Now that I'm moving closer to being "in the biz" I'm thinking that those folded towels on the back seat of my car just aren't going to cut it 
. I need a vehicle that is easy to load/ unload, with plenty of flat surface (fold-down seats are fine). I want a vehicle that rides like a quality car. I definitely want something easy to get in and out of--don't want to be hiking this increasingly old and large carcass up into the cab. Beyond that: cuteness counts; good gas mileage would be great; long life and low maintenance definitely a bonus.
Please tell me about the ones to stay away from as well as what's good. TIA
I recently got a Honda Fit - I LOVE it!! The back seats fold down flat (easily accomodating my 36" square base for my cupcake tower with room to spare). The back seats also fold up, leaving lots of room for a cake to sit in the floor (a small hump in between so it doesn't move). I carried a 3 tier cake there not long ago. I am a massage therapist as my real job and my massage table fits in that area - slids right in (It folds in half). Gas mileage 32-38, rides smooth, good pickup. There is nothing about it I don't like! Lots of head room too. I've driving in from TN to TX 3 times already to see grandchildren. Do I sound like a Honda commercial?
Here is Car and Drivers review - it got one of the 10 best cars:
http://www.caranddriver.com/bestcars/12062/2007-honda-fit.html
I have a '95 Windstar van (lots of miles, but it just keeps going 
) that we removed the middle seat from to make a large flat space for cakes. I cut an egg-crate foam mattress pad to fit the floor space and place the cakes on that. No sliding, lots of room, easy access. Plus room in the back for more 'stuff' if I need it. It has worked very well for many years. I also had a magnetic sign made that says "Patience please, Wedding Cake on board". I attach this to the back of the van when transporting. It doesn't completely stop the 'middle finger salutes' I get when driving too slow for some folks, but at least it lets reasonable folks know that I'm not just crazy!
Not a Nissan Pathfinder. I love my SUV but a very low center of gravity - at least the 2001 model. However, I have never had a problem since I started spreading the kitchen drawer grip mats down beneath the cake plates/boxes. They come in a roll and I just cut what I need. And if the box is too big, I place a small square in the box under the cake plate. The other disadvantage is that you can't keep an eye on your cake if it's in the back and the seats are up. Good luck!
I don't have a business but do carry cakes to friends and work. I have a Camry now and am very uneasy putting cakes in the trunk . My next vehicle will be a Toyota RAV 4. It is a small SUV built on a car frame so it drives like my Camry and not a truck.
I have a ford expedition. Lots of room. Bumby ride though over railroad tracks. I would like a different car. Not in the budget for me right now though! Some on on here said they have a Ford Focus hatchback. Says it has plenty of room to haul cakes and gets good gas mileage! My dream car is a mustang but, I guess that's not very practical.
Tiffysma--I will definitely check that out; thanks!!
Hookste--aren't those rubber grippy things just the best?!
I did a LOT of research before deciding on the Fit. We also have a Honda CRV, and I like the Fit better for carrying cakes, etc. Here is another review with a Virtual Test Drive (a short commercial first):
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=109810
) or X5 with self-leveling rear axle.
I have a Subaru Outback and love it. There is a lot of space, the back seats fold flat and the back cargo area has a rubber mat so when I use the rubber shelf liner to hold stuff in place it stays put. It also has little bag hooks on the sides to hold handles on bags so my fix kit doesn't slide around either. If somethings falls or spills (hasn't happened yet) the rubber mat pulls out and hoses off easily. The whole cargo area is flat and roomy. I have put 3 full sheetcake boxes, a three teir cake unassembled, a 1/4 sheetcake box, decorations and my fix bag all in the space and it was not stacked.
I have a Chrysler Pacifica......LOVE IT!!! It is a crossover vehicle, so it rides like a car but has the room of an SUV. There are three rows of seats, we only have one child so we usually leave the last row down (folds flat) for extra cargo space. The middle row lays down as well; however, not flat enough for a cake, and there is a piece that folds over the middle console. It is lower to the ground than traditional SUV's and is wide so the stability is much like a car. I get just about the same gas milage as our Dodge Stratus.
I use a caliber...small yet roomy. Seats fold flat but somewhat slanted(not flat flat). Good to average on gas. It's not as smooth as the one we test drove 6 months earlier....I ain't sayin' nothin'.
The Chevy HHR was roomier still and when we test drove(the same day as the caliber) it was DREAMY...the cost was a bit higher than the caliber.
When we were test driving, I thought it was a day out together killing time, having fun, goofing off....dreaming with a touch of realism.
Had I known he was gonna surprise me with a vehicle, I would've gone for the HHR without the frills and fancies.
I have a Buick Rendevous...Love it for my cakes...plenty of room in the back...nice and level and still will seat 5 if I need it for transport/set/up... ( my neice frequently helps me with set up and she brings an 18 month old...so we usually take Granny to play with the baby)!
I have a Scion XB and i love it!!!! Its a bib square box so it fits so much. Seats fold down almost completly flat but i dont usualy need to fold them. The back cargo area holds a full sheet cake box with out touching the seats. Also since it is square there is plenty of height and so much room to manuver things around. Rides smooth and handles well. Pluss it has so much room to customize the outside with a paint job or just magnets. Also it is a small car...so i get good gas milage which i think is very important in a vehicle you use to deliver. when we baught it I did not take cake transporting into account becuase i had just started but I think it is still the best vehical to be able to transport.
I have a Lexus 350 SUV. Lots of room, tops in dependabilty, great on gas and doesn't drive like a truck. I used to have a Toyota 4Runner, lots of room, but rides rough compared to the Lexus. The navigation system is easy to use and great for going to receptions that are not being held at a regular banquet facility, like a private home.
My dad's Dodge 1500 pick up 
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Seriously - I have a Dodge Stratus (mid-size sedan). It's NOT good for cakes. But my dad has the extended cab version of the Dodge 1500 pick up truck, and he got the bed liner and rollaway top covering. He and I lay down non-slip pads, put the cake boxes on top, and we're good to go. We have not had a single issue yet.
Whatever vehicle dh and I get in the new year will have stow-n-go seating for cake.
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