+1
You HAVE to take your gear with you while shopping. Here's why...
There are cars out there that technically, on paper, have a bigger cargo area than brand/model X, but are no good (for my needs, maybe yours). I shopped extensively, with bass in tow...
For example the Volvno station wagon with all its space was hampered by a retractable cargo cover that couldn't be removed. Fold down the back seat and the cargo net/cover thingy is still cutting the space in half right in the way of the DB.
Missedyoubici had fold up seats that fold up in the way not a problem if you're only loading a few sheets of plywood, but a big problem if those sheets of plywood have already been formed into the shape of a bass.
The Alphabeta Romeo Wherefore Art Thou Room? was a cool hot hatch but the irregular shaped hatch opening meant getting the bass in and out was a total hassle and the available space was as misshapen as the hatch no problem for soft goods, like your gig clothes might stuff into a corner.
Anyway, as mentioned, just about any car will take a bass, but while Mr Warburton once used to stuff his bass into a VW beetle (trad aircooled), how small and hassle free do you want/need to be?
After decades without a car, I wound up being in the difficult position to need one. I wanted the smallest, most fuel efficient, that would meet-my-needs vehicle. I tried out dozens of models including ones that I knew in advance were out of my budget and or criteria. Came down to the Honda Jazz/Fit as it was the best for interior cargo space, but the options in HK meant getting a gutless engine mated to an automatic tranny... meh. Where's the standard stick with bigger turbo engine?
On sale, I wound up with a Toyota Ractis: fits the bass & gear, a passenger or two; it has pep, no stick (or turbo) but at least I can play F1 with the paddles...Oh, and MikeCanada, nice car you chose! I'm just a little jealous.
