I think the Scout as a 4x4 has a higher ride height than the 2 wheel drive versions of the Octavia Estate; not sure by how much. Surprised it is higher than a RAV4, or is it just that your dog is getting older which is why he finds it difficult to get in? Boot liner is a good idea and as a minimum in any car the rubber floor covering is a must for coping with soggy doggy.

does the RAV4 have an extra low floor? it really suprised me that its lower than the scout

I don't want to turn this into a "dog" of a thread but my Retriever's main interests are load height, i.e. height of boot lip above floor (which rules our Yeti and other 4x4 creations) and space once inside. So, what I am really looking for is any guidance on engine choice/trim level and any essential extras that you guys would recommend. Of course at this stage pre test drive I am not sure if I will go ahead but if I like the car then I want to get a quote.

thx

ps Yes I also like VRS but plus £3K over an Elegance? and worse fuel consumption, higher road tax and insurance - not sure....

I have a golden labrador which I regularly transport to the park for walkies.

He's an elderly, rather podgy gent now (10 years old and 40 Kilos) and when I was researching new cars recently, I discovered that only a handful (eg. the Peugeot 207 SW) have a substantively reduced bumper height that would realistically facilitate jumping in unaided, none of which I liked. I suspect that if you looked around you may find the same.

So I resigned myself to this fact and in my new Octavia, as with my previous Fiesta, I routinely lift and crook his front legs over the top of the bumper (a small mat placed over the top of the bumper first to avoid scratchs), then I lift his rear quarters up into the hatch. Not exactly elegant, but I don't believe he cares. The Octavia bumper lip is definitely higher than the Fiesta's, but not unacceptably so. If I were elderly or had a bad back, I would be considering a dog ramp (google it), but I don't know how effective these actually are, and even when folded up, they are a bulky item.

Incidentally, I also notice road noise on my new 1.4 TSI (wearing Dunlops), but I suspect it is more to do with the engine being so quiet (my previous diesel Fiesta, for all its merits, had a veritable coffee tin full of nails under the bonnet).

Spacewise, there's plenty of room for even two large dogs in the back, however, the capacity to stand up and look around is limited to an extent by the sloping rear window - obviously the Octavia estate wouldn't share this limitation.

Edited 14 March, 201016 yr by Cauliflower