Looking for a new car that’s affordable but also good for carrying a dog? Here’s a guide to some reasonably priced cars with a boot that should prove roomy enough to transport a dog in comfort. The majority of cars in this guide have a starting price that sits comfortably below £20,000.
Peugeot 308 SW
The latest estate version of the Peugeot 308 SW, starting from just over £17,000, is a stylish car with many strong points. One of the areas it performs well in is interior and practicality.
The high roofline together with the 660 litre capacity boot means there’s plenty of room for a dog. In fact, this boot capacity is more than you get from rivals including the Volkswagen Golf estate, SEAT Leon ST and Honda Civic Tourer. Some of those litres regarding the 308 SW’s boot capacity do actually come from an under floor storage area, but the load bay can be made flat when it’s not being accessed.
Impressively, the 308 SW manages to offer a very competitive load capacity and still provide plenty of room for front and rear seated passengers. The selection of cheap-to-run engines, particularly the low emission 2.0-litre diesel, also adds to the Peugeot’s appeal.
Nissan Qashqai
As well as being comfortable to drive, well-equipped and competitively priced in its segment (starting from under £19,000), the latest Nissan Qashqai is also very adept for carrying a dog in the back.
The tall build and 430 litre boot results in a roomy backend, but what’s even better is that the Qashqai’s luggage-board system allows the boot floor to be raised or lowered. The boot lip can be removed entirely to make accessing the back both easier and safer for your dog. The luggage boards can also be flipped around so that dogs or anything else can sit on a surface that’s easy to wipe things off.
Skoda Fabia Estate
Supermini-based estate cars are a rarity in Britain’s current car market but the latest Skoda Fabia shows that it’s a decent concept that can fulfil the needs of small families and any dog owners.
Starting from around £12,500, the Fabia is very affordable for an estate car but still offers lots of head and leg room while the boot measures at 530 litres. The rear seats can be folded for 1,395 litres of load space and there’s various storage compartments and nets dotted around the rest of the interior. The Fabia estate certainly lives up to Skoda’s ‘simply clever’ tag line.
The Fabia estate also has a comfortable drive, complemented by a solid range of compact petrol and diesel engines.
Dacia Duster
Starting from under £10,000, the Dacia Duster is incredibly inexpensive for a rugged crossover with off-road capabilities. The interior of the Duster leaves you in no doubt that this is a car from a budget brand, but it’s roomy, sturdy and the 408 litre boot is dog-friendly.
There’s little in the current car market which can offer as much boot space and versatility as the Duster does for a price range that’s similar to it. The boot lip is not quite as user-friendly as some other crossovers but it shouldn’t prove much trouble for dogs.
If you’re interested in driving the dog somewhere that involves trekking off-road, there’s few methods as affordable as the Duster.
Mazda CX-5
With pricing starting at about £23,000, the Mazda CX-5 is noticeably more expensive than other entries in this guide. However, this crossover aims to take sales off premium entries in the segment which are significantly more expensive.
With its sleek styling, nimble handling, efficient engine line-up and lots of driving technology, there are plenty of reasons to like the CX-5. The big, tall boot with 503 litres of capacity is good for any dog owners looking at this car as well.
Even better, CX-5 customers can add a dog guard which is included in the Mazda’s list of optional accessories. The CX5’s dog guard, which costs roughly £130, uses a steel mesh and secures to the roof of the car.
