Is an estate/suv essential?

[Muzzer79]

Hi all

New dog is incoming in the next couple of months.

Unknown flavour as it will be a rescue dog, but a medium size male is likely (famous last words)

So, being a man, car choice is now being focused on - my current needs to go in the next few weeks.

Question is, is an estate/suv essential? Part of me thinks it is for transport, etc being just easier
But I have no children, it’s just me and the OH, so part of me thinks a back seat of a saloon with a cover is perfectly sufficient and therefore opens up the scope.

Thoughts?

[hondafanatic]

I tried a saloon with a small lab but found it hard work when she was wet and muddy. I then went and got a an estate and it’s a lot easier. Especially if you get one with an auto opening system...I bought a fitted boot liner and she just runs towards the car and jumps in on her washable bed...I don’t bother with the dog guard but I have a big plastic tub for muddy wellies, leads and tennis balls.

[Its Just Adz]

2 dogs here and they fit in my Fiat Panda comfortably, mind you I don't care about the interior

[AstonZagato]

I'd say yes. I want my cars to have the mess contained in the boot. They can move around in there without distracting you.

However, many people have their dogs in the car with them.

[juice]

Muzzer79 said:

Hi all

New dog is incoming in the next couple of months.

Unknown flavour as it will be a rescue dog, but a medium size male is likely (famous last words)

So, being a man, car choice is now being focused on - my current needs to go in the next few weeks.

Question is, is an estate/suv essential? Part of me thinks it is for transport, etc being just easier
But I have no children, it’s just me and the OH, so part of me thinks a back seat of a saloon with a cover is perfectly sufficient and therefore opens up the scope.

Thoughts?

Get a Back seat hammock with slots for the sealtbelts and then a harness and you're good.

[jonamv8]

Do you care about keeping your car interior cleanish?? If yes get estate minimum

[Ryan-nunm9]

As above. Not essential* but makes like a lot easier and cleaner.

• Essential for me as my Dogue DeBordeaux "Tank" fluctuates from a 71kg in the summer up close to 80kg in the winter. Down side of my Defender (or an SUV) is as he gets old and jumping in and out isn't an option, then he'll need a ramp to get in and out of the back.

[bakerstreet]

IMO yes.

Last place I want a dog is on the seats. Yes, you can get seat belts and harnesses, but then you need seat covers as well.

Estates are just much easier all round. Buy a dog guard or crate and away you go.

Worth noting that we had Greyhound (RIP) and that is a big dog to be on the back seat, so wife had a C-Max and I had (Still have it) a Discovery 3 and you don't get much bigger than that (Excluding Chrysler Voyager)

As others have said, it's all about containing the mess. You can buy a nice boot liner and maybe a bed for them as well.

We also had a divider, so you could still use the boot for shopping and similar. I'd recommend that.

[Jakg]

bakerstreet said:

Worth noting that we had Greyhound (RIP) and that is a big dog to be on the back seat, so wife had a C-Max and I had (Still have it) a Discovery 3 and you don't get much bigger than that (Excluding Chrysler Voyager)

I have a greyhound and a lurger, and they fit ok in the back of my Renault Megane?~

Sure, could do with more space but fine for short journeys.

[HRL]

Can fit my dogs crate in the back of my wife’s Ford Kuga SUV. Works well for our cocker spaniel at least, not sure about a bigger breed.

Don’t feel comfortable having her loose in the car.

[cornet]

You don't need an Estate or SUV.

Our smallish (~21kg) Labrador fits happily in the boot of my Megane RS with no issues. I do have a waterproof boot liner to protect everything.

For long journeys I cover the back seat, put her bed on the seat then she wears a harness so she is strapped in. This is mainly so we can use the boot for transporting stuff.

The caveat to all the above is that she pretty much sleeps from the moment she gets into the car until we arrive. She'll quite happily go 3 or 4 hours without a stop.

[essayer]

Remember a lot of SUVs have a parcel shelf not a load cover, so if you have dog + stuff in the boot it may be a hassle to keep taking the shelf out

[juice]

cornet said:

You don't need an Estate or SUV.

Our smallish (~21kg) Labrador fits happily in the boot of my Megane RS with no issues. I do have a waterproof boot liner to protect everything.

For long journeys I cover the back seat, put her bed on the seat then she wears a harness so she is strapped in. This is mainly so we can use the boot for transporting stuff.

The caveat to all the above is that she pretty much sleeps from the moment she gets into the car until we arrive. She'll quite happily go 3 or 4 hours without a stop.

We've got one of these in our Golf Estate

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071GT9G5H/ref=asc_df_...

I've also got a Freelander with a boot liner, dog guard etc...guess which the dog prefers ?

[illmonkey]

Z4?

[99dndd]

Get an estate. Sporty estates are cool, see Exhibit A:

[PositronicRay]

I changed my Sunbeam Alpine for a Merc SL, tiny rear bench seat is ok for medium size mutt. Mrs PR's hatchback does the rest of the duties.

[ctdctd]

Will the OH sit in the back?

If yes, a three door Swift Sport would seem ideal.
(She does have a proper seatbelt harness for when the car is actually moving!)

[AstonZagato]

essayer said:

Remember a lot of SUVs have a parcel shelf not a load cover, so if you have dog + stuff in the boot it may be a hassle to keep taking the shelf out

The day the new Range Rover comes home, the parcel shelf comes out, gets wrapped in plastic and stored in the garage until the day I sell it.
With drug-dealer glass, the boot is near invisible anyway.
However, it would be mere seconds to put it back in.

[Jasandjules]

Well my larger boy won't fit across the back seats of a car so we have an Estate.... The girls can go on the back seats with a harness however now this car has leather I am not sure it is a good idea from a claws point of view.

[Steve H]

We're currently selling SWMBOs STi in favour of (probably) a XC60 for incoming hound (see PH ads for details ). Possibly not entirely necessary but looks a lot more suitable.