How to choose car with sufficient boot space for dog?

[FrogFrogFrogFrogFrog]

We're currently looking at replacing our car, and have in mind to get a dog in about 3-5 years. So ideally we'd like to buy a car that will suit said dog. But I've no idea how you know if the boot space is tall enough or wide enough.

We're hoping to have a golden retriever so having sufficient space for dog to be comfortable is important and not a given like it might be with smaller breeds like a pug.

Is there any sort of basic "boot must be this tall" metrics we can use for working this out?

Does anyone have a Nissan Juke or Qashqai with a retriever sized dog?

We had three dogs at one point, two v. large labs and a leggy lurcher. We looked at loads of different cars including suv's and decent sized estates were the only practical solution. Currently have a Skoda Octavia estate, it's so useful that I wouldn't change from an estate now.

Look at boot height, floor space, and importantly how much headroom there is in the boot when it is closed. Some look spacious but if the tailgate is very angled there is no room for the dog to turn around.

I currently have a BMW 2 series Active Tourer as a work car. The rear seats can be locked upright rather than reclined, which gives the dog loads of space in the boot for a pretty small car (although you can’t sit in the back when they’re like this).

ETA estates are my car of choice though. I’ve had a Ford Focus estate for years and it has been excellent for dog transport, trips to Ikea, the tip etc.

I agree with this.

Now that our dog is older we have a ramp for her as the boot is quite high up and I don't want her jumping down from it onto hard ground. There is no lip on the SUV's I've had, but several do have one so it is something to watch out for. My favourite doggy car was our old 5 series touring.

Definitely a hatch, so the back opens fully. I have a Peugeot 2008 and both my dogs (working cocker size) fit in fine.
But Google is your friend! Check this out:

www.truecar.com/best-cars-trucks/for-dogs/

An estate or hatchback is best. SUVs have a deep lip, OK once the dog can jump but not so good for lifting a big puppy or older dog. I have a Labrador and a Springer and they travelled 200 miles in a Golf hatchback quite happily. I now have a Ford C-Max (our second) which has a cavernous boot and masses of headroom.

I would seriously consider getting a car big enough to accommodate a crate big enough for your dog rather than the dog itself. I’ve owned dogs of all sizes and all have been fine in the car but my current (smallish) dog is not a good traveller. I think she would have been happier in a crate in the car but unfortunately I couldn’t find one to fit her and my Mini. So she has a car seat on the passenger seat next to me because she gets very stressed. It’s fine because usually it’s just me and her in the car but if anyone else is with us they have to accept that they go in the back while she sits up front like a princess.

Juke and a rottweiler here, the boot in the juke is pretty small to be honest and she doesn't really fit in it. We put the double back seat down and lay her bed over the top of it.

We currently don't have children but there won't be room for a car seat in there as well. We're looking at bigger options

Audi Q5 and Bullmastiffs here .

We had an Astra estate and it was perfect!

We've got a fugly Zafira but the e boot is huge and flat entrance

I have a big dog and he fits very happily in our Skoda Fabia Estate but in fact he can also manage in our Ford Fiesta for short journeys

One thing I underestimated is that if your dog it in the boot where do you put all the stuff you used to put in the boot? We're contemplating a roof box for holidays now.

Woah! More responses thank you all

@ThePure that's what I like about the Nissans as there's a sort of "under boot" you can store things and dog goes on top. Good for weekends away. But yes, anticipating a roof box for bigger holidays...

I drive an ugly old galaxy because there’s plenty of space for my dogs and they can step in. The things I’ve given up for them 😄

I have a really ancient Landrover, over thirty years old. Will never win a beauty contest but tons of space & never let me down she’s so reliable.

Get an estate - lower floor that's flat entry.

When I bought mine I tested for size by getting someone to shut me in and see how much space I had to move around

Our lab is still okay to jump in and out of our estate cars at 10, but I shall need to change my Golf estate soon (16 years old and 160k) so reading along with interest.

With regard to the mats, there are companies that sell model specie mats for the boot, we've got one from Travall ( with a crate /guard system) our standard poodle gets half the boot and the ready is storage.

With regard to cars how many are in the family, we have Galaxy with the rear seats down but you pwont need something that size if there are only 2 of you?

Our RAV4 has a flat entry with no lip and the sill height is only 5cm higher than the estate we had previously. It has one of the roomiest boots for cars of that overall size. Our two labs have plenty of space in it.

We have a very unsexy Citroen Grand Picasso, which fits our three children, a week's worth of luggage (with a roof box), and a small Newfoundland. She's fine jumping in, but we also have a ramp which we used when she was a too-big-to-lift puppy, and will use again which she starts to find it difficult to jump in. She's only 6, but that won't be far off as she already has arthritis. You can get folding ramps that don't take up a lot of space.

One of the best things about it is that it's a seven-seater, so there are seatbelts in the boot for when the seats are up. We're able to attach her car harness to one of these belts by shifting the floor cover slightly to let it poke through.

@MoreHairyThanScary we have one child in a child seat to factor in, with no intention of further children, so while rear space is important we definitely don't need a big 7 seater.

We're test driving a Qashqai later this week! 5'8" DW dutifully got into the boot at the showroom and I shut her in to test moving space, to the amusement of the sales person with us at the time. Agreed that that Juke didn't have enough turning space but the Qashqai seemed roomy (even leaving in the insert!)

Best car we have had for the dog was our Peugeot estate... HUGE boot, low to the ground so easy to jump into.
However I now drive a Landrover Freelander 2. ... lovely boot space, but like all SUVs , high up. So we have folding steps.. they are brilliant. My dog is only 5 but I want to protect her joints and it takes 2 seconds to pop them out and she learned to use them very quickly with a couple of treats :)

Audi A6 estate. Loads of room for golden retrievers and Trans K9 crash tested crates can be brought off the shelf to fit them