Which comfortable dog-mobile for £5k?

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Bit of a difficult one, I've been thinking about this for weeks and haven't come up with an ideal answer...

£5k budget is all I have, so if I get a 10 year old 150k miles Volvo V70 I can only spend £3k because I'll need the other £2k to get it working properly. Been there, done that.

I'm looking for a car which will carry two Labrador-sized dogs in the boot without the tailgate whacking their heads when I close it. So a square-backed hatchback could work, but it may have to be an estate.

It must be 5 door so I can get a baby seat in the back.

And it must be VERY comfortable. I like sporty style seats, but anything supportive will do. Lots of adjustments are essential - the seat base must be able to tilt, not just height adjustment. Also the driving position should be spot on - no offset pedals or steering wheels please.

So the musts:
1) 2 dogs in boot
2) 5 doors
3) Good driving position, comfortable driver's seat with base tilt
4) Not too worn out. Lets try to stick to 100k and 10 year maximum.
5) Manual gearbox

Other than that... Not too thirsty would be a bonus. Also I'd prefer something that was fast enough for overtaking and didn't roll onto it's roof on twisty roads.

Cars I've considered:
Focus - only the ST-3 has decent seats and 5 door ones are very scarce. They'd use up the full budget which will make the fuel economy a bit painful.
Mondeo - With the Mk4, even the Titanium-X doesn't have tilting seats. 8-way seats were a very rare option. In the Mk3 only the ST-220 had tilting seats - I'm still thinking about an ST-220 and whether I can live with 20mpg.
V50 - This was the fore-runner until I test-drove one. What an utter embarrassment of a Volvo. The seats are crap. Yes they tilt but they are nothing like proper Volvo seats fitted to bigger models. And there's no space for my clutch foot to rest.
V70 - They hold their value too well. For £5k I'd be looking at quite tired examples, and having owned a couple of worn-out Volvos in the past I don't want to repeat the experience.

Edited by R E S T E C P on Thursday 30th June 03:05

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Thanks for the replies, some good options to consider

PlayFair said:

Octavia VRS?

I did try one. Nearly fits the bill and the seats were decent but no tilt.

spookly said:

Does it have to be fast too? You mention fuel economy concerns and then list the two of the most thirsty Fords in that price bracket.

Fast enough to overtake comfortably, doesn't need to be proper fast. If the 0-60 is in double digits it's almost certainly too slow.
Fuel economy is a bonus but not essential. But if it's low, it has to be fun too.

brman said:

Colonial said:

Saab 9-5 has to be in with a shout.

my 9-5 was the most comfortable car I have ever owned.
How about this one?
http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I did think about a 9-5. Isn't there a risk of very expensive breakdowns with parts not being available?

brman said:

Afromonk said:

Mazda 6 estate?

My Mom has one of these for taking the dog to shows inc a cage and accessories, all fits well and is very comfy... Audi A6 estate might be another option?

Mazda 6 is a definite option! I've heard lots of praise about them, but do you know if any came with tilting seats?
Audi estates hold their value too well, I'm not sure the older ones are worth the asking price. But I will have a look.

MDMA . said:

One of these -

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-Subaru-Forester-Xt-Tu...

That one's an automatic, but yes I'd definitely consider a manual one. The seats look a bit flat, but I've never sat in one. I like to sit "in" a seat rather than "on" it. Are they comfortable & adjustable?

Jasandjules said:

I've used Passat estates for many years now as the dog carriers.
4k should get you an 08/09 plate...

I currently have a 2012 Passat estate and it is the least comfortable car I've ever driven. It is the car that has "inspired" my search for comfort. Flat seats, offset pedals, crap driving position. Perfect for the dogs and very practical though, and mechanically it has been great. In some ways I'll miss it when it's gone. But I would still like it gone as soon as possible.

eltax91 said:

Accord Tourer (Gen7).

My parents have one (a diesel), and I do like it, but wouldn't say the seat is that special. Are there any trim levels that have better seats with a tilting base?

Camoradi said:

My head says V50 or Mondeo, but I find myself looking at Alfa 159 Sportwagons. Having had 3 156 Sportwagons they're decent cars with a little bit of style.

I'd probably still go with the V50 in the end.

Make sure you test drive one for long enough. I suppose it's not fair to say they're uncomfortable. They're better than the equivalent Focus. But the seats aren't comparable to bigger Volvos. Also, I have size 13 feet so this may not be an issue for most, but there wasn't nearly enough space to the left of the clutch pedal to rest my foot.
Alfa 159 would be lovely! But I need it to get me to work every day. I know it's just a stereotype and many people have reliable ones, but there is some truth in it and I don't know if I'm lucky enough to get a good one.

Krikkit said:

V70

Definitely fits the "comfort" requirement. I've had many Volvos and would happily have another, but the V70 holds its value very well and I'd be looking at quite tired examples.

Edited by R E S T E C P on Thursday 30th June 09:39

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IanCress said:

One car that hasn't been mentioned is the Jaguar X-Type estate. Boot is a decent size and SE models get an electrically adjustable seat base on both the front and rear of the seat.

The vast majority of cars out there are the 2.0 diesel which isn't the most refined unit in the world but has good economy. Might be worth seeking out the 3.0 V6 petrol if you need the performance.

I used to have a 2001 2.5 when it was about 8 years old / 100k miles. I loved the car but not the constant faults. Maybe I was just unlucky. I'll add it to the list though, if a really good example appears I would be tempted .

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rscott said:

We ended up with a Focus Titanium X - plenty of room in the back for them both as it's a very square foot, plus that version has upgraded seats. The driver's seat is electrically adjustable in most directions and is extremely comfy on long runs. Seats are very nearly as comfy as those in the 9-3 Sportwagon it replaced.

Titanium X would be the Mk3?

I have tried out a couple of Mk3s, but the seats are identical in all models from Zetec to Tit-X (other than half leather trim or coloured bits, but the seats are the same). I found them a bit flat for me and also no tilt adjust even on the Tit-X. I like nice big bolsters and lots of thigh support - that was missing.
Focus would have been the ideal choice otherwise. Perfect size and feels nice to drive.

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rscott said:

Yep - 2011 model year. Just checked with the other half and you're right. Seats don't have tilt adjustment.

Have you considered the diesel ST? Depending on your usage, it might be an option?

Only the ST-3 has tilt adjustment. Diesel ST-3 estate fits the bill perfectly in every way other than being 4 times more than the £5k budget...

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Quick update to this, in case anyone else is looking for something similar.

I've tried out a few of the options:
X-Type - No clutch foot rest which is a deal-breaker for me.
Saab 9-5 - Driving position isn't quite right. It had seat tilt, but even at maximum tilt it was too flat.
Subaru Outback (2009) - Quite flat narrow seats. Central tunnel is too obtrusive.
Mondeo Mk4 Titanium X - Very nice soft seat base with big supportive bolsters, very good driving position, overall nice to sit in. It would be 100% better if the seat base could tilt further. But it's still not bad.
Mazda6 2008-2012 (any trim other than SL) - Similar to the Mondeo, not better, but I prefer the Mondeo.
Mazda6 2008-2012 SL - HEAVEN. Seriously it's like they made the car for me! With the SL electric seats, everything falls perfectly into place. It is the most comfortable car I have ever sat in, and the pedals/wheel are absolutely perfect. But it's very rare in estate form (doesn't exist at all in hatchback), and it's only available with the diesel engines which get an absolute slating for reliability.

I'm leaning towards a Mondeo Mk4 at the moment...

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eltax91 said:

And yet you still haven't tried the Accord, second best seats I've ever tried, after an S60

My parents have an Accord estate. I don't think I could have the same car as them, for reasons.