Seat Cordoba to the list as I've always thought they were nice cars but I've never seen an estate model.

Do you think as well as a test drive, car dealers would be prepared to let the dogs try the boot out for size? :D :D

We've never shopped for a car before (but I'm a world class shopper & bargain hunter for everything else!!) Does anyone have any tips on how to get the best deal??

Hi Shaynlola,

We have taken Tyson with us when we want to have a testdrive and so far there has been no problem with letting him try out the boot space!! :D After all, that is why we want an estate! ;-) I dont have a clue about buying cars either, so i cant offer any tips i'm afraid. We are going to take a couple of cars out next week too. Let me know how you get on, maybe we can compare notes. :-)

Zoe xx

Thanks for that Zoe...don't know whether to take my two along or not. Shay is wary of strange men (particularly if a strange man approaches me) and he tends to put on his 'big-dog bark' which might be a bit intimidating for a poor unsuspecting salesman. Then there's Lola who will insist on cleaning the ears of everyone we meet :rolleyes: Then again, maybe it would encourage someone to give us a good deal just to get rid of us :) :P

I'll certainly let you know how we get on. So far we both like the look (and price!) of some of the Skoda range (never thought I'd say that!) but we've quite a long list of potentials to look at now.

Good luck with your search too! :)

We called in a C**craft a few weeks ago, as its easier looking for what type of car suits when you have a variety in one place. We had no intention of buying especially at their prices. The salesmen jump at you and once they latch on they don't let go. We were really getting frustrasted with one saleman and decided to wind him up. We headed over to an Audi A8 -big car - big price. "Oh I love Audi's" said the salesman, funny because he loved whatever we touch. "Would you like this Sir," he asked hubby, who replied, "No I've got a new Range Rover, this one's for the wife - she needs something to take our 3 German Shepherd's out in". Then I chimed in, "Yeah and its great that its got leather, I can just wipe the mud straight off. The salemans face it was a picture.

We went to C.craft for the same reason and got "the big talk" and the stalking salesman :rolleyes: So, a few weeks later when we went again (we still hadn't decided what we wanted) we marched confidently through to where the cars are, chatting away to each other so the salesmen couldn't catch our eye. Worked a treat, we were never bothered once. ;-) :-D

Edit: we bought from a little local garage and saved a packet on their prices. :-D