Ask the Expert: Which quirky, stylish runaround is best for two muddy dogs?

Alex Robbins
·3-min read
A Dacia, Mini or Seat Leon might work for you and your furry passengers
A Dacia, Mini or Seat Leon might work for you and your furry passengers - dageldog/istockphoto

Dear Alex,

I want to swap my 2012 Volkswagen Golf GTI for a runaround more suited to short journeys. I would like a car with a bit of style and quirkiness that’s fun to drive, but it also needs to have space for two dogs for muddy autumn/winter walks. It won’t get as much use in the summer, as I can walk the dogs near my house, so it also needs to be able to cope with standing for days, or even weeks, at a time without the battery going flat. Any ideas?

– RJ

Dear RJ,

Unless it’s a particularly low-mileage GTI, your car is likely to be worth somewhere between £6,000 and £10,000 on the open market, so let’s assume £8,000 as an approximate budget.

My first thought would be a Suzuki Vitara, its chunky styling lending quite a bit of character. It’s sharp to drive, meanwhile, and benefits from Suzuki’s excellent reputation for reliability.

There should be enough space in the back for your dogs (unless they’re great Danes), while Vitaras tend to be pretty generously equipped. A 2015 example in top SZ-T spec with 71,000 miles and a full history can be yours for £7,995.

Alternatively, why not try one of the Vitara’s direct rivals? The Dacia Duster majors on value, meaning it’s not as well-equipped as the Vitara. Neither does it feel quite as sharp to drive – but look at what you get for your cash.

One of the last first-generation cars with the excellent 1.2-litre turbo engine, dating from 2017 and with 63,000 miles and a full history, can be yours for £6,995 – a bargain in anyone’s book. Dacia’s reliability record isn’t quite as good as Suzuki’s, but neither is it parlous – and these are simple cars that are cheap to fix if they do go wrong.

Don’t fancy an SUV? How about a Mini Clubman? The estate version of the outgoing third-generation Mini is dinky, brilliant fun to drive and more funky than any common-or-garden hatchback, especially bought in a good colour.

Mini’s reliability record has improved considerably in recent years, too, so a Clubman should be a dependable choice. Go for a 1.5 Cooper, like the 2016 example I found with a full service history (and finished in a great shade of purple) for £7,450, and you’ll get a peppy petrol engine.

Not big enough? The ST estate version of the third-generation Seat Leon isn’t quite as quirky as the other cars here, but it’s about as stylish and sporty as a small estate gets – and has plenty of room in the back for your dogs.

The Leon is great fun to drive, too, even with a smaller petrol engine – and it’s great value these days; I found a 2015 1.2 TSI SE Technology with 63,000 miles and a full history for £7,211. Given how sweetly they drive, that would be my choice.

For new and used buying guides, tips and expert advice, visit our Advice section, or sign up to our newsletter here

To talk all things motoring with the Telegraph Cars team join the Telegraph Motoring Club Facebook group here

A-Z Car Finder

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • Volkswagen to invest $5bn in Tesla electric car rival

    Volkswagen has announced plans to invest up to $5bn (£3.9bn) in US electric carmaker Rivian, as manufacturers rethink their strategies amid uncertain demand.

  • Electric vehicles lead ‘massive change’ in UK factories

    Electric vehicles made up almost two fifths of all new cars produced in the UK in May, according to new figures, as 26,475 models rolled off factory lines.

  • China's Zeekr sees sales jump in Russian EV market

    STORY: Sales of Zeekr electric vehicles have shot up in Russia over the last year.It puts Chinese carmakers ahead of local competition in Russia's small but rapidly growing EV sector.Chinese carmakers have already seized more than half of Russia's car market since Western competitors pulled out two years ago.They left after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.Governments in Europe and the U.S. are growing increasingly more wary of Chinese dominance in EVs.But Russia has welcomed Beijing's brands across all automobile sectors to prop up its car industry.From May 2023 to April this year, more than 20,500 new EVs were sold in Russia - a jump of about 350% on the previous year.Industry data showed Chinese brands made up more than half of sales, while Russian carmakers sold fewer than 4,000 new EVs in that time.Chinese premium brand Zeekr has led the charge - despite having no official representation in Russia.Irina Frank heads a dealership in Moscow, and she said Zeekr sold more than 8,000 cars since June last year."In China, more than 30% of cars are electric vehicles. We (in Russia) still have less than 2% (of electric vehicles). Secondly, people understand that it is environmentally friendly, it is fashionable, it is profitable, it is more profitable than gasoline, I repeat once again - both from the point of view of maintenance and from the point of view of fuel costs per 100 kilometers. And it is the future."A separate dealership said most buyers are wealthier than the average Russian.They added premium cars are the only widely available category of EV, and around 40% of EV owners have charging facilities at home.The Zeekr X, a compact SUV, is on sale from around just over $46,100, similar to prices in Europe.But, in a statement, Zeekr said it had not entered the Russian market and had no approved sales network there.The automaker said it had not deployed any infrastructure such as charging stations, or conducted any other related business in Russia.

  • Fast-Food Chains Jacked Up Their Prices. Now They’re Trying to Win You Back With Value Menus.

    Fast-food chains are heading toward a price war this summer as America pulls back on dining out. While a race to the bottom could hurt all players, McDonald’s with its rich profit margin and cash flow, seems best positioned to emerge as the winner. Burger King debuted its $5 Your Way Meal earlier this month, which equates to a roughly 30% discount.

  • Zeekr's sales jump as Chinese dominate Russian EV market

    Sales of Zeekr electric vehicles have shot up in Russia in the last year, putting Chinese carmakers ahead of local competition in Russia's small but rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) sector. Chinese carmakers have already seized more than half of Russia's car market since Western competitors pulled out, taking their technology and know-how with them, after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Governments in Europe and the United States are growing increasingly wary of Chinese dominance in the EV sector but Russia, rather than imposing tariffs, is embracing Chinese brands across all automobile sectors to prop up its car industry.

  • Is this the Tesla robotaxi killer? Meet the 'Verne'

    Tesla (TSLA) may have some competition in the robotaxi space as Croatian automaker Rimac Automobili is set to launch its new robotaxi service, Verne, in 2026. Yahoo Finance Pras Subramanian joins Catalysts to discuss Rimac's announcement and what it means for the auto sector moving forward. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino

  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle given new 'Royal titles' - and fans are horrified

    Harry and Meghan have been made over as historical royals for a series of new pictures... and fans had some thoughts

  • Meghan under attack - feeling 'isolated' after bombshell revelations and snubs from celebrity friends

    EXCLUSIVE: It has been a far from ideal week for Meghan Markle following her dad Thomas's latest bombshell interview about not seeing his grandchildren - and a 'celebrity snub'

  • A dangerous holiday black market has emerged – and it’s coming to Britain

    A new holiday “black market” has emerged in New York City, and it appears to have taken root in the UK and other parts of Europe.

  • As ice melts, Everest's 'death zone' gives up its ghosts

    On Everest's sacred slopes, climate change is thinning snow and ice, increasingly exposing the bodies of hundreds of mountaineers who died chasing their dream to summit the world's highest mountain.Sherpa said that bringing one body down from close to Lhotse's 8,516 metre peak -- the world's fourth-highest mountain -- had been among the hardest challenges so far.

  • Prince Harry 'to jet to the UK and face the royal family' after 'refusing to just be cast aside'

    Prince Harry is reportedly planning to 'fly over' to the UK to face the Royal Family and repair his relationships with his relatives after being 'snubbed' by them

  • Mum wakes up to find stranger has erected tent in her front garden overnight

    A mum was baffled when she looked outside and found a stranger had pitched a tent in her front garden overnight. Erika White, 38, said her son initially spotted the makeshift home on the lawn of her end-of-terrace urban home at 6.35am. The baffled finance analyst confronted the brazen trespasser - and said initially he ignored her polite request to move on from her front garden in Dartford, Kent. She "couldn't believe the audacity" of the sleepy camper and it was only when she told him she'd call the police he upped and went.

  • Katy Perry is topless in nothing but the lowest-rise ripped tights and an open jacket

    Katy Perry stepped out again during Paris Fashion Week wearing nothing but super low-rise ripped tights and going topless beneath an open faux fur coat.

  • Strictly's Helen Skelton oozes glamour in tiny denim shorts and golden heels

    Countryfile star Helen Skelton showed off her bronzed tan in denim hot pants and gold heels in a sun-soaked photo with her friends.

  • This Morning under fire over Jay Slater coverage - as missing teen is 'spotted' in Tenerife

    This Morning has been criticised by viewers for its coverage of missing teen Jay Slater – while reports have suggested he's been 'spotted' watching the Euros in Tenerife

  • Man United legend Wayne Rooney handed first major blow of new job as bumper contract refused

    Manchester United great Wayne Rooney is having to deal with his first major headache in charge of Plymouth Argyle having taken over at the club in May

  • Channel 4 star, 24, 'found dead' in suspected double murder

    A body, believed to be of a young Channel 4 star who appeared on 999: On The Front Line has been found in a Staffordshire home with police mounting a murder probe

  • Elizabeth Hurley sets pulses racing in racy strapless bikini

    Elizabeth Hurley never fails to impress with an unbelievable bikini photo and she didn't disappoint on Sunday when she donned a strapless number. See photo.

  • Bargain Hunt's Christina Trevanion wows fans with stunning snap as she shares 'very exciting' update

    Bargain Hunt star Christina Trevanion wowed fans with her endless legs in a stunning post on social media, in which she shared a "very exciting" update…

  • China Finds Something Strange in Sample Retrieved From Moon

    Lunar Graphene Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020. They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for our plans to make use of local resources once on […]