Family + dog car

[ryry3]

Hi

I am looking for some help in what my next car should be. I cant decide if an estate, SUV or MPV will be best.

The main thing I need is boot space. I need to be able to fit in my 5 year old dog (lab) plus a pushchair into the boot, in about 12-18 months the pushchair will no longer be required, but I'd still like to be able to keep the fairly good sized split, but doesn't need to be a huge space, large bag and some daypacks and lab on the other.

I have 2 car seats in the back for the kids, and currently have a Toyota Auris. Not bothered about fitting in another adult in the back.

An estate seems the most logical one to go with, but my wife has never driven an estate and I think she'd find it hard to drive. The estates I had in mind were VW passat, Hyundai i40, Honda civic.

SUV my wife likes, but I feel the boot size is not great, height rather than depth but either should work for me. The SUV I am looking at Honda CRV, VW Tiguan, Hyundai ix35

MPV covers all the above and will provide the most space, but just feel a bit like a mini bus.. the MPV I have been looking at S-Max or the C-max Grand

I thought about maybe just getting a bigger hatchback like the Mondeo or Insigna but would like do the job also?

[ryry3]

The push chair is an off road 3 wheeler that folds in half so can go on its side or vertical.

The ones I have put above are the biggest size in there category's that I can afford, having gone through them all on a website with boot sizes and shapes

I am also in 2 minds if something like the new civic hatchback would do the job as the boot is great for the size of car

[ryry3]

CAPP0 said:

Genuine question, if your wife isn't able to cope with driving an estate, how is she going to manage an SUV or MPV?

This is what I am also interested in finding out what's best to drive. I don't drive any regularly but my wife usually drives nothing bigger than an auris/golf sized car.

My thinking was more the length of the estate, rather than the bulkiness of the others, plus I think she will be ok being up higher, my thinking only and would love more advice

[ryry3]

JonJon2015 said:

Your push chair sounds rather like the three wheeled Phil&Teds that we had which ate into more than half of the boot of our A6 Avant. Whilst we didn't mind piling shopping on top of that, your dog might be less impressed at travelling that way. A genuine question but do you really need such a big buggy or, as your child gets older, would a more occasional stroller chair be more suitable? We ended up ditching the big and expensive pram and going with a McLaren that suddenly made our car practical again. By doing the same thing you'd probably be picking from a far greater choice of cars and your dog would thank you for it too.

I have an icandy but yes very like phil and teds. I also have a McLaren but although smaller than the icandy its a completely different shape, not sure this would fit in a SUV in one half and a dog in the other, i.e bottom to top vertical, or flat back seat to boot opening.

The problem is the now is when we go with the dog, the 3 wheeler does the job better

[ryry3]

anothernameitist said:

If the wife like the Auris or golf sized thing, trip to the dogs home?

The dog is not going anywhere :-)

Its not that shes like that, its just we havent needed anything bigger

[ryry3]

I did look at the seat but boot was smaller than the others, its hard to see past the VW passat. The price of the i40 would help get something newer.

I think Im going to go have another look at some of the models. The Smax is the stand out choice but just feel it might be too big.

If I was to compare each catagory at the moment based on what Ive read and budget I'd narrow it down to the below

Estate - VW Passat V i40 V Honda civic

SUV - VW Tiguan V ix35

MPV - Smax

Stick with what I am used too and biggest boot in that size Civic hatchback

[ryry3]

The issue is with the Skoda name, I know this wont go down well, and I have to say I actually like the skoda octavia estate. However when I was younger the rep skoda had was terrible and that just sticks in your mind, I cant bring myself to buy a skoda, sorry for all you skoda drivers out there.

[ryry3]

Chester draws said:

Why not a VW Touran?

7 seats when you need them,
big boot,
shorter in length than even a Golf Estate.
Pretty low boot sill height mean you don't need to lift things up and over.

This was on my original list but prefer the Smax, I did almost type it the the last list MPV - Smax V Touran, but if I was to choose MPV it would be between those

[ryry3]

fooby said:

Civic's tend to be pretty amazing with how you can use their space.

I have owned 2 Civics before an R reg and 54 reg models, and boot space has always been great, only 2nd to my golf Y reg I had.

[ryry3]

KTF said:

I didnt realise people still thought this about Skoda. Do you say the same for the Korean brands as well?

I dont know if people still say this about skoda, its just when I was young. It just sticks with you in your head. I really do like the car thought, stupid I know but I cant shake the stigma.

Hyundai was fairly unknown to me growing up, I have read about it getting bad press years back but I havent heard much of it so isnt in my mind

[ryry3]

I took these boots sizes from car buyer

Estate -

VW Passat - 650 L

Hyundai i40 - 553 L

Honda civic - 624 L

SUV -

VW Tiguan - 520-615 L (back seats slide)

Hyundai ix35 - 591 L

MPV -

Ford Smax - 700 L (to parcel shelf only)

VW Toura - 743 L

[ryry3]

KTF said:

Often, more like all the time

I agree, you need an older car with a low loading height that you dont care too much about. Even if they dont stink and leave hair all the time, they will damage it getting in and out, throw up when they get car sick, slobber on stuff, chew the headrests, etc.

I've never had an issue with my dog. We dont take him everywhere, when we do he isnt in the car long A - B, he is dryed before he gets in, I use a boot protecter and hoover the boot regular, the kids make more mess than the dog, thats just the way it is.

[ryry3]

a311 said:

Got the latest generation Octavia VRs hatch and recently had a kid and also have a Lab. The boot is cavernous, we recently went on a 6 hour each way trip up to Scotland to visit family with baby and all the paraphernalia and dog in the boot. Few bungee cords to keep the load secure and the dog had plenty of room.

The Hatchbacks I looked at were below, I added your Octavia size also as a guide

Insigna - 530 L

Civic - 487 L

Octavia - 590 L

[ryry3]

I have relooked at the seat leon and the boot is good at 587L

Updated list, I have acutally looked more into the new astra estate, as its pretty impressive compareed to the insigna, youd expect the insigna to be bigger

Estate -

VW Passat - 650 L

Honda civic - 624 L

Seat Leon - 587 L

Hyundai i40 - 553 L

Vauxhall Astra NEW - 540 L

Vauxhall Insigna - 540 L

Toyota Auris - 530 L

Hyundai i30 - 528 L

Ford Mondeo - 525 L

Vauxhall Astra - 500 L



SUV -


Hyundai ix35 - 591 L

VW Tiguan - 520-615 L (back seats slide)



MPV -

VW Toura - 743 L

Ford Smax - 700 L (to parcel shelf only)



Hatchback -

Insigna - 530 L

Civic - 487 L

Edited by ryry3 on Tuesday 26th July 14:05

[ryry3]

bulldong said:

Any Passat estate that suits your budget.

I think I may be priced on the passat looking further into it, really looking for no more than 3 years old and no more than 30k, just a couple Ks over my budget. Looking a bit more into it Im prob looking about £13k, needing £15-16k for passat. I couple prob look for 4 year old but would like to keep the car for 4 years

[ryry3]

Had a quick look at Honda Civic sizes the estate is only 22cm longer than ths hatch back

civic hatchback and estate is 4,370mm (4,590mm)

The estate holds one of the biggest boots in the estate range

Edited by ryry3 on Tuesday 26th July 15:11

[ryry3]

colonel c said:

SUVs difficult to park! What bks.

Anyway. RRS. Easy to drive and park (extra easy with reversing cam). Can be lowered for easier access. Room for child seats. Add recoverable load space proctor, dog guard and divider. Job done.

Yip that is exactly what I need...however I cant budget for a RRS, the boot is a massive 784 L.

Having looked a bit further into things tonight, I think I'm going to really look into the VW Touran MPV, cheaper than the S max and is going to do exactly what I need

[ryry3]

I will have a look at the subaru's also.

I had a look a the VW Touran in autotrader and local dealers, and nationwide as a few dealers now will bring them up for you. There was a few in my budget but yes all 1.6 Diesel, I couldnt stretch to the 2.0. Its near impossible to find the petrol one and I agree the other 1.2 engine is a strange one.

The issue is whether or not I can justify the Diesel over a prob cheaper petrol estate as i dont think I'll be doing over 10k a year.

I was also warming to the i30 estate although not as much boot space as others, gets great reviews and will do the job, and well priced for me

[ryry3]

ZX10R NIN said:

Go for a petrol with that annual mileage.

Mazda with 13k on the clock (they also deliver to your nearest branch)
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

VW Touran Petrol
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

I would agree with the petrol choice but sometimes hard to get what I'm looking for in petrol, or very limited choice

[ryry3]

spookly said:

Depends if you are going to tow or not. If you don't need to tow anything the petrol will be fine but probably have to be worked harder. Diesel is so popular in these due to the increased economy (albeit not on shorter trips) and the better low down torque making towing easier.

I wont be towing anything