Looking for a reasonably priced car that’s suitable for you and your dog?

There’s a lot to consider when choosing a car, from the size of the vehicle to the size of your budget – but if your dog will be a regular passenger, you’ll be thinking about what’s best for them too.  

Swansea Bay News has joined forces with Compare the Market to reveal the most dog-friendly cars by looking at car features, including boot capacity and cabin noise, car prices and different dog sizes.

As well as getting the right car, drivers need to make sure pets are restrained while travelling, otherwise they could end up with a fine or even invalidate their car insurance.  

Compare the Market also have some great research and tips on how to keep your dog safe and comfortable on the road.

The Audi A1 is the top reasonably priced car for smaller dogs (12 to 24 lbs) 

For Border Terriers, Dachshunds, Pugs etc.

The Audi A1 comes out as the top reasonably priced car for small dogs due to its starting price of £20,840 and low cabin noise level of just 53.1 decibels (which is equivalent to a quiet conversation, or a quiet refrigerator). With a boot capacity of 335dm³ (which is also 335L or the size of two bathtubs), it provides plenty of space for smaller dogs to get comfortable. 

The Seat Ibiza ranks as the second top affordable car for small dogs, with a slightly higher cabin noise of 56.1dB but lower starting cost of £17,755. The Seat Leon comes third, with cabin noise of 56.8dB and a starting price tag of £22,225.

Top rated reasonably priced cars for small dogs

Top rated mid-range to luxury priced cars for small dogs

The Ford Kuga is the top reasonably priced car for larger dogs (24 to 99 lbs)

For Poodles, Spaniels, Whippets, Boxers, Greyhounds, Labradors, etc.

The Ford Kuga is the top reasonably priced option for medium to large dogs due to its starting price of £24,538, and decent boot capacity (443dm³) and width (1883mm). The Peugeot 2008 is the second top reasonably priced car for bigger dogs, with a slightly cheaper starting cost of £22,735 and lower cabin noise level (52dB). The Ford Mondeo is third in this category, offering a cheaper starting price of £22,417 and better boot capacity of 476.5dm³.

Top rated reasonably priced cars for medium to large dogs 

Top rated mid-range to luxury priced cars for medium to large dogs 

Top 10 cars for dogs under a starting cost of £40,000

For those who can be a little more flexible with their budget but still want to find the top deals, here are the top 10 top dog-friendly cars, all under a starting car price of £40,000.

The Kia Sportage takes the top spot overall at a starting price of £27,250, followed by the Toyota RAV4 (£35,350) and the Ford Kuga (£24,538).

Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Compare the Market says: “As well as choosing the right car, drivers need to be aware of rules around travelling with animals. Driving with unrestrained dogs could result in a maximum fine of £5,000 and nine penalty points depending on the severity of the situation. It could also invalidate your car insurance. Suitable restraints include seat belt harnesses, pet carriers and dog cages”. 

You can find the full research with more information on the top cars for dogs here: https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/best-cars-for-dogs/

(Lead image: Wald-Burger8 / Wikimedia / Creative Commons 2.0)

As the cost-of-living rockets, a new survey asked consumers how they really feel about electric versus fossil fuel cars (petrol/diesel) and which they found most cost effective. 

The research, by price comparison experts Quotezone.co.uk, reveals that 59.3% of petrol/diesel drivers will only consider buying an electric or hybrid vehicle ‘when I absolutely have to’. 

26.2% said they would buy ‘within the next 5 years’, 10.3% said they would ‘buy now / as soon as is feasibly possible’ and only 4.3% said they’d buy ‘just before the deadline’ – 2030, when the government plan on banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.  

The research also found that the main barrier that is stopping people from buying an electric car is the price, with 35.7% of drivers saying they are too expensive, followed by 20% of people who said range anxiety was a major concern, while worries about the availability of public charging points were cited as an issue by 19.3% of respondents. 

Interestingly though, 57.8% of those with electric cars said they were saving over £100 per month compared to their previous fossil fuel vehicle – with 36.6% saving under £100 per month.  Only 5.6% didn’t believe they were making savings.  

When electric vehicle owners were asked what they didn’t like about their cars, 24.8% said there weren’t enough readily available charging points, followed by range anxiety (20%), broken charging points (19%) and rising energy costs (18%).  

The data, compiled by Quotezone.co.uk, was taken from a survey of 500 electric and petrol / diesel car insurance policyholders, completed in August 2022.  

Quotezone.co.uk’s Founder, Greg Wilson, comments: “It’s really interesting to see what’s holding people back from going electric and again, lack of infrastructure and car price, appear to be the top offenders that are making it impractical for many to make the switch.   

“The hike in car prices is most likely due to the new car shortage, brought about by lack of materials and logistical issues across Europe, causing a spike in shoppers choosing ‘nearly new’ second-hand petrol cars.  

“One positive point to bear in mind for those worried about costs is that electric car insurance is now more readily available as the majority of insurance providers have added electric cars to their offering – making it easier for consumers to shop around and get a competitive premium.”   

Currently only 2% of cars are hybrid and 3% are electric in the UK.  Data from Quotezone.co.uk shows a small increase in customers with electric or hybrid cars of 0.2% from June 2021 compared to June 2022 – with the average cost of those electric vehicles increasing by £5k from £34,000 to £39,000. 

The government has been increasing investment in charging points, including grants for motorists, as well as tax relief to help make electric vehicles more affordable.   

New research reveals which cars the UK can expect to see for years to come, and which ones will soon disappear forever.

While 1.6 million new cars were registered in 2020 and 2021, this number is still 800,000 lower than the 2.3 million new cars registered in 2019.

In contrast, the secondhand car market continues to grow, with the number of cars over 13 years old on Britain’s roads growing from 1.3 million in 1994 to more than 6.5 million in 2020 – an increase of 393%.

So, which cars will continue to grow old on UK roads and which ones will disappear never to be seen again? To find out, Van Monster has conducted research to predict which cars are on their way to extinction and which ones will be around for years to come. 

Van Monster has analysed DVLA data from How Many Left to discover the number of cars registered for 52 different models since 1994. The research then calculated the rate of increase and decrease of registrations over the years to predict how many of these cars will be on British roads from 2025 to 2050.

Cars Facing Extinction

Alfa Romeo 90

Sunbeam Vogue

Hyundai Pony

BMW 1500

Fiat 1300

Skoda Estelle

Seat Marbella

Kia Pride

Fiat 133

Lancia Trevi

By calculating the rate of decline, the research predicts when some of the nation’s most loved cars will be wiped from UK roads completely. Cars such as the Honda Concerto, Kia Pride, SEAT Marbella and Nissan Bluebird are not expected to make it through to the next decade alone.

It’s an even bleaker future when predicting which cars will no longer be seen driving around the UK by 2050. At their rate of decline, both the popular models of the Peugeot 205 and Ford Escort will no longer be driving around on British roads.

Some are expected to even say their goodbye before then, with the Vauxhall Nova expected to be extinct by 2045. Although half a million of these cars were sold in Britain, now only 900 remain and this number is only expected to get even smaller.

Some vehicles are already clinging onto the road by the skin of their engines. According to the data, there are only three Lancia Trevis driving around on UK soil, two Fiat 133s and Fiat 1300s, and only one BMW 1500.

Cars Defying Extinction

Vauxhall Vectra

Vauxhall Viva

Ford Fiesta

Ford Focus

Fiat Panda

Ford Mondeo

Triumph Dolomite

Ford Anglia

Triumph Herald

Fiat 124

By analysing the rate of registrations cars since 1994, Van Monster has been able to calculate which cars are currently defying extinction and will continue to do so in the future.

The research reveals there are currently 463% more Vauxhall Vivas on UK roads than there was in 1994 and the Viva isn’t the only car still going strong. While production of the widely popular Ford Fiesta started in the 1970s, by 1994 there were over 1.6 million registered in the UK and there’s still a similar number in circulation today (1.5 million). In fact, the research predicts this number will increase by 1% every five years until the fleet returns to its original 1.6 million in 2045.

Likewise, there are currently more than a quarter of a million Ford Mondeos driving around today. While the research predicts this model will not see less than 100,000 cars until 2040 (85,182), production has now ceased with the last Ford Mondeo rolling off the production line in April 2022 – could this speed up the end for this popular family car?

While some cars will continue to line the streets in their thousands, others are predicted to slowly make a comeback. While there are currently 136 Hillman Hunters on British roads, by 2040 this is expected to be 210. Likewise, The Rover 2000 has declined at a slower than average rate and so 235 will be driving around in 2050, compared to the 742 today.

Gary Sullivan, Managing Director at Van Monster, says, “Everyone has at least one fond car memory– whether it’s from a holiday, or the first car we owned, there’s at least one that we look back on with nostalgia. Even those from our favourite TV shows can be sentimental, just like the Reliant Robin, which has been the joke of many comedies, now only has just over 1,000 left on our roads today.

“With so many new cars being released each year, it’s interesting to see when we may no longer get to see these cars from our past driving around on our streets. “

Van Monster has created an interactive graph so users can compare the extinction rate of some of their favourite cars here: https://www.vanmonster.com/en-gb/favourite-cars-facing-extinction-in-the-uk

Lead image: Peugeot 205 (Image: Vauxford / Wikimedia / Creative Commons)