What car? Family & dog edition.
Discussion
So the Ford Focus estate is due to go back, and we've got decent positive equity in it. Car is superb, but a bit too small now after 3 years - we have a big labrador, an 18 month old, a 17 yr old, plus me and the missus and i'm 6ft4.
So we've outgrown it, which is a shame because it's a great car with the little 1.0 engine on boost, but we need something bigger. We're badge agnostic, and price range preferably under £30k.
We need:
- more legroom and headspace
- parking sensors
- 1.4- 2.0 petrol or diesel
- low boot lip for the dog
- big wide long boot
- high enough I can bend down and get the little one out as it's killing my back right now
I'm not overly keen on MPVs. A bigger estate would be the right compromise but she isn't happy with a leviathan-esque Superb estate (which I would love).
So what's out there? Peugeot 5008? Skoda Kodiaq? Are they absolutely gargantuan? Do the boot spaces of these bigger SUVs have compromises vs estates?
Any and all ideas/experience is helpful. Primarily it needs to take 3 adults, a baby, a labrador, and all that jazz. Family hack so decent entertainment but not looking for E class levels of refinement (i'll save that for my daily).
So we've outgrown it, which is a shame because it's a great car with the little 1.0 engine on boost, but we need something bigger. We're badge agnostic, and price range preferably under £30k.
We need:
- more legroom and headspace
- parking sensors
- 1.4- 2.0 petrol or diesel
- low boot lip for the dog
- big wide long boot
- high enough I can bend down and get the little one out as it's killing my back right now
I'm not overly keen on MPVs. A bigger estate would be the right compromise but she isn't happy with a leviathan-esque Superb estate (which I would love).
So what's out there? Peugeot 5008? Skoda Kodiaq? Are they absolutely gargantuan? Do the boot spaces of these bigger SUVs have compromises vs estates?
Any and all ideas/experience is helpful. Primarily it needs to take 3 adults, a baby, a labrador, and all that jazz. Family hack so decent entertainment but not looking for E class levels of refinement (i'll save that for my daily).
I hired a 2017 Volvo V90 D4 estate at the weekend and I think it had nearly all the toys - certainly more than I've ever had on a car before.
Absolutely fell in love with it. Cracking car. Sensors all around and not just when parking which was useful as it's quite a barge. Seats were extremely comfortable, boot was electric and I don't see any dog issues. I hired the car to do a couple of tip runs and it was cavernous. The rear seats dropped with ease too which helped with not having to bend over awkwardly.
I had a look on autotrader after I handed it back and similar models are available in the £25-27k region. If I needed to own one, I'd buy it straight away. Can't recommend enough.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Absolutely fell in love with it. Cracking car. Sensors all around and not just when parking which was useful as it's quite a barge. Seats were extremely comfortable, boot was electric and I don't see any dog issues. I hired the car to do a couple of tip runs and it was cavernous. The rear seats dropped with ease too which helped with not having to bend over awkwardly.
I had a look on autotrader after I handed it back and similar models are available in the £25-27k region. If I needed to own one, I'd buy it straight away. Can't recommend enough.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
pb8g09 said:
I hired a 2017 Volvo V90 D4 estate at the weekend and I think it had nearly all the toys - certainly more than I've ever had on a car before.
Absolutely fell in love with it. Cracking car. Sensors all around and not just when parking which was useful as it's quite a barge. Seats were extremely comfortable, boot was electric and I don't see any dog issues. I hired the car to do a couple of tip runs and it was cavernous. The rear seats dropped with ease too which helped with not having to bend over awkwardly.
I had a look on autotrader after I handed it back and similar models are available in the £25-27k region. If I needed to own one, I'd buy it straight away. Can't recommend enough.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Brilliant thank you!Absolutely fell in love with it. Cracking car. Sensors all around and not just when parking which was useful as it's quite a barge. Seats were extremely comfortable, boot was electric and I don't see any dog issues. I hired the car to do a couple of tip runs and it was cavernous. The rear seats dropped with ease too which helped with not having to bend over awkwardly.
I had a look on autotrader after I handed it back and similar models are available in the £25-27k region. If I needed to own one, I'd buy it straight away. Can't recommend enough.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
My Girlfriend's mum has a VW Touran. Uses that to cart 3 dogs (2 lurchers, 1 spaniel) and will sit 5 adults in half decent comfort. Boot is low and no lip for the dog to try and vault over either. The C3 Picasso is a bit smaller but otherwise very similar.
Edit: Glossed over the not keen on MPV bit. I've only been taxied in them but the Octavia estate is plenty big from memory and the VRS is meant to be good fun!
Edit: Glossed over the not keen on MPV bit. I've only been taxied in them but the Octavia estate is plenty big from memory and the VRS is meant to be good fun!
Edited by Tomthespesh on Tuesday 11th September 14:52
The Kodiaq would be perfect, check out the Nissan X Trail too as discounted they're very cheap for what they are. Likewise, the last of the line of the old shape VW Touaregs are good value currently and the Land Rover Discovery Sport is worth a look. Ditto Honda CRV and Hyundai Santa Fe/Kia Sorento.
The trouble is with the Qashqai sized cars is there is hardly any more room than the Focus, plus a smaller boot. If you want an estate then the Octavia Estate (Scout for higher ride height or VRS for thrills) is probably your best shout if the Superb is too big.
The trouble is with the Qashqai sized cars is there is hardly any more room than the Focus, plus a smaller boot. If you want an estate then the Octavia Estate (Scout for higher ride height or VRS for thrills) is probably your best shout if the Superb is too big.
Edited by kieranblenk on Tuesday 11th September 14:55
Your problem is that you want a high rear seat for getting the toddler in and out, but a low boot lip for the dog. The two tend not to go hand in hand.
Perhaps a compromise would be a higher riding estate, such as the Octavia Scout or Volvo V90 CC? My 10 year old large dog is starting to struggle to jump in to the back of our Ford Kuga. I'm seriously thinking about looking at a step / ramp to help the dog jump in.
Boots of SUV's tend to be taller than an estate car, but not as long (as in distance from back seat to rear door).
Perhaps a compromise would be a higher riding estate, such as the Octavia Scout or Volvo V90 CC? My 10 year old large dog is starting to struggle to jump in to the back of our Ford Kuga. I'm seriously thinking about looking at a step / ramp to help the dog jump in.
Boots of SUV's tend to be taller than an estate car, but not as long (as in distance from back seat to rear door).
Edited by IanCress on Tuesday 11th September 15:18
This might help 
https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-cars-for-dog-own...
Personally I love the new XC40. I've driven the one we have on What Car? and while that's £40K spec, they start at £25K (I think) so can be had for less. Might be worth a look. https://www.whatcar.com/news/volvo-xc40-long-term-...
https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-cars-for-dog-own...Personally I love the new XC40. I've driven the one we have on What Car? and while that's £40K spec, they start at £25K (I think) so can be had for less. Might be worth a look. https://www.whatcar.com/news/volvo-xc40-long-term-...
Much appreciated everyone - we have the holy trinity of 3 tall adults, lengthways pram requirements and a big dog, so it's a pain sorting it all out (plus it wont be long before the little wants to go out on bikes etc so the more space the better).
Agree on length of boot, I want as long as possible as the boot will be split for dog and baby stuff so will have a look at some of the suggestions above. I'm open to the right MPV/SUV in reality, i've just always had a thing for big estates.
Agree on length of boot, I want as long as possible as the boot will be split for dog and baby stuff so will have a look at some of the suggestions above. I'm open to the right MPV/SUV in reality, i've just always had a thing for big estates.
I'd say a Mondeo in Vignale form is a good shout they're smaller than the Superb (slightly smaller) & come in 240bhp petrol or 210/180bhp diesel form, plus you'll have some change out of 30k.
Petrol
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Diesel
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
I have the hatchback version & it's been brilliant I can fault it.
Petrol
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Diesel
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
I have the hatchback version & it's been brilliant I can fault it.
Thanks all - we're going to look at a few suggestions so far to get an idea of what works.
In the MPV corner: Smax & Touran
In the estate corner: S90 (lease deals look good?) and the Avensis tourer (looks like you can get stock ones with massive discounts and all the trimmings).
None of these are particularly interesting but the S90 looks like the nicest place to be by a mile. It's what's practical that counts so I can get something a bit silly for myself.
In the MPV corner: Smax & Touran
In the estate corner: S90 (lease deals look good?) and the Avensis tourer (looks like you can get stock ones with massive discounts and all the trimmings).
None of these are particularly interesting but the S90 looks like the nicest place to be by a mile. It's what's practical that counts so I can get something a bit silly for myself.
V90 all the way.
Have had a D5 CC for 10 months and 20k miles now; and absolutely love it. Plenty of legroom in front and back, plus lab friendly boot.
VERY different to drive than the Focus- but a fantastically comfortable place to be. We have recently come back from 2.5k road trip to France including a couple of 5 hour stints. Not tiring at all- the perfect family car.
There seem to be plenty available sub £30k now. Would recommend the D5, comes standard with AWD which came in rather handy last winter. Also, with 235 horses, it actually goes quite well.
Give it a go OP!
Have had a D5 CC for 10 months and 20k miles now; and absolutely love it. Plenty of legroom in front and back, plus lab friendly boot.
VERY different to drive than the Focus- but a fantastically comfortable place to be. We have recently come back from 2.5k road trip to France including a couple of 5 hour stints. Not tiring at all- the perfect family car.
There seem to be plenty available sub £30k now. Would recommend the D5, comes standard with AWD which came in rather handy last winter. Also, with 235 horses, it actually goes quite well.
Give it a go OP!
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