Image by Dibson Hoffweiler, CC 2.0, via Flickr
Image by Dibson Hoffweiler, CC 2.0, via Flickr
Although it might be tempting to daydream about stepping off a private jet to a horde of screaming groupies, or singing along to ‘Tiny Dancer’ in a tour bus à la ‘Almost Famous’ – you might not have quite enough cash together to live the jet-set lifestyle just yet. The reality of gigging is likely to be pretty different when you’re just starting out.
There are some musicians, like Nick Andrew, who have gone as far as to live in their car to save money.
There are certain things you need to be thinking about when shopping for a car to take on tour, namely: storage space, comfort, safety, security and fuel economy. Doesn’t sound very rock ‘n’ roll, does it? But everyone has to start somewhere…
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a good all-rounder that hits most of the marks you need to be thinking about. Whilst Hyundai offers a five-seat Santa Fe with a huge load bay, it’s worth forking out a bit more for the seven-seater, due to the two third-row seats that fold up from the boot floor. Whilst these extra seats might not make the Santa Fe the perfect car for tall people, smaller adults will be fine, and boot space is still huge with the third row of seats up. This is just in the back though, so rest assured there’s plenty of head- and legroom in the first two rows of seats.
Boot capacity is a whopping 969-litres with the third row of seats, and extends to 2,257-litres when they’re folded down.
Safety-wise, the Santa Fe got a five-star Euro NCAP rating, and has seven airbags, a strengthened body shell and electronic stability control (ESP). You also get a five-year unlimited mileage warranty so you’ve got peace of mind, too.
Running costs aren’t bad for a car of this size. See below for the different engine options and their corresponding running costs:
With six speed gearbox and front-wheel-drive
2.2-litre CRDi – 194bhp – 155g/km – 47.9mpg
With six speed gearbox and four-wheel-drive
2.2-litre CRDi – 194bhp –159g/km – 47.9mpg
4x4 with automatic gearbox
2.2-litre CRDi – 194bhp –178g/km – 41.5mpg
The Mercedes-Benz E Class estate is the most expensive car on this list, but it is also unbeatable on boot space. The E Class estate has almost 200-litres more boot capacity than the Ford Focus, sitting at a huge 695 litres – which is best in class. You can also create a completely flat floor by folding the back seats down, which ups the boot space to 1,855 – 1,905 litres.
Tinted rear windows also provide peace of mind if you need to leave your gear in the back at any point.
Fuel economy is also great considering the size of this thing (on the E300 Bluetec hybrid model). The combination of the 2.1-litre diesel engine with electric motor makes the E Class estate E300 hybrid unbeatable in its class for fuel economy. Saying this, the regular diesel engines aren’t much to shout about on that front.
Example running costs:
E 300 Bluetec hybrid – 204bhp – 119g/km – 62.8mpg
E220 BlueTEC AMG – 177bhp – 129g/km – 56.5mpg
We know it might be difficult to take the plunge and become a ‘White Van Man’, but for a trusty classic, you’ll find it hard to beat a Ford Transit.
If you need to fit the whole band, that’s no problem – the Ford Transit has second- and third-row seating options to fit seven adults (and more comfortably than the Santa Fe). If you’ve got more gear than friends, just fold the seats down and revel in the 6.0m3 load capacity of the short wheelbase model, or the even bigger 6.8m3 SAE of the long wheelbase model.
Not only is there a shed-load of space, but there are also innovative features built-in, with transporting equipment in mind. Ford have included a deployable integrated roof rack, a load-through hatch in bulkhead (for tall items), locking check arms that allow doors to be locked in place at 90°, repositioned tie-down hooks and fixing points, easy-clean load floor liner and ultra-bright LED loadspace lighting for those late nights. Phew! You really will be hard-pressed to beat that.
The Ford Transit also has excellent fuel economy, with low CO2 emissions and low running costs thanks to the lighter body and aerodynamic shape.
Engine options:
ECOnetic 1.6-litre TDCi – 95PS – 44mpg – 169g/km
2.2-litre Duratorq diesel – 153bhp – 36.2mpg – 174g/km
If you don’t have enough gear to warrant buying a van, but need something with a bit more room, the ŠKODA Octavia estate is a solid choice. There’s ample room in the boot at 610 litres with the seats up, and with the seats folded, it’s nothing short of cavernous with 1740 litres of space.
You have the option of getting a super-green diesel engine that achieves 88.3mpg and 85g/km, not bad for those long road trips! However, do bear in mind that there’s a step in the boot when the seats are folded, so you don’t get a nice flat load area which is easier to move things in and out of.
The Octavia estate was awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating and comes with an impressive safety spec as standard, including post-collision braking.
Engine options:
(There’s loads of engine and trim options for the Octavia estate, so here’s just a few of the best.)
1.2 TSI petrol – 105PS – 55mpg – 114g/km
Greenline III 1.6 TDI CR diesel – 100PS – 88mpg – 85g/km
2.0 TDI CR – 105PS – 67mpg – 119g/km
Image: by Ben.H CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
Let’s be honest, there’s something irresistible about the idea of carting the band and gear around the country in a classic VW camper.
But beware, they aren’t the most inconspicuous of vehicles, so you might attract some unwanted attention from people looking for a free guitar or two; and with classic car thefts on the rise you might want to reassess the hippie dream from the very un-rock n’ roll perspective of safety and security.
I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you, but unfortunately, you have one of those professions that car insurance companies just don’t like. If you haven’t found out already, as soon as you mutter the word ‘musician’, your premium is likely to jump up significantly (I’m talking hundreds here).
Try altering your title slightly to ‘composer’ or ‘classical musician’ to get a lower quote. Money Saving Expert has a great tool for comparing job titles in relation to insurance costs. Check out our 7 savvy tips to keep car insurance costs down for more ways to get around this.
Something to aspire to…
