Estate for golden retriever and luggage

[Aiaiaicorona]

We’re looking to upgrade our car as getting a dog at the end of the year and an estate looks the most practical. Which would you recommend that would fit a cage in half the boot big enough for a golden retriever so we can use the other half for luggage for weekends away. Also what engine size would you recommend? We have 2 kids so car will be full, some estates seem to be 1.0 litre but how can they possibly be powerful enough?

Passat Estate worth a look, boot is huge.

Peugeot 308 or 508.

Don't pass over Skodas. They have absolutely massive boots. I have an Octavia and you can fit half the house in it and I don't even think it's the biggest one they do.

I’m thinking of the Skoda Octavia or a Ford Kuga at the moment. I just can’t decide whether to go for an estate or more of an SUV type.

We used to have a Skoda Superb and it was actually a bit big for our two lurchers! Don't get a crate, find a dog guard compatible with a boot divider and then your dog gets the full head height and it isn't as rattly. I have a boot divider in my Land Rover and its perfect as I can adjust it to make exactly the right division - so with a puppy you can make the space nice and small

We looked at SUVs, but actually none of them had good boot space as they were all quite odd shaped, whereas estates had a big rectangular space.

Skoda Octavia was our choice and they do a barrier that fits down the middle for dog one side and luggage etc the other.

Skoda superb. Brilliant car lots of room for dogs and luggage

Skoda superb, huge boot! The whole car is actually very roomy

Another vote for the Octavia (the superb looks good too)

We have a VW Sharan, four (v tall) children and a goldie. We have to have roofbox when we travel abroad, but it's a fab car.

We have a Skoda Fabia and a golden retriever. The car was bought 8 years ago to get two children through driving lessons (reasonable insurance) and transport our old
Labrador. Now our Goldie travels in it. It's boot is massive.
But we're on the verge of needing to replace because frankly two teen and early drivers have knackered it! So I'm keeping an eye on this thread!

Skoda Kodiaq is really excellent with only slightly less space than the Superb if you did decide you wanted a higher up option.

@ICouldHaveCheckedFirst

Peugeot 308 or 508.

We have a Peugeot 308 estate and two golden retrievers, so there should be enough for 1 and some luggage. However, I would warn that it now feels like we take as much stuff for the dogs as we do for us, so don’t forget to factor in their luggage!

Peugeot 3008. Large boot & lots of tech.

The Passat estate boot is huge!

My parents have a volvo XC60 for their Goldie. He is big for a golden retriever though and likes to spread out. They get their weekend luggage in the boot, but the dog's luggage goes on the back seat. So an XC90 if the budget goes that far? They are lovely cars

I have an X3 and a Goldie, plus one teen and a huge pre teen
It’s not big enough for a weekend away, last time we went we took DH car as well (was only an hours journey)

We have an Audi A6 estate but not big enough for the dog and luggage - so I would avoid that. We have a roof box too. We have a dog guard/grille fitted as she’s an older dog, and very well behaved and quiet we don’t use a crate any longer, we use her dog bed.

If you are planning a crate you need to factor in height too, as the dog need to be able to sit up in the crate as well as lie down - for a goldie that quite a tall crate. Or you can have a bespoke crate fitted to whatever car you buy.

Volvo V90, kinder for the dog on its hips over the XC90/60

When your dog/s get to a certain age getting up in to an suv will be harder, if you lift them it will also be harder as higher than an estate car

I have a Kia Ceed estate. Very large boot, bigger than the Astra and Golf estate. I had a Passat estate some years ago, can confirm it was a good size

I had a VW Tiguan suv and the boot was shockingly small. SUV's tend to have a large cabin and small boot

@tinkletwat My parents use a dog ramp. He stands by the boot until they set it up and then saunters up it with such an aloof Goldie attitude. He is one spoilt pooch, and us mere mortals are here to serve him! :)

@Rivergreen love it!

Friends had Passat Estate for their 3 golden retrievers!

We got a Tesla Model S and plus the ample boot space, there is an under boot below the main one and a front boot. We always have tons of room and very low running costs! Obviously not a cheap car in the first place (albeit secobdhand) but very practical for us!

The Skoda Octavia has a much bigger boot than a Ford Kuga, I've had both. We have dogs and (pre-covid) regularly went on family holidays with them. I'd recommend the Skoda for what you're looking for. The Kuga is fine, but a labrador sized cage and family luggage won't fit in the boot, it will in the Octavia.

The Superb is the biggest estate Skoda do, or they have the Kodiaq which is an SUV, they are really roomy too. You get a lot of car for your money with Skoda