My wife and I are considering a Versa (loaded SL hatch w/ CVT) and were pretty much set on it. Now, my wife is having second thoughts. Here is why:

1) 100 lb black lab who will have to ride in the hatch 2) 2.5 year old boy in a car seat3) She is 2 months pregnant <- This is causing the second thoughts

We take many trips to visit family where we stay overnight. That means a bag for us, a bag for the 2.5 year old, a bag for the dog and the dog. Now, throw a new born into the mix and that little Versa is going to be pretty loaded down! We've talked about getting a roof rack for it so we can put stuff up there, keeping room for dog + stuff that can't freeze (we live in WI) inside the car.

We've driven the car 2x now and both really like it. We've got a big mini van that we're going to get rid of for this car. The reduction in cargo capacity has my wife concerned. Our dog currently takes up the whole 3rd row seat of the van!

Can anyone chime in on how much stuff they can cram into the Versa? Ideally, someone with 2 kids in car seats and a big dog!

Thanks,Curt

Plain and simple, 2 adults and 2 kids are fine in there. But the 100lb dog won't work, you'll need something bigger.

Hi Curt. My wife and I just got her a new Versa SL about two weeks ago. While we are past the car seat stage, I do have a tall 14 yr old son who rides in the back. She went from a Scion xB (looks like a box on wheels) to the Versa. We had the same concerns because that Scion had a TON of interior room for people & cargo. First of all, two car seats will totally fill the back seat...period. That will be the case with almost any car. That will leave only the rear cargo area for the dog and the bags. I don't really see that happening. A roof rack with some type of car-top carrier should solve the luggage problem. So it really just comes down to the dog. If you think he'll have enough room back there, then you're good. It's a very deep area and it has a good amount of space. I think it would work fine, but the roof rack will be a must-have for your situation. As far as the Versa goes, I think you'll love it. We sure do.* edit...I almost forgot something. If you have 2 car seats in the back, there will be a good bit of room on the rear floor boards for baby bags (untill they get tall enough to have long legs and feet down there).

The Versa is a huge reduction in cargo capacity when you compare it to your van. I don't even need to know what model the van is to know that.

The Versa will easily carry the two car seats, plus stuff in the enormous footwells and the decent-sized hatch. But I wouldn't even put my 50-pound Aussie mix in the hatch area, let alone a 100 pound dog.

You're not going to need large amounts of legroom for quite some time. You should put a little more emphasis on cargo, for the sake of the dog.

Yes, I, the moderator, will be the dissenting voice here.

You should consider a compact SUV. The gas mileage won't be anywhere near what it is on the V, but it'll get your kids and dog around at the same time.

Consider a Hyundai Tucson or Subaru Forester. Those two will get the best gas mileage of the group (except the Hybrid Escape, but that thing is about $12k more expensive). I can also say from personal experience that the Tucson is a very comfortable, reliable, and safe vehicle.

Ever Victorious wrote:....You should consider a compact SUV. The gas mileage won't be anywhere near what it is on the V, but it'll get your kids and dog around at the same time.

Consider a Hyundai Tucson or Subaru Forester. Those two will get the best gas mileage of the group (except the Hybrid Escape, but that thing is about $12k more expensive). I can also say from personal experience that the Tucson is a very comfortable, reliable, and safe vehicle.

I can't say that I agree with that part. If you look closely at most of the small SUV's, you really aren't getting a whole lot more room than the Versa has. You almost have to go with a full-size SUV (or mini van) before you'll get a signifigant jump in space. The problem is, then you are WAY out of the type/class of vehicle that he obviosly wants. My suggestion would be to start leaving the dog at home for a neighbor to feed. Either that, or be prepared to spend a lot more on your next vehicle and gas.

I can't say anything about the dog, but I will tell you that my 4 year old and my 7 month old have tons of room on the back seat. I usually keep my backpack/laptop underneath my 4yo's feet and she still doesn't have long enough legs to step on it. The diaper bag and misc stuff goes in the well under the 7mo. There's still plenty of room in between them for stuff that my older one can get to and play with on car rides.

Now, if you're taking trips, I could totally go for the roof rack to handle the baggage. That's a no-brainer for me.

My 2 cents for the dog in the cargo area: it should be ok, as long as the trips aren't extraordinarily long or the dog isn't overly active. So, take lots of stops for the dog, kids, wife, etc to stretch & run, and you should be ok. (not ideal, but workable).

Thanks for the info, everyone. I really appreciate it.

The trips I'm talking about are about an hour in the car and happen 10 - 12 times a year. Of those 10 - 12, roughly 4 - 5 of them are over night trips (usually holidays). Those of you with kids know that holidays can become a cargo nightmare. Hey... perhaps having a smaller car will help with that one!

I would maybe suggest waiting on the new Nissan Rogue. Rear cargo looks to be bigger and it is AWD, but the 2.5 still should get good gas mileage.

biggie wrote:I would maybe suggest waiting on the new Nissan Rogue. Rear cargo looks to be bigger and it is AWD, but the 2.5 still should get good gas mileage.

oooooooh. . . yeah, I almost forgot about that. Check out the Rogue!

matt_a wrote:I can't say that I agree with that part. If you look closely at most of the small SUV's, you really aren't getting a whole lot more room than the Versa has. You almost have to go with a full-size SUV (or mini van) before you'll get a signifigant jump in space. The problem is, then you are WAY out of the type/class of vehicle that he obviosly wants. My suggestion would be to start leaving the dog at home for a neighbor to feed. Either that, or be prepared to spend a lot more on your next vehicle and gas.

I wasn't implying that you got more space, I was implying that there was a tradeoff: leg room for cargo space. Kids don't need much leg room until they're teenagers. Ergo, small SUV's have a little more cargo area and a little less legroom.

I simultaneously owned a Versa and a small SUV. We NEVER carried the dogs in the Versa unless the back seat was empty, and then they would ride in the back seat. They would never ride in the cargo area because it's tall, but not deep enough. Our SUV has a much deeper (about 6" deeper) cargo area, and it's enough that the dogs can comfortably ride around in the back on short to moderate range trips.

The Rogue will be in the same size category as a small SUV, so by all means check it out when it arrives!

I would keep your van or get another van. A 100 lb dog, a kid, a wife, another kid on the way. The Versa is nice and it is roomy for a little car but for a (soon to be) family of four and a big dog, I suggest you get another van.

Ever Victorious wrote:
I wasn't implying that you got more space, I was implying that there was a tradeoff: leg room for cargo space. Kids don't need much leg room until they're teenagers. Ergo, small SUV's have a little more cargo area and a little less legroom.

I simultaneously owned a Versa and a small SUV. We NEVER carried the dogs in the Versa unless the back seat was empty, and then they would ride in the back seat. They would never ride in the cargo area because it's tall, but not deep enough. Our SUV has a much deeper (about 6" deeper) cargo area, and it's enough that the dogs can comfortably ride around in the back on short to moderate range trips.

The Rogue will be in the same size category as a small SUV, so by all means check it out when it arrives!

Sorry if I misunderstood. I see what you mean. I still wonder if a small SUV is going to be big enough to make the difference he's looking for. Personally, I think he's either going to have to get a bigger vehicle (like a van) or rethink taking the dog when he travels.

matt_a wrote:Sorry if I misunderstood. I see what you mean. I still wonder if a small SUV is going to be big enough to make the difference he's looking for. Personally, I think he's either going to have to get a bigger vehicle (like a van) or rethink taking the dog when he travels.

If you look at the pics of the Rogue, its quite a bit bigger in the back than a Versa. Also CRVs are big enough in the rear.

biggie wrote:If you look at the pics of the Rogue, its quite a bit bigger in the back than a Versa. Also CRVs are big enough in the rear.

True...but it's still not big enough for the dog and luggage. He's still gonna need a roof rack. Either that, or maybe a hitch and one of these:http://www.trailmasterinc.com/cargo/backpack.html

matt_a wrote:True...but it's still not big enough for the dog and luggage. He's still gonna need a roof rack. Either that, or maybe a hitch and one of these:http://www.trailmasterinc.com/cargo/backpack.html

Depends on the amount of luggage I guess.

I'd suggest going with another minivan. It doesn't have to be a new car. My mom drives a '96 Ford Aerostar that gets around 20-25 MGP around with three dogs (a miniature schnauzer, a bulldog, and a rottweiler/bull mastiff mix that's bigger than your lab). While us kids are grown, she keeps the second seat in all the time, so there's plenty of room for passengers and the dogs.

Go down to Smart and get a used Volvo V70. You won't be disappointed. (I lived in Mad-town for 3 years. Shorewood Hills to be exact. And I'm going to be there this weekend.)

You could wait for the Jetta SportWagon, which arrives in January. The TDI version is the best bet, followed by the 2.0T. Although the 2.5 will be the cheapest.

You could check out the Mazda 5. They're selling very cheap and does have the room for two kids, dog and cargo. It gets decent mileage as well. They're not selling well here and can be had for the price as the Versa. Don't look at the Mazda 3, an infant seat doesn't fit.

Speaking of Fits, the Honda hatch could hold the dog but with luggage would be difficult. The Honda CRV is a great vehicle and would hold everything but it's a very popular car and an Odyssey can be had for the same money.

I've done a lot of child seat research in anticipation of our first child, and we have 3 dogs. The Versa is a good primary car for mother and child but not a practical family or "work" vehicle. Even so, my wife liked the Fit better (child seats fit fine.) You're going to need something larger unless you pack light. My concern is what from Home Depot can I carry and how much camping gear will it hold with 3 dogs and a kid? In the end, I decided a trailer was the best option for the overflow. It's costs less than a roof rack and is far more versatile.

Good luck with your decision.

matt_a wrote:So it really just comes down to the dog. If you think he'll have enough room back there, then you're good. It's a very deep area and it has a good amount of space.

A full-sized adult will fit curled up in the cargo area...

Just ask CodeRed

lol!

HareBrained wrote:You could check out the Mazda 5. They're selling very cheap and does have the room for two kids, dog and cargo. It gets decent mileage as well. They're not selling well here and can be had for the price as the Versa. Don't look at the Mazda 3, an infant seat doesn't fit.

Yeah, the Mazda5 is a good choice in this scenario. They are pretty good value for money, and not too big.

Thanks again for the advice. We really appreciate it. After a long discussion last night, we are leaning toward holding off until next spring... once we have an idea of how much stuff we'll have to haul around.

We'll just have to keep driving these cars which are getting in the upper teens, lower 20's for gas mileage. :/

Where are the diesel hybrid mini vans!?

So, do you think we scared him off?

HareBrained wrote:So, do you think we scared him off?

maybe he just ran over to the Rogue forum to look around. Although, I did hear some squeeling tires a little while ago.

KimberKenobi wrote:A full-sized adult will fit curled up in the cargo area...

Just ask CodeRed

It's not so much fun to poke at CodeRed if he doesn't even read it. :o/

I read it.... and.....

WOOOOOO!!!! hahahahahaha

If you're looking to get a vehicle around the same price as the Versa that can haul around a big dog and a bunch of kid stuff, I've heard good things about the Kia Rondo from Edmund's and Consumer Reports.

The Rondo is ugly as sin, but CAN carry a lot. The 5-passenger model is worthwhile, but the 7-passenger model is cramped. Their drivetrain is the same 2.4L "world engine" that Hyundai and Chrysler use in their newer cars that are far more reliable than the old Mitsubishi engines that Chrysler used to use. And the V6 is the 2.7L out of the Tiburon.

Yeah, the Rondo isn't exactly a looker, but when was the last time you saw a sexy minivan?

Since I'm a gamer, the name keeps reminding me of Dracula X: The Rondo of Blood. Either that or the Rumpo vans in the GTA series.

At the Chicago Auto Show, Kia was displaying a Rondo SX version that looked a lot better. It was dropped with side skirts and a more aggressive front end. Here's a picture from Consumer Reports (if you haven't checked out their cars sections, you should. It's quite comprehensive.)