UKC

I'm looking at new cars as I now need something that will take all my bouldering pads in the boot rather than on the back seat, having recently had a sprog.

My trusty 1 series coupe will take 2 pads in the boot and 2 on the back seat so ideally I would like an estate that will take 4 in the boot. I realise this is a stretch and I will probably need to compromise. One option might be to have half the back seat permanently down if it will split.

I need at least 170-180bhp (no performance downgrade from a 120d). I've considered octavia, leon, 3 series so far. Ideally not something as wide as a 5 series or Passat, as I park on a terraced street so it would get clattered.

So the question is, if you have an estate, what is it and how many full size pads can you fit in it?

Ta

In reply to Si dH:

My VW Golf hatch takes three pads in the boot (if the parcel shelf is removed).

 

In reply to Si dH:

Audi A7. I reckon I could get 5 in my boot without back row down. 300 bhp. A little bit long for the Stanage parking

In reply to Si dH:

Used to be able to get 4 in the back of my xtype Jag (model maybe too old for you now)

In reply to Si dH:

How sweet!   My estate, Fordingham Park has a number of 'Pads'.  

First there is the Lake house - down by the lake of course!  Nearby in the Great Wood is the foresters house alongside the Head woodsman's house.  Down near the chalk stream is the boatman's and ghillie's cottages.  And of course the charming gatehouse down near than common public road.  (But we do have a nice back road into the estate for the delivery drivers and other common folk.).  (I believe they;re a charming couple by the boathouse but I've been a little busy of late what with all those public engagements to pop by since we recruited them just after the war.  (thats the Falkland's war - or was it the Iraq war?.  Well never mind and good night).

In reply to Philip:

Seriously, 5 pads in a coupe?? That does sound good.  I'd have to go a bit older than I'd like to stay in budget though...

In reply to Si dH:

Skoda Octavia VRS. Think I could get 4 pads in the boot but haven't tried. Doesn't seem especially wide and I park it in the street - it does seem bloody long though. I guess that's why people buy the vile SUV things these days. Think it's 174 BHP so fits the bill. Should be cheaper now everyone is moving away from diesel??

In reply to Si dH:

You just have to be creative. I've had 6 pads in my A3, I'd be looking to fit 8 in an estate  

In reply to Si dH:

The A7 isn't a coupe, it's more of a grand tourer. Boot is about 1.2 m long.

Still not big enough for me, I'm chucking it in after 3 years for an SUV.

In reply to Stig:

Is yours an estate or hatch?

In reply to Tom Last:

Yes, but did you have a baby and his stuff on the back seat at the same time?

In reply to Si dH: estate. Btw I think the Seat is a tourer as well, ie not as large as the Octavia/Passat estate. Nice car though.

Predictably enough I love my Octavia

 

In reply to Billhook:

Yes, I was thinking it was some sort of code relating to recreational pharmaceutical facilities in the neighbourhood.

In reply to Si dH:

No chance!  

In reply to Si dH:

What you need is a van, not a car.

In reply to Si dH:

2 big pads (BD Drop Zone) and a weeks worth of camping gear, without the camping gear I reckon 4 big pads at least in the A6 estate.

In reply to Si dH:

2005 Audi A6 = 2 x Organic Simple/Full pads + rucksacks. Any more and you start loosing visibility. Anything bigger (wider) would need to go on the backseats.

In reply to Jon Read:

This isn't necessarily an issue if you train yourself to drive in the event of a very full boot like you would drive a van where you have no visibility back anyway.  It just involves more use of side mirrors and a willingness to get out and look if you need to when reversing.  Slightly easier than a van as you don't lose the blind spot check through the back passenger windows.

In reply to Si dH:

Maybe consider a Peugeot 308 SW GT? 2.0 diesel with 180bhp and a massive 660 litre boot capacity that is one of the largest available (more capacity than a Passat and the same as a Superb even though it is a compact estate and not full size...) 

In reply to Si dH:

from experience, I can tell you that the 3-series Boot is surprisingly small for the size of the car.

If pad Boot size is the main thing, I've heard good things about the Yeti...

In reply to Si dH:

I managed 4 pads in the boot of my roomster (accepting that I had no rear view), the astra estate which I replaced it with should probably be able to as well (I've only got 2 pads available to test at present but happy for you to pop round and see how many will fit in the boot).

In reply to Si dH:

Does it have to be an estate? We have a Renault Kangoo. Fits our 2 sprogs in the back with room for 4 pads + stuff or a pram and 2 pads + stuff in the boot. I suspect it's not as powerful as you'd like but the newer ones might be a bit more goey. 

In reply to Somerset swede basher:

Thanks for the feedback all. I looked at a few things and have settled on an octavia estate vrs. The boot is big enough for 3-4 full size pads and nothing else I saw (inc passat, mondeo or 5 series) was bigger. Those cars are all a bit wider, which I didn't want.  3 series and leon were much smaller, especially the 3. The Octavia boot also had a better shape for pads - the boot was taller up to the parcel shelf than most so they can almost fit vertically when folded without completely blocking the rear view.

Vans, yetis, roomsters all out because they don't come with decent acceleration and suspension for fast B roads. Same goes for the 308 which takes over 8 seconds to 60 despite the engine appearing powerful.

Quite impressed by the Octavia overall but now got to settle on one to buy..

In reply to Si dH:

Audi A6 Avant with the 3.0l diesel (272 BHP and 4 wheel drive) 

In reply to Si dH:

you could also go for this: 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercedes/c-class/96680/new-mercedes-amg-c-43-e...

In reply to Si dH:

Some more ideas:

- A cheaper alternative maybe a Vaxhall Insigna estate (2.0 diesel). It's not very fast but then anything less than 200 bhp in estate form isn't going to be quick.

- E class Mercedes estate is massive and has loads of good engines